Cypress are found down low in the swamps deeper half – better known as strands and sloughs – and commonly flooded with water up to their knees;
Whereas slash pines stake out their ground in the “highest and driest” country the swamp has to offer. Fittingly they are named for their most frequent tree: Pine Islands.
That being said, the vertical difference between the elevated islands and swampy sloughs are only a three feet, sometimes less, and despite the generalized clustering rule, you’ll often find individuals of each standing side by side to one another among the mish mash of subtropical and temperate plants we call the mosaic.
That makes it a bit of a battle to distinguish the two during summer when both are green.
But come winter the difference is "night and day:"
Cypress are deciduous – they shed their needles (turning stark gray).
Slash pines stay evergreen all year round.
Polar opposites yes, but also the same:
Both are conifers.
They are organized in the plant kingdom under the same division as other cone-bearing trees, including redwoods, spruces, cedars, and junipers (to name a few).
Cypress cones are called “balls” – which has a holiday look (and ring) to it ...
If only they were hanging on an evergreen tree, not bare branches.
They may be similar, but these trees don't share:
For me they will always be “opposites.”
7 comments:
They are both lovely...even the dormant one.
Botanist too, love it!
There is a Glades deciduous cypress here in Thomasville, complete with knees. I pointed it out to my sister a while ago and she scoffed, just not believing it could be growing on dry land. Well, I am here to attest it has shed its leaves, still sports its little ornaments and is waiting the spring. I'm going to show her this blog and PROVE it to her, thanks to you, Mr. Robert. Nancy Ortiz
The cypress are more captivating in my mind because of their very distinctive seasonal change, or is that just me (a hydrologist) speaking because you find cypress in water.
I dabble in the plants ... but just barely. I'm as polar opposite to a botanist as is a cypress to a pine!
Funny you mention that Nancy, I drove by a yard a few days ago of seemingly thriving "dry land" such trees. There's nothing sadder in the botany world than seeing a cypress with out its beloved water!
Cypress can tolerate having their roots submerged all year but they grow 10 times as fast when their roots are only damp year around. I know this because ARMF & FEI planted many hundreds of ~ 1 foot tall cypress in 2003 in an area with a 12 month hydro-period and one with a 0 month hydro-period. Those in the 12 month hydro-period marsh are now 3 - 5 feet tall and those in the 0 month hydro-period adjacent to the marsh are now 30- 50 feet tall!
Last summer we visited areas along the Gulf Coast where the USACE has kept the marsh from having a seasonal cycle of very wet to almost dry and the cypress are dying. cheers, Dr. Tom
Interesting information Dr. Tom. Thanks for commenting!
Deciduous conifer?? (I thought that was an oxymoron!) Those are huge cones!
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