Taxodium distichum

by Randy Davis

This article written by Randy the president of the Evansville Bonsai Society and was published in their newsletter in April 2004 and is printed here with permission.. Since Mary Madison will be conducting a demonstration and workshop on Aug. 22, I thought we would present Randy’s ideas at this time – Ed.

At the last club meeting we had a great time working on trees that members brought to the meeting. In particular, we worked on an American Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) which prompted a discussion on design styles used for this tree. Over the last few years I have seen on various internet groups a discussion on the “American Flat Top” design. The American Flat Top design is characterized by a long trunk with a distinctly buttressed base devoid of branching until the very top of the tree. At the top of the tree a few branches are left to develop the characteristic asymmetrical triangle canopy. The design was developed around the trees that are typically seen in the most southern states of the United States. I have seen exquisite examples in the Florida everglades and I’m sure everybody has a picture in their minds eye from the Florida travel brochures and commercials that you’ve seen. Well, the American Flat Top style is not the only game in town as far as I’m concerned.

Taxodium distichum has a fairly large distribution in the Eastern part of the United States and extends from southern Florida to southern Illinois. We are lucky that the most northern Taxodium forests are located within driving distance of our area in the Cache River State Natural Area in Belknap, IL. This nagging discussion on the American Flat Top and what I see here in our area prompted me to visit the Cache river area last weekend to finally resolve in my own mind if there is a real difference in our northern trees.

I visited 2 areas of the Natural Area, the first being the “swamp forests” and the second being the oldest trees in the park. The swamp forests reminded me very much of the Florida Everglades, with the trees being much smaller in stature most likely because the trees in this area grow much slower than those in the south. The trees are surrounded by vast stands of Button bush (Cephalanths occidentalis) which in the summer when they flower must be spectacular. I really want to go back to this area with my canoe and spend some time looking deeper into the swamp later this spring. The thing that I was really after though was the next stop at the oldest trees in the forest. These trees, there must be around 10 of them, are estimated to be 1,000 years old, and man they looked like it. The largest of the trees is 44 feet in circumference at the base and I suspect close to 125 feet tall. The trees are distinctly different in shape and have a unique character compared to their southern counterparts. These trees while difficult to see in the pictures have branching very far down the trunks. The tree shown in figure 3 while a much younger tree (say a mere 300-400 year old tree) is a good example of just how far down the branching occurs on the northern trees, while the upper canopy is consistent with the southern Flat Top style. It is also very common for the trees to have a dead top or dead branches that have rotted out to provide living places for raccoons and other animals.

From a stylistic design standpoint it seems to me that the American Flat Top style is not an appropriate style for the representation of northern trees. A modified formal upright style would be the ticket for the northern tree in my estimation.

• The trunk should be very thick from the bottom to the top of the tree with as much buttressing as possible at the bottom of the trunk.
• The first live branches should appear at, or just below, mid-way up the trunk. Dead branches (jin) can appear much lower and it will not detract from the tree. In fact, the more jin the better for this tree.
• The tree apex should not come to a sharp point but rather be a gently sloping angle and more roundish overall to the eye.

I have been working on a tree in my own collection which I have consciously been attempting to make into what I call a natural design style. I’m actually pleasantly surprised how close the Bonsai is structurally to the natural specimens I saw on my visit to the Cache River. (I wish I had a Picture of the tree in leaf but I’ll have to show that to you later.)

It pays to get out of the house in the winter and see the structural displays that nature provides us. As my father always told us on those winter days “get out of the house and blow that stink off of you”. That was my call to the woods to enjoy a day of exploring. If you get a chance to visit the park do so, I’m sure you would find it worthwhile.

Well, in the end I think that there are two distinctly different natural styles for the Bald Cypress. Each style represents the trees relationship with its environment and displays that by subtle differences in its makeup.

