Common Name: Chinese Swamp Cypress

General Information

Chinese swamp cypress is a semi-evergreen tree with a conical crown that becomes more spreading in older trees; it usually grows up to 10 metres tall, exceptionally to 25 metres. The straight bole can be up to 120cm in diameter with buttresses up to 70cm high and often with pneumatophores[, ].
The tree is harvested for a range of local uses, especially for its wood but also as a medicine and source of tannins. It is also grown to provide wind shelter and to stabilize soil along river banks. The species is widely cultivated in southern China and is planted there along rivers and canals as well as in parks; except for the latter localities the trees are planted mostly in order to be able to harvest the timber - this is generally followed by replanting[]. The tree has a very attractive habit and is suitable for planting near water in parks and gardens[].
Chinese swamp cypress is the last remaining species in a genus that has flourished for over 100 million years and was a major source of the wood that led to the formation of coal deposits. There are very few wild stands of the plant remaining in what was once a very extensive range. In China and Vietnam habitat loss due to intensive agriculture has been the main cause of decline. The subpopulations in Vietnam are within coffee plantations, where the water table has been altered and the trees are no longer producing fertile seed. The plant is classified as 'Critically Endangered' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

E. Asia - Southern China, Vietnam, Laos.

Habitat

River deltas, etc., on flooded or waterlogged soil in full sun near sea level and up to 750 metres[, ]. This species is usually only found planted and is almost extinct in the wild[, , ].

Properties

Conservation Status	Critically Endangered
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Tree
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Chinese swamp cypress is a species of the subtropics and tropical areas. In Vietnam it is found in areas with a monsoon tropical climate, with a mean annual temperature of 20 - 23°c and a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,300 -1,800 mm[]. It can also be grown in warmer areas of the temperate zone, though it is often less than 5 metres tall in such situations. Although said to succeed in zone 8, this species is barely hardy in colder zones without hot humid summers in order to ripen the wood[, ].
Thriving beside water and in damp places, plants require a very damp soil and will prove hardier if they are standing in up to 60cm of water[, ]. They prefer growing in areas with hot summers and will die within 2 years if they are planted in a dry site[].
This species is considered to be a symbol of good luck in its native regions and consequently it is not normally deliberately felled by villagers[].
Slower growing than the vegetatively similar swamp cypress, Taxodium distichum, it is late coming into leaf in the spring and also to lose its leaves in the autumn[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

Antidote, oxytocic. Cures ascites, treats animal bites and dropsy of pregnant women[].

A decoction of the shoots is used in the treatment of fever, hepatitis, skin complaints etc. It is said to be an anodyne for animal bites[].

The tree (the wood?) is reputed to have anti-cancer properties although there is no scientific evidence to support this[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Having an extensive root system, the tree is often planted in wet places for erosion control, as well as to stabilize river banks and paddy field walls[, , ].
The tree is used as a windbreak[].

Other Uses

Tannins extracted from the bark and the cone scales are used in tanning, dyeing, and fishing nets[].

The yellowish wood is rather soft and resists both water and decay. It is used for purposes such as making furniture and building bridges, buildings etc, often by utilizing wind-felled trees; and is highly valued for making boats[, ]. The wood of the roots is very light and bouyant. It it is used to make life-saving rings, bottle corks etc[, ].

Propagation

Seed - usually soown at the beginning of the warm season, germination takes around 20 days[].
Semi-hardwood cuttings, preferably with a heel and taken from juvenile trees, are relatively easy to root under mist, after treatment with hormones. It is also possible to propagate with cuttings from mature trees, but rooting percentages are low (about 2% after 10 weeks). Rooted cuttings should be kept shaded. Planting should be done on raised mounds, rather than directly into water logged areas[].

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