Taxodium distichum

Taxodium distichum, commonly called bald cypress, is a deciduous conifer native to the southeastern United States. It grows in wetlands and along rivers, where mature trees can form distinctive woody projections called knees.

Cupressaceae: A family of conifers that includes cypresses, junipers, and redwoods. Bald cypress belongs to this family despite shedding its leaves each year.
Flood tolerance: The ability of an organism to survive temporary or prolonged inundation. Bald cypress can persist in habitats flooded for much of the growing season.
Bald cypress timber: Wood from bald cypress, valued for resistance to decay and use in outdoor construction. The species’ durable wood has long been used in buildings, fences, and water-related structures.
Caddo Lake: A lake on the Texas–Louisiana border known for extensive bald cypress stands. Its flooded forests offer a well-known example of bald cypress growing in standing water.
Deciduous conifer: A conifer that sheds its foliage seasonally rather than retaining it year-round. Bald cypress is a prominent example of this uncommon coniferous growth habit.
Pneumatophore: A specialized root structure that grows above waterlogged soil or water and can aid gas exchange. Cypress knees are often described as pneumatophores, though their function remains uncertain.
Wetland restoration: The repair of degraded wetlands to recover ecological functions and habitat. Bald cypress is planted to reestablish native forest in some southeastern wetlands.
Congaree National Park: A South Carolina national park preserving a large tract of old-growth floodplain forest. Bald cypress grows among the park’s exceptionally tall floodplain trees.
Cypress knee: A woody projection that grows upward from the roots of bald cypress and related trees. These projections are among the tree’s most recognizable features.
Aerenchyma: Plant tissue containing air spaces that facilitate oxygen movement within waterlogged organs. Internal air spaces help explain how some wetland plants cope with oxygen-poor soils.

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