Other Names:  Nanjing Beauty Bald Cypress, Swamp Cypress

Description:

A vigorously growing, conical, deciduous to semi-evergreen variety with narrow, ferny green leaves; durable, with a fine, soft texture; does not develop the usual knees of the species, so it makes a great street or landscape tree

Ornamental Features

Nanjing Beauty Baldcypress is primarily valued in the landscape for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has attractive green deciduous foliage which emerges light green in spring. The ferny bipinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding gold in the fall. The shaggy antique red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Nanjing Beauty Baldcypress is a deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Nanjing Beauty Baldcypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Vertical Accent

Planting & Growing

Nanjing Beauty Baldcypress will grow to be about 70 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 5 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.