Baldcypress


Name Baldcypress (Taxodium distichium)
Type Softwood.
Other Names Also known as cypress, southern cypress, cows cypress, pond cypress, swamp cypress, red cypress, yellow cypress, white cypress, black cypress, and Gulf cypress.
Sources Grows in eastern half of United States.
Appearance Generally straight grained with a coarse texture and a sometimes greasy feel. Variable colored heartwood, ranging from yellowish to brown or black; pale yellowish white sapwood. Varies considerably in color, weight, and durability.
Physical Props Typically light, soft to moderately hard, with moderate strength and stiffness, good dimensional stability and exceptional decay resistance (especially older growth material).
Working Props Works easily with hand and power tools. Holds screws and nails well and glues satisfactorily. Sands smoothly and holds paint and other finishes very well.
Uses Used mainly for outdoor building applications because of its high decay resistance. Other uses include caskets, sash, doors, millwork, tanks, vats, silos, containers for corrosive chemicals, boat building, stadium seats, boxes, and crates.
Comments Localized pockets of fungus decay often create “pecky” cypress which has a rather novel appearance.