Baldcypress

At 95 feet in height, the tallest Baldcypress known in Ohio is in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, in Hamilton County. This tree and the Tamarack shed all of their leaves in the fall, the only native conifers to do so. The Baldcypress typically is associated with water and swamps, growing in very wet or even submerged soils. Nevertheless, it grows very well on well-drained upland sites. The natural range of the Baldcypress today extends along the coastal plain from Delaware southward to Florida, and westward to southeastern Texas. Also it grows northward in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys to southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. It is not native to Ohio, but this tree has been used in state forests, in arboretum plantings, and as ornamentals. In its natural range the Baldcypress is an important timber tree. Its wood is very durable and is used for heavy construction where wood is required that is resistant to decay.