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Brundage, Stephanie

Taxodium ascendens

Taxodium ascendens Brongn.

Pond Cypress

Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)

Synonym(s): Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium

USDA Symbol: taas

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This deciduous, 70-90 ft. conifer is narrowly conical or columnar with spreading branches and upright branchlets. The awl-shaped foliage is bright-green changing to a rich orange-brown in fall. The bark is light-brown and deeply furrowed.

From the Image Gallery

31 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Cone
Size Notes: Up to about 90 feet tall.
Leaf: Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Brown
Bloom Time: Jan , Dec

Distribution

USA: AL , DE , FL , GA , LA , MS , NC , SC , VA
Native Distribution: Southeastern North America, from s.e. VA or MD to FL & west to s.e. LA, possibly n. in river valley to KY
Native Habitat: Upland areas around ponds

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Moist, acid soils.
Conditions Comments: Extremely wind firm. No serious disease or insect problems. A gall which so commonly effects T. distichum is less evident on T. ascendens. "Knees" do not form to the degree they do on T. distichum. Adapts to drier soils.

Propagation

Description: May be propagated by seed. Success with rooting cuttings is variable.
Seed Treatment: 90 days cold stratification overcomes internal dormancy.
Commercially Avail: yes

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL				OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Texas Discovery Gardens - Dallas, TX
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS

Bibliography

Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic Botany
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Taxodium ascendens in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Taxodium ascendens in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Taxodium ascendens

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-03-23
Research By: TWC Staff

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