Shawnee Brave Bald Cypress

Shawnee Brave Baldcypress is a lofty, deciduous conifer with a slender, pyramidal habit. A stately specimen in any landscape, with nearly horizontal branches, fine-textured needles, and distinctive character. Shawnee Brave Baldcypress is a selection of Baldcypress that has a dense, narrow canopy. Like the species, it tolerates pollution, salt, and poor drainage, making it an excellent street tree in spaces where soil alkalinity is not excessively high. The fall color is an attractive red-brown.

Baldcypress is native to the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Gulf Coast of the southeastern United States. It typically grows along riverbanks and swamps, its range extends north to southern Illinois. Near the ocean, its range is restricted by the salinity of water- the trees won’t be found in waters with greater than 1% salt. In its native habitat, Baldcypress will cease height growth when it reaches about 200 years of age. After that, it will grow wider, leading to trees of massive diameter.

When growing in wet or flooded locations, Baldcypress will form ‘knees’ off of their lateral roots, some up to 12 feet tall. Occasionally, ornamental plantings will also develop knees. The function of these knees has not yet been determined- some hypothesize that they are for gas exchange, while others posit that they help anchor the large root mass of the tree. The heartwood of old-growth Baldcypress has been prized for fence posts, boats, and outdoor structures for its rot resistance. However, this decay-resistant heartwood is not present in younger trees.

Baldcypress is the closest living relative of the Dawn Redwood, another deciduous conifer found in China that has found use as a street tree.

Complete information on this species can be found at the source link below:
Information Source: https://kb.jniplants.com/shawnee-brave-baldcypress-taxodium-distichum-mickelson
Plant Source: Johnson’s Nursery