Questions about a Bald Cypress. Help !!

[daygan]

BaldNow by edsnapshot

Hey, Ed, are you sure it's a Bald Cypress? because those leaves look exactly like some Dawn redwood saplings I have - I know these two different trees look similar - but they can't be that similar, can they? I understand the biggest distinguishing feature is that Dawn Redwoods' leaves are opposite, whereas Bald Cypress' leaves are alternate - are yours opposite or alternate? (sorry, I'm posting without really reading through all the replies in the whole thread, so I may have missed something that was noted before)..

 

[edprocoat]

Hey, Ed, are you sure it's a Bald Cypress? because those leaves look exactly like some Dawn redwood saplings I have - I know these two different trees look similar - but they can't be that similar, can they? I understand the biggest distinguishing feature is that Dawn Redwoods' leaves are opposite, whereas Bald Cypress' leaves are alternate - are yours opposite or alternate? (sorry, I'm posting without really reading through all the replies in the whole thread, so I may have missed something that was noted before)..

Wow. I am so sick and f***ng tired of being questioned on the identity of every tree I post, its amazing that every tree I have posted that I am certain of the species of someone asks me if I am certain its not a, whatever, for whatever reason. The one exception was the thread where I posted my Ilex Vomitoria Schilling Holly picture in the other night when I was extremely tired and a tad drunk and mistakenly called it a Japanese Holly, both in the title and in the thread, and not one clown called me on that obvious mistake. I was thinking about a Japanese Boxwood that the idiot manager at a home depot wants sticker price of $59.00 for that one half of the top is dead where the right main branch was broken, and he refuses to reduce the price saying " its a nursery plant and is going back soon" he first told me that in late november when I first seen it, and again the day I posted the Holly thread. I bet if I posted a picture of a daisy someone would say " you sure that there plant aint a yeller rose, I done see'd one in texas that dern sure looked a lot like that 'un."

Okay now that I blew that steam off, sorry, and now we return to our regular programming...

ed

 

[daygan]

okay So I guess that means you're sure. I really didn't mean to insinuate that you don't know what a Bald Cypress looks like - more that I don't really know what a Bald Cypress looks like. I guess there's an even greater similarity between Bald Cypress and Dawn Redwood than I realized.

 

[JudyB]

Wow. I am so sick and f***ng tired of being questioned on the identity of every tree I post, its amazing that every tree I have posted that I am certain of the species of someone asks me if I am certain its not a, whatever, for whatever reason. The one exception was the thread where I posted my Ilex Vomitoria Schilling Holly picture in the other night when I was extremely tired and a tad drunk and mistakenly called it a Japanese Holly, both in the title and in the thread, and not one clown called me on that obvious mistake. I was thinking about a Japanese Boxwood that the idiot manager at a home depot wants sticker price of $59.00 for that one half of the top is dead where the right main branch was broken, and he refuses to reduce the price saying " its a nursery plant and is going back soon" he first told me that in late november when I first seen it, and again the day I posted the Holly thread. I bet if I posted a picture of a daisy someone would say " you sure that there plant aint a yeller rose, I done see'd one in texas that dern sure looked a lot like that 'un."

Okay now that I blew that steam off, sorry, and now we return to our regular programming...

ed

Geez ed, a bit touchy today???

 

[edprocoat]

Geez ed, a bit touchy today???

I guess so, I just had to vent! I mean I have posted three Procumbens nanas and been told they do not look like P.Nana in each thread. I was told one that I have grown since it was 3 inches tall as all six I bought were, looked like a " 1 gallon home depot juniper". I would not care but I bought them as small whips from a P. Nana factory of sorts. There was this guy out of Apopka Fl. who started P. nana's and then shipped them to china where they were styled in a factory and then shipped back to the states many years later for sale. Sang Nguyen was his name, he also had many other types he would start such as elm and azalea. He would only grow them in the little 2 inch tall peat pots for about a year and ship several semi truck loads at a time. I would consider him an expert on the variety as he made his living this way and had six different enclosed greenhouses that were 600 foot long, each dedicated to a species he grew to export. He did not sell retail, he only sold me these as I was sealcoating his factory parking lots and truck lanes. I gave him $10.00 for six of them.

I have taken a fair share of abuse here, just trying to be social, and Daygan did not seem to be even slightly rude, it was just the proverbial straw that broke the camels back.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

okay So I guess that means you're sure. I really didn't mean to insinuate that you don't know what a Bald Cypress looks like - more that I don't really know what a Bald Cypress looks like. I guess there's an even greater similarity between Bald Cypress and Dawn Redwood than I realized.

Daygan, I am sorry that was not really aimed at you, see my above post. I did not mean to seem so rude to you. I just can not get over the things said here, you know if someone posts a plant here and I actually hated it, doubtful as I see beauty in every plant, but if it was just butt-ugly to me I would say it looks like you have taken good care of it, or, it looks like it has potential. Some here seem to get off on being insulting and demeaning as if that makes them a more accomplished "Bonsai Artist" in their mind.

