Bald Cypress Trees

Guest Article for the Tallahassee Democrat

December 16, 2022, Release for the Tallahassee Democrat

Stan Rosenthal

By Stan Rosenthal

I have always liked the Florida Highwayman paintings. Many of their paintings do a great job of romancing the swampy areas of Florida. If I had to pick a tree that best represents Florida swamps, it would probably be the bald cypress.

The author by a huge bald cypress in St. Marks River Preserve State Park. – Photo by Stan Rosenthal.

Interestingly, this redwood of the southeast, is represented by two separate species. The pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and the bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). The bald cypress is the larger of the two trees and grows in more fertile areas, especially along rivers. The pond cypress, as its name implies, grow where the water is more stagnant, and the soils are less fertile. While difficult to tell apart, the pond cypress has more feathery foliage. I planted one at my old office and everyone fell in love with it.

One of the main attributes of both cypress species is its ability to withstand much of what our Florida environment throws at it. It is one of our most wind sturdy trees. Research by the University of Florida placed it in the highest of four categories in its ability to survive hurricane force winds. Bald cypress is also fire resistant. I have seen where bald cypress trees survived wildfire damage better than pine trees growing right next to it. Granted, the times I have observed this, the cypress were often in a slightly wetter spot, but these trees also resprouted along their trunks and branches like many hardwood trees, despite most of the foliage being burned off from the fire.

Huge cypress knees in St. Marks River Preserve State Park. – Photo by Stan Rosenthal.

Although fire can seem initially quite destructive to many of our wetlands, it has been found that the long-lived, but shade intolerant bald cypress often benefits from fire as it kills back competing vegetation so that the more fire tolerant bald cypress can reseed in the now newly cleared seed bed.

In the wild, groups of bald cypress trees growing along rivers and estuaries are frequently used as rookeries or roosting by turkeys, nesting herons, egrets, and other wading birds. Older trees with cavities often have holes that make good cavity nesting sites for many birds. Eagles and osprey may build nests in large old cypress trees. Their seeds are a food source for ducks, wild turkey, songbirds, squirrels, and some wading birds.

Of course, I have left out one of the bald cypress’s most peculiar qualities, its knees. We have learned that under the knees of bald cypress there are more roots. It seems that this is an adaptation for more wind sturdiness. Also interesting, is that in urban areas, you only get knees if your soil is really compacted or you are overwatering your landscape.

Huge bald cypress in St. Marks River Preserve State Park. – Photo by Stan Rosenthal.

Surprisingly, bald cypress grows very well in upland soils when planted as an urban tree, planted from a pot in a mulched area of a lawn, as it is freer from the competition from other plants. Fortunately, we have found that on these sites, those cool, but potentially bothersome knees don’t occur unless the soil is really compacted or over watering occurs. Bald cypress in urban settings has been found to be a relatively disease free and a very wind sturdy tree. Another advantage of bald cypress, is that its needles turn a nice russet in autumn before they fall to ground, letting in winter sun when we enjoy it. Many people that planted them are very happy with this tree in their yard.

If you decide to plant a bald cypress, or any other tree, it really makes a big difference in both survival and growth rate if you use good planting and establishment methods. An informative website for this can be found at the UF/IFAS Planting trees in landscapes page (https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/planting.shtml).

Stan Rosenthal is a forester with Natural Resources Planning Services and Forestry Agent Emeritus with UF/IFAS Extension Leon County, an Equal Opportunity Institution. For gardening questions, email the extension office at AskAMasterGardener@ifas.ufl.edu.

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The Florida Department of Management Services (DMS), who oversees the maintenance of the facilities and grounds at the Capitol, had become concerned because the foliage of these two trees was beginning to die off. Over the years, site renovations on the Capitol grounds have adversely impacted the root systems of these two trees. In addition, the wind appears to have ripped a large limb from the trunk of one tree years ago. Marcus surmised that the foliage decline has probably been caused by a combination of these factors. “Soil compaction and grading within their root zones can impact the vitality of larger trees,” Marcus explained. “We have applied treatments designed to restore this vitality.”

