Taxodium distichum

The swamp cypress is one of the most impressive trees for wet ground. It is also one of the few conifers that loses its needles in winter, which is why it's also known as the bald cypress. In spring it bursts into soft, feathery, bright green foliage that looks almost fern-like. Through summer this deepens to a soft sage green, and in autumn it turns glorious shades of copper, russet and cinnamon before falling. Beneath it, the fibrous, red-brown bark gives winter interest. It comes from the swamps, rivers and bayous of the south-eastern United States. It is a long-lived, stately tree with a neat, conical crown when young that broadens and becomes more characterful with age.

Plant in full sun in almost any soil, including chalk, clay, loam or sand. The swamp cypress is at its best in moist or waterlogged ground and can even stand in shallow water. It is ideal beside a pond, stream or lake, or for a boggy spot where little else will grow, but it adapts well to ordinary garden soil too. It is fully hardy. Growth is moderate at first and speeds up once the tree is established, eventually reaching 20m or more tall and 4–8m wide over 20–50 years. That makes it best suited to large gardens, parkland and waterside planting, where it has room to become a true landmark. On wet sites mature trees often develop "knees", the knobbly woody growths that rise from the roots above the ground or water. Water regularly through the first couple of summers unless it is planted in naturally damp ground. Little pruning is needed beyond removing any competing leaders while the tree is young.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.