Cypress Trees

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Beefy

Beefy

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Georgia
Can anybody tell me the difference between these cypress trees? I'm wondering if one is Pond Cypress and the other Bald Cypress, or if they are simply male versus female trees, or something. (i like the feathery leaved ones a lot better.) these trees are all growing together in a little depression out in the pasture.

Scaley-leaves (pond cypress?)
Picture2292.jpg


Feathery (bald?)
Picture2291.jpg
 
There are two varieties, pond and bald. Pond have a more fuzzy appearance at a distance. If you had all pond or all bald you would barely be able to tell the difference. Together the pond is fuzzier. BUT the leaves you show a picture of, I wonder how lond this tree has been foliated. Bald cypress trees look just like pond cypress when they first start to foliate. If the leaves have been on the branches for a few weeks or longer, then yes that first picture is a pond cypress.

We plant alot of pond cypress ornamentally nowadays since they don't produce knees. oh thats another way to tell. Real pond cypress don't produce knees.
 
i guess there are both kinds in this little cypress head. maybe even some hybridization going on. there are more of the pond cypress looking ones, the needles tend to all stick in the same direction. there are some feathery bald types. and then there are some that are kind of intermediate, hybrids i guess. there are some knees in this little head but nothing like the big knees down in the creek. i always just figured it was b/c these trees are younger and smaller though. i have a lot of little cypress seedlings started that i germinated over the winter, hope i'll get a lot of bald ones. although the pond would be better for my yard if they dont have knees....
 
Beefy, I was taught if you plant a bald in your yard its not going to produce knees. The knees are a response to wet conditions in the soil - a means of gas exchange. The height of the knees is usually an indication of the high water mark. In my area, bald will usually be found in running waters. Pond in stagnate or isolated wetlands.

If you like the look of the bald, you might also be interested in the Dawn Redwood. Pretty cool tree.
 
Jogeephus":22wu3uxb said:
Beefy, I was taught if you plant a bald in your yard its not going to produce knees. The knees are a response to wet conditions in the soil - a means of gas exchange. The height of the knees is usually an indication of the high water mark. In my area, bald will usually be found in running waters. Pond in stagnate or isolated wetlands.

If you like the look of the bald, you might also be interested in the Dawn Redwood. Pretty cool tree.
Click to expand...


thats what they taught me at UGA in Dendrology too. thats why i was asking about the two growing in the same location, in a stagnant depression. Dr. Bongarten told us that bald cypress only grows in running water naturally. but i have some growing in the pasture, "naturally". and the mower isnt real crazy about those cypressknees, lol. well, i already planted some balds in my yard so we'll see. if i have knees i'll just mulch around them heavily b/c the less i have to mow the better anyway!

mr. jo, didnt you say you are a conservationist or something? what is it that you do?

Dawn redwood is a pretty tree but i'm trying to stick with native trees from the farm. (except for the cassias and a few riverbirch).
 
I'm in land management. I like to see things grow or be improved. You know, the four W's. Wood, water, wildlife and wecreation. ;-) :lol: Did you graduate from forestry shool at UGA?
 
no i switched majors about 5 times before i got tired of school and decided to go ahead and finish my 6 animal science hours, lol. :oops: i lack about two semesters having a forestry and wildlife degree. i wish i had started out with that, i really enjoyed all those classes as well as my landscape design courses. something that combined the two would be right up my alley.

hey! youre not Okeefeenokee Joe, are you?
 
Kinda ironic. When I got out there were few if any jobs. Ended up working for American Nursery Products which was the largest private nursery in the US. I had taken some hort classes classes for the heck of it but had a crash course in ornamental plants on the job. We sold primarily to the big chains like Walmart. I got a good taste of corporate america and frankly didn't like it.
 

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