Marcus applied a two component treatment to these trees. The first component was an injection of a fertilizer formulation designed especially for trees. This formulation is called Palmjet which was developed by Arborjet Inc. Palmjet is injected into plugs that are embedded around the circumference of the lower trunk base using specialized Arborjet equipment. “The advantage of injecting the fertilizer is that the entire amount goes into the tree’s vascular system and remains there for up to two years. None gets bound up in the soil and none is leached into the groundwater,” Marcus stated. “The nutrients contained in Palmjet can enhance foliage growth and improve overall tree health.”

The second treatment was an application of Shortstop Tree Growth Regulator (TGR) into the soil at the base of the trunk. Utility companies have used TGR’s for almost 40 years to reduce the growth rate of trees in places where repeated tree pruning to maintain line clearance is impractical. Over the years, TGR’s have been found to also provide health benefits to the trees where they are applied. These include improved drought resistance and faster sealing of wounds. Growth of the above ground portion of the tree is reduced but the growth of fine feeder roots is enhanced.

For the past four years, LAS arborists have been treating trees in a similar manner for inidvidual homeowners, homeowner associations, government entities, universities, and commercial businesses. They also utilize the Arborjet injection system to treat insect and disease problems in their initial stages. Anyone who has concerns about the trees on their properties or the properties they manage can contact an LAS arborist at 850-570-5963.

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With the hiring of Charlie Marcus in 2014, NRPS established its first official footprint in Tallahassee / Leon County.  Charlie, having previous employment with the Florida Forest Service (FFS), formerly the FL Division of Forestry, brought a diverse background in fire & forest management in various positions throughout the state.  Additionally, Charlie served as the FFS Urban Forestry Coordinator for the final ten years of his FFS employment.  In this capacity, Charlie interacted with urban forestry practitioners across the state from Key West to Pensacola assisting with tree workshops, Urban & Community Forestry grants, and programs such as Tree City, Tree Line, & Tree Campus USA.  Charlie now serves as the NRPS Urban Forestry Manager, while also participating in other forestry services offered by the firm.  Charlie’s experience and expertise has expanded NRPS’ footprint in arboriculture, utility corridor tree/vegetation management, and municipal urban forestry across Florida and South Georgia. 

Recently, NRPS added Stan Rosenthal to the Tallahassee staff.  Like Charlie, Stan started his career in Florida in employment for FFS.  He then served for over two decades as the UF-IFAS Leon County Forestry Agent and is a well-known & trusted local resource for anything “forestry”.  In this role he promoted the educational understanding and effectiveness of urban and traditional forestry to the benefit the community at large, both in Leon County and elsewhere in Florida and South Georgia.  Stan’s current focus is on urban & traditional forestry consulting, forest advocacy for non-profits like the Florida Wildlife Federation, and educational workshops & classes in various subject matters including arboriculture, traditional forestry, forest restoration, wildlife management, and best practices & professionalism in respect to harvesting timber. 

So, whether you have a question about an individual tree or seek forest management advice on a large timberland tract, Charlie & Stan stand ready to provide quality services backed by extensive knowledge & experience, and delivered with trust & care.   

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On behalf of Natural Resource Planning Services, I share the sad news of the loss of one of our NRPS family members.  Alicia Marie Campanella passed on November 6, 2018 at the young age of 42, due to medical complications.  She was a cheerful, kind, intelligent & passionate person.   Alicia, “Consulting Forester & Environmental Restoration Specialist”,  was a true expert in invasive species ecology & the management of South Florida invasives species, something she studied & practiced with great concern & passion.

In addition to her mastery of invasive species ecology, Alicia had a propensity to deftly handle difficult issues when encountered, allowing projects to be well-managed despite challenges that might arise.  Her legacy will have a lasting impact on the natural landscapes of South Florida including Collier Seminole and Fakahatchee Strand State Parks, where she previously volunteered & worked (DEP) and consulted (NRPS).  She also loved the Big Cypress, where she would hunt, hike, and recreate with close friends.