Botanical Description
Family - Taxodiaceae
Genus - Taxodium
Species – distichum

Deciduous tree, leaves linear in shape that alternate on short lateral branchlets which drop in the fall. The alternating leaves are one of the keys to telling the difference between Bald Cypress and Dawn Redwood whose leaves are in pairs. It’s interesting to note that Bald Cypress is taxonomically related to Sciadopitys (Japanese Umbrella Pine), Cryptomeria (Japanese Redwood) and Sequoia (California Redwood). All of which make great Bonsai. I confess, I love this stuff. There are 2 Northern Hemisphere species (distichum and, mucronatum) and 1 Chinese species (hetrophyllum). There are some documented varieties of distichum; pendula (weeping branches), fastigiatum (slender and upright) and nutans (What used to be Taxodium ascends; a slender tree and smaller than the species). None of the varieties are much used or even found in the trade, except nutans which is native to the far south of Florida.

The ultimate prize “Knees”
In bonsai the ultimate prize is to have the tree produce “knees” naturally. For container grown plants this seems an elusive enterprise at best, and is very rarely accomplished if ever. Bonsai with “knees” which are typically collected trees should be identified and registered somehow because of their rarity. I have only seen a picture of one tree with knees and I can’t remember if the “knees” were natural or produced through technique. The most common method of creating the illusion of “Knees” is not to root prune a tree for 2-3 seasons until there are sufficient size caliper roots just below the soil surface. Once the roots are produced, at the next root pruning wash all of the soil away from the roots that will be used. With a sharp knife make a sharp angled wedge cut and remove the root piece. Extend the wedge cut on the underside of the root to the distance needed so that when the root is folded together the two joined pieces form the “Knee”. If you tie the root with a rubber band to keep it in place the root will heal as a single unit and form a reasonable representation of a “Knee”. It is always possible to detect a real Knee from a manufactured one. The experienced hand will detect a distinctly “spongy” feel of a real “Knee” which is completely different than the wood of a root.

Styles - Formal Upright, Informal Upright, Double and Multi-Trunk, Natural (Either Southern Flat top or Northern temperate) and Forest groupings or multi-tree of various sizes.

Lighting - Full sun. Some shade during the heat of midsummer

Temperature - Zone 5 through 10 are for trees grown in the ground. For trees growing in containers in zones 6 and below, winter protection should be provided.

Watering - Watering must be done to maintain a constantly moist soil year round. The pots may be kept submerged to the rim of the container during the spring and summer months without harm to the trees. If your trees have been submerged for the summer, it is advisable to provide a “dry” season at the end of the growing season just prior to the onset of winter. This is particularly important the farther north you are located.

Feeding - Any well balanced general purpose fertilizer will do. The easiest are the water soluble types. If the tree is submerged, use ¼ the recommend dosage in the growing water. Otherwise, use ½ dosages every 2 weeks during the growing season. Stop the fertilization program at the end of the growing season (mid-August) through the winter months.

Pruning – On a new tree that is just beginning to become a bonsai, pruning can be done anytime of the year and should be done often to promote good branching structure early-on in the trees life. As one gets closer to the bonsai stage and the permanent branches have been established a more seasonal pruning style can be undertaken. During the summer growing months, pruning should be directed towards the development of ramification. Vigorous pinching should be done during the early spring growing season. The fall or preferably early spring pruning should be where the major pruning occurs. All root pruning is done in the early spring as the leave buds begin to swell and just prior to showing color. The roots will always tell you when it’s time to prune, look for nice white root tips. That’s the signal to get a move-on. You can prune the tops heavily at the same time as the roots in the early spring.

Wiring – Wire in the spring and summer months when the branching is flexible and easy to work with. Once wired, the tree will probably have to remain wired for 1-2 years before the branching will hold its position. Not to worry though, girth development on branches is slow and it’s easy to keep ahead of any girdling. Just keep an Eye out!!

Propagation - Virtually all Bald Cypress is commercially produced by seed. Varieties are grafted onto species root stock. Cuttings are not recommended as even the professional propagators have difficulty getting Taxiodum to root successfully. In the mid-west and south look to your state forest departments. They often have plants that are for sale Cheap. Just what the Dr. ordered for a Bonsai Junkie!