Again, please forgive me for the rude response to your innocent question. I bought this plant in an nursery last fall in Ohio, yes Bald cypress are native to Ohio too, and there were 3 of them labeled Taxodium distichum, Bald Cypress. I have seen many in Ohio and many hundreds more along the lakes and rivers I fish in Florida and it looks like one to me and was labeled as one, so thats what I am going with.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

An update, this spring the new growth froze and turned mostly brown, then came back and grew to almost four feet tall filling in the scar between the two main leaders, one which put off a strong side branch that had drooped and cascaded below the middle of the pot. I chopped these all down a month ago and it has grown back with new little branches, the one that drooped I wired it and twisted it a little and it put a new shoot straight up off the end.


BCnow by edsnapshot, on Flickr

Other side

BC2 by edsnapshot, on Flickr

back?

Bcback by edsnapshot, on Flickr

final side

BCside by edsnapshot, on Flickr

I will let this grow for another month or so and chop all the new growth at least by half and see what grows from there.

ed

 

[tmmason10]

Looks good Ed, nice job.

 

[mcpesq817]

Looking good. You might want to cut back that large branch or you'll probably end up with a bulge at that area.

 

[crust]

" You sure that there plant is Balled Cyprus and aint a Magrove Hackamtack, I done see'd one in Louisiana swamp that dern sure looked a lot like one oh dem Magrove Hackamtacks."

 

[edprocoat]

" You sure that there plant is Balled Cyprus and aint a Magrove Hackamtack, I done see'd one in Louisiana swamp that dern sure looked a lot like one oh dem Magrove Hackamtacks."

Ya know I wuz a wunnerin' bout that meself!

ed

 

[daygan]

" You sure that there plant is Balled Cyprus and aint a Magrove Hackamtack, I done see'd one in Louisiana swamp that dern sure looked a lot like one oh dem Magrove Hackamtacks."

... wait a minute... are you making fun of me?

Hey, Ed - by the way, sorry I didn't respond to your response - I honestly didn't even catch it in the "new posts" list back when you posted. Honestly, I didn't even think you needed to apologize, as I can understand your position.. but thanks for apologizing anyway.

And it looks like your Bald Cypress is growing nicely! Good stuff!

 

[edprocoat]

This thing is a mess to keep in shape ! I put it in a pot a few weeks ago and trimmed it back as it seems to double in size every few days. I do nto want a giant tree so I trimmed some roots and trimmed the top some too, I put it in a pot and wired it as I want a sort of flat top look but a little fuller than the usual Bald Cypress to make up for the small size. This is what I have so far, this thing does not understand it needs to slow down growing, it ramifies every time I cut it back .

Baldpot by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

This is the back side. I love the root up look as its not done with the Bald Cypress Bonsai I see , although its common along riverbanks.


baldback by EdsBonsai, on Flickr

Well, do you guys like it so far?

ed

 

[TheDarkHorseOne]

I had one of these out in Seattle when I lived there, ed, and I think they might be one of the prettiest trees on Earth. I think it was in a 3 gallon pot or so and with that, it was about my height (6') but very slender. Sadly, I had to leave it out there when I moved back to Indy. Happily, I have a friend who has a relative that sells them, so he's going to get me a couple, gratis (He's Italian, heheh). Possibly this upcoming week. I love everything about these trees. The color of the trunk. The neon green new foliage. The apparent rabidity for life, heh. The elegant color they blush into in the Fall. I can't wait to get these two new friends. Until then, I'll just look upon yours enviously, heheh.

I wish you luck trying to keep that little fella small. I'm going to give mine their legs for a few years to develop the trunk, possibly in the ground, then shape one formal and the other into a flat top like down south, reminiscent of giraffe eaten trees in Africa.

Thanks for posting about one of my favorite trees.

 

[Hoosteady]

Nice tree, nice thread. Was eyeing up a few Bald Cypress today at a nursery, but didn't make the purchase for lack of knowledge on the tree. Seems to be a relatively easy plant to maintain, aside from the necessary wintering. Any idea of the species? The one I was really interested in was Peve Minaret BC, which I guess is the distichum species and the PM is the cultivar.

 

[edprocoat]

Mine is Taxodium Distichum, I am not real familiar with them either and this is my first one, but they are sure hardy plants.

ed

 

[Hoosteady]

Very nice. Definitely caught my eye at the nursery based on appearance... This thread has me thinking I should pull the trigger. Wonder though if it might be wise to wait till early spring and have them worry about the winterizing, or just go ahead and do it up. I'd sure hate to make a purchase, not be able to repot or hack away only to have it die on me! I don't need that on my conscience

Read that the only real issue people have is their tendancy to attract Japanese beatles.... Not a deal breaker for me.

 

[rock]

Mine is Taxodium Distichum,

Are you sure...I really dont think so Ed



Kidding just kidding, dont get mad !

take it easy mang, high blood prezzure ull kill ya



Started cuttings 1992, 1st pic,forest planted 09,2nd right before spring pruning '12 working on getting some separation in heights. about 4 feet wide, 4- man

 

[bumblebee]

That forest of yours is beautiful. I hope I get the chance to see it as it matures.

Libby

 

[edprocoat]

Rock that is a fine looking forest there, I would have missed this if Libby had not pulled the thread up with her comment on your group. Those are some great trunks on those trees and they seem to have ramified well too. Do you have any pics with the foliage on, I would love to see them all dressed up.

ed