Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is one of the most important and valuable timber species in the world due to its superior wood characteristics, durability, and ability to grow at high densities within inundated habitats. Bald cypress technically is not a true cypress such as those within the genus Cupressus. It is within the genus Taxodium, and family Cupressaceae (Bragg 2011). Bald Cypress is the state tree of the state of Louisiana, where the majority of the United States’ permanent swamps are
The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is an ancient and unique tree that is usually associated with the southern states because of its abundance in swampy regions. “Remains of prehistoric forests show that millions of years ago [bald cypress] grew in abundance within the Arctic Circle; because of changes in the climate, it was driven south. The bald cypress found its way to the eastern and southern coast lands” (Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, 2002). On May 26, 196, the bald cypress