Bald Cypress—Taxodium distichum

Large | Deciduous | Height: 50--70 feet | Spread: 20-45 feet

This conifer can grow in most environments with well-drained, average moisture retentive soil, but in wet environments, its roots produce distinctive knobby, conical "knees" that project upwards. The bark on younger trees peels off in reddish-brown strips. The delicate, flat foliage consists of small linear leaves arranged alternately along the branches, turning a warm reddish-brown hue in fall before dropping. 

Male cones hang in pendulous clusters, while globular female cones start green and transition to brown, held close to the branches. Bald cypresses are incredibly resilient trees that can live over 600 years. As they age, the trunks develop hollows and cavities that provide cover for all manner of wildlife.

More information on the characteristics and cultivation of this species can be found at https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/taxodium-distichum/.