Common Names

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Baldcypress

Cypress

Pond cypress

Red cypress

Southern cypress

Yellow cypress

Louisiana red cypress

White cypress

Gulf cypress

Swamp cypress

Tidewater red cypress

Black cypress

Buck cypress

Cow cypress

Common Uses

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Chairs

Desks

Food containers

Furniture components

Joinery

Kitchen cabinets

Millwork

Paneling

Tables

Veneer

Woodenware

Baskets

Cabinetmaking

Canoes

Chests

Decorative veneer

Dining-room furniture

Drawer sides

Figured veneer

Fine furniture

Flooring

Furniture

Furniture squares or stock

Hatracks

Interior trim

Living-room suites

Office furniture

Parquet flooring

Plain veneer

Radio, stereo, TV cabinets

Rustic furniture

Shipbuilding

Stools

Utility furniture

Wainscotting

Wardrobes

Species Distribution

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REGIONS:

North America

COUNTRIES:

United States

Physical and Environmental Profile

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Environmental Profile

Baldcypress is reported to be rather widespread, abundant, and secure globally,
although it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery
(Source - The Nature Conservancy - Rank of relative endangerment based primarily
on the number of occurrences of the species globally).

Distribution

Baldcypress is reported to be distributed in
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri,
Mississippi, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Oklahoma, Illinois, Pennsylvania,
South Carolina, Tennessee,Texas, Virginia, and Indiana.
The tree prefers very wet, swampy soils of riverbanks and
floodplain lakes that are sometimes submerged.
It is often found in pure stands, but may also grow alongside hardwoods.

Product Sources

It is currently unknown whether some material from this species is available from
sustainably managed, salvaged, recycled, or other environmentally responsible sources.

Tree Data

This large, acquatic, and deciduous tree is reported to mature to a height of
about 100 to 120 feet (30 to 37 m),
with a trunk diameter of 36 to 60 inches (90 to 150 cm).
Baldcypress trees are reported to be well-known ornamentals,
but are also commercially valuable.

Sapwood Color

The sapwood is pale yellowish white, and it merges gradually into the heartwood.

Heartwood Color

The heartwood is reported to be variable in color, with some wood featuring
lighter streaks on a darker background.
The color usually ranges from yellowish to light or
dark brown, reddish brown, or almost black.
Material from trees growing in the southern swamps is reported to be
darker in color than that from trees growing farther north on drier lands.

Grain

The grain is normally straight, and may be even or uneven.

Texture

Texture is described as coarse,
and oil from the tree is reported to impart a greasy feel to the wood.

Natural Durability

The heartwood is reported to be have high natural resistance to decay.

Painting

The timber is reported to take paint very well.
It is regarded as an economical wood to finish because of its high paint retention.

Strength Properties

Bending strength in the air-dry condition is medium.
It also has moderate crushing strength parallel to grain.
The wood is moderately heavy,
moderately hard, strong and moderately stiff.

Comments

Some cypress logs are reported to be susceptible to attack by a fungus which
forms pockets or localized areas in the wood.
The result is "Pecky cypress" which is
reported to be attractive in appearance when cut.
Although Pecky cypress is reported to be considered as an actual grade,
supplies are very small compared to other grades.  

Reference Sources

Numerical Data Source

USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material,
Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72,
Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Descriptive Data Source

Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition.
McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.

Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988.
Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical.
United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory,
General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin.

USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy.
Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.

Little, E.L.1980.The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region.
Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.

Kaiser, J. 1993.
Wood of the Month - Cypress: The Hardwood-like Softwood.
Wood and Wood Products, May 1993. Page 36.