The Swamp Cypress
Latin Name : Taxodium distichum
![](https://priestgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Taxodium_didtichum_autumn_leaf_shutterstock_2060354609-940x627.jpg)
This image clearly illustrates why this tree has its given common name, because it will grow in swamps, unlike most other trees.
![](https://priestgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Taxodium_distichum_root_nodes_shutterstock_87315412-940x627.jpg)
This image clearly shows the multitude of knee-like woody protrusions above the ground. These growths come from the root system of the tree and are called Pneumataphores. And the job of a pneumataphore is to gather Oxygen from the air and deliver it to the roots. Thus the tree can grow in swamps.
![](https://priestgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Taxodium_distichum_winter_shutterstock_2428329079-940x637.jpg)
And just to prove the point, here are some newly planted and staked Swamp Cypress Trees.
![](https://priestgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Taxodium_distichum_foliage_shutterstock_147153107-940x844.jpg)
The foliage is very feathery, and the tree itself is deciduous, with the added benefit of a very reliable autumn leaf colour. The final image below shows the Cupressus-like cones forming.
![](https://priestgate.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Taxodium_foliage__cones_shutterstock_161839523-940x624.jpg)