Are you suppose about constitute a Bald Cypress in your landscape painting ? Before planting , it is wise to get familiar with the tree and their root system . In this article , we will explicate if the Bald Cypress has invasive etymon and more .

cypress tree trees [ Taxodium distichum ] ) , including the Bald Cypress , are known for their problematic roots , but they are not considered invasive roots . Not only is the rap source large , but the roots grow knobby knees that will rise above the ground .

you’re able to head off emergence with the Cypress roots by implant them correctly . Keep translate as we explain how close to your mansion you could implant a Bald Cypress and answer how to get rid of the origin knees .

A line of Cypress trees planted on the side of the road, Do Bald Cypress Have Invasive Roots?

All About Bald Cypress

Bald Cypress , also recognize as the Swamp Cypress , is aboriginal to the Southeast of the United States . While they are ordinarily found in swampy or very lactating landscapes , they can grow in various shape .

These conifers drop their needles early in the season , which is why they are called " denudate " Cypress trees . They are planted as ornamental trees in many landscapes , popular for their orange and tan coloring material .

Given the proper amount of space , you may watch these trees grow another two foot every twelvemonth . These blue - maintenance Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can go up to 600 years honest-to-goodness , giving you a life - recollective Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree when planted and like for .

A set of bald Cypress trees on a white background

A defining characteristic of Bald Cypress is the genu or pneumatophores that add up up out of their theme system . These particular roots create a unique aspect but can make some extra work for landscapers .

How Far Do Bald Cypress Roots Travel?

Bald Cypress trees are a conifer variety with a Pyramids of Egypt or cone conformation . The root of item-by-item Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can motley based on the tree ’s height and overall size . The size may change based on the surroundings and location of the tree and the tree diagram ’s long time .

you may gauge how far Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree roots travel by using the length of the canopy spread . Bald Cypress has a spread of about 20 to 30 foot , so you may expect the root system to travel at least that far .

How tight the radical system spreads bet on the soil case , water floor , and overall tree growth . Cypress trees plant in sloughy or otherwise very plastered environments will have a slower root spread .

Tree roots of a bald Cypress tree in the forest

The length of base travel seems far , but the root organisation is still considered non - invasive . The roots grow far but remain shallow . The positioning of the rootage causes far less damage to the surrounding orbit .

Keeping up with pruning or reducing tree size can also help you manage the tree ’s roots . If you are planting a Bald Cypress within a small or special landscape , restrict the tree from reaching its fledged size of it to control root cattle ranch .

Can Cypress Tree Roots Damage Foundation?

While many trees can cause foundation damage , the origin of a Bald Cypress will not . If you are handle with base damage triggered by other metal money of trees , you’re able to supercede the problematic tree with a Cypress .

The root of a Bald Cypress are fine , fibrous , and remain comparatively shallow , which keep them from causing damage to the foundation . What about the knees of these roots ? luckily , the knee that kill up from the ground have not been known to causefoundation damageeither .

However , Bald Cypress is a orotund tree , which is good suited for larger landscapes . While they do not cause damage to the foundation , they do have the potential to take up too much infinite , leading to damage to other plants or grasses .

A huge swamp Cypress tree on the garden

take more on our blog post,“Can Maple Tree Roots Damage Foundation ? "

How Close To A House Can You Plant A Cypress Tree?

Due to the enceinte size of these tree diagram , you need to be mindful of where you plant them . If you contrive to grow your tree near a house , it must be at least 15 foot [ 4.57 m ] away from the home or other buildings .

Wherever you plant your Cypress , they will take wet from the surrounding area because of their high water requirement . Many gardeners will implant them in wet region of the landscape , as they can correct areas with pathetic drain or supernumerary water .

Keep in brain the Cypress ’s knees . Knees can make it nearly impossible to trim the grass in the area and produce tripping hazards in your yard . When plant , think about where the knee will come up . This can help you place the tree properly .

Tree roots of a Cypress tree growing in the garden

If you are implant multiple Bald Cypress trees , they need sufficient way between them to grow properly . interchangeable to the spacing between the house and your tree , each Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree call for 15 to 20 feet between each other .

When you plant any specimen , you need to mean about its size when it matures .

Read more on our blog post,“How Close To The Fence Can You Plant Arborvitae ? "

Is It Bad To Cut Cypress Knees?

As knees total up , they may create inconvenience for you and your railyard . You probably wonder if you’re able to cut these genu to get rid of them and how it can be done without harming the tree .

cut Cypress knee is the most common way to get rid of them , so it is not bad for the tree if done decent . If you have your tree planted in an extremely moist surface area , knees will pop up more often . This mean you will have to ply to them more ofttimes .

withdraw genu is technically damage to the tree . Ensure your tree is otherwise healthy before trim down the stifle , and debar removing knees in the vital root geographical zone . This zone lie in of a 12 - inch radius around your tree .

As you cut off knees and the solution system heals , this will promote new roots to rise . Unfortunately , once a Cypress tree diagram starts producing knees , there is no way to make it discontinue . You will have to continue removing them as needed throughout the tree ’s life .

There are some wind and whoremonger to follow to thin the damage done to your tree diagram when removing knees . We ’ll spill about these next .

How Do You Get Rid Of Bald Cypress Knees?

Some Bald Cypress tree diagram do not produce knee . Typically , those planted in well - drained landscapes with average grunge will not have this issue . On the other manus , if your Cypress is smother by urine or is implant in wet soil , it will get knee .

There is guess that Cypress knees help to aerate the stem organisation . to boot , they may forbid eating away of the tree andcreate anchorsto hold the tree diagram in situation in wet , move environments .

If your tree does have knee to get disembarrass of , you will want to do it carefully without damaging the root organisation .

site the human knee you want to bump off and dig around the orbit , a few in deep , to expose more of the knee . Next , apply a penetrative , sportsmanlike byword and make a horizontal cutting through the knee .

You desire the cutting off on the knee to be 1 - 2 inch below the grunge . After cut the knee wholly off , cover the country again with territory . If you have numerous knees to take , only remove a couple at a clip . Give your tree sentence to rest and mend before another removal .

Never remove the articulatio genus by tearing them from the ground , chopping them with unsportsmanlike putz , or using chemical .

Are There Ways To Prevent Knees With My Bald Cypress?

Like mentioned , once these trees start producing knee , you could not make them stop . However , the wet environments seem to promote more knee maturation . you’re able to preclude knees by paying close care to the soil and surround .

Cypress tree set in well - drained soil that receives infrequent watering can lower the risk of producing knees . moreover , infrequent lachrymation can enhance the drought tolerance of Bald Cypress while promote deep roots .

Once you cut a genu off , another wo n’t farm in the same spot . The best prevention is removing human knee outside the critical root word geographical zone as presently as you notice them . uniform monitoring will redeem you figure out later on .

In Summary

The etymon system of a Bald Cypress can acquire far , but they stay shallow . Since the root are shallow and fairly soft , they are not considered incursive . We hope you found this clause insightful when find out about your Cypress roots .

Are you look for for some non - invading option ? Have a look through our web log post,“15 Fruit Trees With Non - Invasive root " .