Alicia periodically wrote a column in the Florida Land Steward on invasive plant/animal species.  I became aware of Alicia through Eric Hoyer (NRPS), who had previously reached out to her to see if he could reprint one of her articles for his column with the Citrus County Chronicle.  So, when I was looking for someone to help with South Florida invasive species projects, Eric suggested contacting Alicia.  After some emails and phone conversations, we immediately made a strong professional connection.  It was evident from the onset that Alicia was not only a talented forester/ecologist, but even more importantly, a person of great character qualities.  Soon thereafter, I made a Saturday trip to ECHO Global Farm in North Ft. Myers and invited her to join members of my family and me for a tour of this Christian Agricultural ministry – knowing this would be “right down her alley”.  Alicia was well-traveled in her pursuit of forestry and environmental science knowledge having studied, volunteered, and worked in this country and abroad.  She also studied agriculture in the United Kingdom earning an internationally accredited qualification in organic farming practices.  The trip to ECHO Global Farm is where we made our first face-to-face meeting and our friendship began to grow.  In addition to NRPS staff, Alicia stayed in frequent contact with my son, Nate, who assisted her with IT support, and with other forestry consultants, especially Rick Davis of F4 Tech.  Alicia also touched the lives and hearts of public land managers, land management contractors, and many others in the forestry & environmental community.

Alicia will always be remembered, a life worth celebrating, and we look forward in faith to one day seeing her again.

Respectfully submitted in honor of a friend & gifted colleague,

John

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Advancements in trail cameras have helped focus our hunting time and effort. Cameras allow hunters to develop realistic expectations of the caliber of bucks on their hunting property and help you make a better harvest decision.

We run cameras year-round on our lease. We print out the buck pictures and post them at camp. It makes for a good comparison. The photos help to judge a nice buck who could use a few more years to grow from the true shooters. I have seen bucks add 20 inches of antler from one year to the next turning a nice 8-point into a real trophy. You will have to hunt these older bucks hard, and you risk not pulling the trigger. But the risk is worth the reward.

I have been watching this particular buck for two years. In 2016, he was a nice 8-point. He was probably a registry buck with just over 100 inches of antler. I actually found one of his 2016 sheds in a food plot last February.

He really exploded in 2017 though. I bet he added 30 inches of antler. He was living and feeding in an overgrown clear cut. It was full of preferred deer browse, and he was sucking it up. He had a thick layer of fat when I skinned him, surprising for a Florida buck.

He came out in the clear cut on 5:40 p.m. on October 31, an hour before sunset. He was all alone. I suspect he was out cruising for does. The second week of muzzleloader has some of the best rut activity on this lease near Jasper, Florida in Hamilton County.

We had a ladder stand setup in the area, but the wind wasn’t right for it. So, I built a little homemade ground blind from logs and down limbs from Hurricane Irma the same afternoon that I harvested him. He stopped for a few seconds too long at 130 yards. He weighed 178 pounds and was 4.5 years old. Most of our hunt clubs complain about clear cuts, but not me.

Jeffrey M. Bewsher
Certified Wildlife Biologist

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Natural Resource Planning Services is pleased to announce the addition of Gregory D. “Greg” Driskell to its consulting forestry firm. Greg is well known in the forestry community in Florida and the Southeastern US.  Greg received a Bachelors in Forest Resource and Conservation from the University of Florida before embarking on a diverse and distinguished career with stops at Georgia Pacific Corp, The Timber Company, Plum Creek Timber Company, Forest Capital Partners, and Hancock Forest Management.   Currently, Greg is assisting in the NRPS Legacy Forestry Services division – managing restoration and silviculture projects.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Greg come aboard as a member of the NRPS family. Many of us have known Greg dating all the way back to his GP forestry days, and have maintained a close professional relationship with Greg for decades now.  Greg brings all the tools necessary to be successful as a consulting forester and provides NRPS with additional expertise related to issues pertinent to industrial forest management due to his extensive background with TIMOs & REITs.” –  John Holzaepfel, President of Natural Resource Planning Services.

Greg has a FL Real Estate license and is looking forward to assisting in timberland brokerage as well. To learn more about Greg Driskell contact the San Antonio office (352) 588-2580. To view Greg’s resume, click here.

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For a consulting forester, perhaps the best equivalent of the axe is the tree marking gun & paint. With it, we can impact the forested landscape for years if not decades to come. 

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