Species · Deciduous trees like maple and elm
Bald cypress
Taxodium distichum
Bald cypress is a deciduous conifer of wetland origin, tolerant of far wetter soil than almost anything else on this list, with soft, feathery foliage that colours russet-orange before dropping in autumn. Older specimens develop a distinctively flared, buttressed trunk base that is a large part of the species' bonsai appeal.
Care at a glance
- Watering
- Never let it dry out fully in leaf. Roughly every 2 days in spring, 1 in summer, 2 in autumn and 7 in winter.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade.
- Winter
- Hardy once established; loses its leaves and rests through winter. Protect it when the forecast drops below -8 °C.
- Feeding
- Every 14 days, Apr to Sep, paused in the hottest weeks.
- Repotting
- Every 2 to 3 years, as buds swell, in Mar.
- Growth
- Fast growing. Hardy in zones 5 to 9.
The work calendar
| Work | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prune | Mar | Apr | Nov | |||||||||
| Wire | Jan | Feb | Mar | Nov | Dec | |||||||
| Pinch | May | Jun | Jul |