There are conifers that live a few meters from the sea, such as Pinus halepensis, but there is one that literally grows in the water. In fact, it is called marsh cypress and it is one of those trees that can easily decorate a large garden.
Although it needs a lot of water, its cultivation is not complicated at all. Would you like to meet him?
Origin and characteristics of the swamp cypress
Our protagonist it is a deciduous tree native to the southeastern quadrant of the United States, where it can be found growing in large rivers, such as the Mississippi. Its scientific name is Taxodium distichum and it is known by the names of marsh cypress and bald cypress. It is characterized by reaching a height of up to 40 meters, with a rather wide crown when young that becomes pyramidal over the years. Its trunk is tall and erect, wide at the base for more stability. In flooded land it emits aerial roots called pneumatophores that what they do is look for the surface to absorb oxygen and thus breathe.
Its growth is reasonably fast if the climate accompanies, in fact, can grow at a rate of 20-30 centimeters per year.
What are their cares?
View of the cypress from the marshes in autumn.
Would you like to have a copy? If so, we recommend that you provide the following care:
- Location: outdoors, preferably near ponds or on land with a tendency to flood. Plant at a minimum distance of 8 meters from pipes and paved soils.
- Land: is indifferent.
- Irrigation: very frequent. Ideally, the soil should always be moist.
- Subscriber: from the beginning of spring to the end of summer it can be fertilized with guano, humus or manure from herbivorous animals.
- Planting time: in spring.
- Multiplication: by seeds in winter. They have to stratify in the fridge for 3 months and then sow in pots with universal growing medium. They usually germinate in a month after they were transferred to the seedbed.
- Rusticity: supports up to -18ºC.
Have you ever heard of the swamp cypress? What do you think?