~ November 1, 2025

One of our favorite trees here at the Nursery is Taxodium distichum, or Bald Cypress. Unlike most conifers, the Bald Cypress is deciduous, meaning it loses its needles in fall. As the days shorten, its feathery green foliage shifts to warm hues of cinnamon, bronze, and russet before dropping for winter. Bare branches reveal reddish bark, adding texture and depth to the dormant landscape. It’s one of those trees that truly gives you something to appreciate year-round! 

Bald Cypress’ adaptability and strength make it a stand-out tree. Though it’s primarily native to the southern wetlands of the U.S., we’ve found it perfectly at home in Illinois, whether along a pond edge, in a rain garden, or in a parkway. Few trees handle both floods and droughts with such grit. Once established, it’s remarkably low-maintenance, with strong structure and steady growth.

On our farm we grow three selections of Bald Cypress, each with its own distinct personality:

Taxodium distichum – Bald Cypress

• The classic form of the species: tall, pyramidal, and deeply rooted in our fields. It’s a fast grower that develops strong caliper early on, with fine-textured foliage and gorgeous bark. This is the true original bringing a timeless silhouette to our landscapes.

Taxodium distichum ‘Mickelson’ – Shawnee Brave Bald Cypress 

• A more upright version that fits perfectly into tighter spaces or city plantings. Its narrower form still captures the same soft foliage and glowing fall color, just with a slimmer footprint. Shawnee Brave is proof that you can have both elegance and practicality in one tree; a favorite for streetscapes and modern designs.

Taxodium distichum ‘JFS-SGPN’ – Green Whisper Bald Cypress

• Our newest and softest selection, truly living up to its name. The feathery foliage of Green Whisper emerges a bright, luminous green that dances in the wind. It carries the same adaptability as the straight species, but with a texture and lightness that make it stand out.

Rooted in Resilience

No matter the form, the Bald Cypress is a symbol of endurance. It can weather the extremes–floods, droughts, heat, and cold–without losing its steady rhythm of growth. Over the years, we’ve learned that our main job as growers is simply to keep up with its vigor, shaping strong canopies while it steadily builds its roots.

We love seeing these trees go out into the world, lining park ponds, new developments, or in municipal plantings. They bring structure, color, and a sense of calm wherever they’re planted.

These trees live for generations, growing stronger and more beautiful with each passing year. They remind us that resilience doesn’t have to be loud–it can be steady, graceful, and deeply rooted.

This month, we’re proud to feature the Bald Cypress, a tree that stands for endurance, adaptability, and quiet beauty. Whether you choose the classic species, the upright Shawnee Brave, or the soft-textured Green Whisper, you’ll be planting more than a tree, you’ll be planting a legacy.