30-35 feet on center.

You lost me there...

Are you planning on a line(s) of Taxodiums or a grove or a staggered line, a curving line? Are/will they be enough different as they grow that it is obvious to the uneducated eye? If that's so, do you want to put 3-6 of one type and then 3-6 of the other in "drifts"? Whatever you do, DON'T plant them one after the other, alternating in rows, PLEASE! Do you want to have specimen trees for all of them, or one or two specimens of each? Those should be planted well away from any other trees, so the shape of the tree can develop with no shading out and be appreciated from all sides. If you want a "grove" effect, with the canopy closed, how soon do you want closure? Do you want to plant anything else under the trees, such as under-story shrubs or perennials? If so, you probably should plant at a wider spacing than if you want a pure "Taxodium grove".

Half of whatever the mature width will probably be is a good minimum spacing if you want the canopies to touch only after a number of years, when the trees are almost mature. Half again, as a bare minimum (maybe even two or three times as wide, so you can truly SEE the tree), would be my suggestion for specimens, as you might get an especially wide individual, AND you want to be able to see the tree in its entirety as it matures. For a grove, I guess it's up to you, anything from 30' to 8', depending on the look you want - I would plant them randomly, so you have NO straight lines, as you aren't planting a tree farm after all. And varying the spacing could give a look of a small woods, with the center thickly planted and the edges "feathering" out into the lawn, with the specimens seen against the backdrop of the woods.

dibbit: Thanks for your clear, specific instructions about how to handle different scenarios.

I have 100 Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) seedlings on order and had the same question.

I planned to plant as you described in your last sentence - thickly in the center as a block or "pure grove," with trees spaced wider on the edges (feathered). I wanted to plant some companion deciduous trees on the edges - tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), perhaps sweetgum, red maple, or river birch. The trees in the "edges" would form a bridge to the next grove. I'd like to plant some understory trees as well.

What problems do you anticipate with this plan? What hardwoods and understory trees do you recommend for the edges?

Many thanks!
Pam

Thanks Dibbit.

It's mainly for the background in the back of my 3 acre property facing west. There's nothing beyond the property line so I could use as much screening as possible. That's why I chose these trees. They keep needles significantly longer than bald cypress. Not to mention, much faster growth as well. I want it to look as natural as possible but I just don't have a clue of how to do it since I've never done it before let alone taxodium trees. I want heavy screening around the perimeter to make it feel like I'm in the middle of the forest. I also collected hundreds of Montezuma cypress seeds from a local tree in my town so I will plant them as well perhaps next year. The New Mexico MC and Nanjing Beauty trees were given by a professor who wanted me to do evaluation to see how they do it grouped together (20ft apart). I will randomly plant various tree species widely spaced apart in the middle.

My father in law's pond is being planted in bald cypress with the trees spaced mostly 40 feet apart, but with some planted 20 feet apart, in hopes that this will look natural. We're going to try to plant in "drifts" as best as we understand the term.

They can be planted closer, but as big as they get, and as long as they can live, we feel they'll do best in the VERY long term with the extra space.

I can't talk him out of the weeping willows he also wants to plant. :-)

Right now, most of them are spaced at 20-30 feet apart. Once I grow more from seeds, I probably will plant them at 15-20 feet apart in the far back for more screening.

I just place one bamboo at one point and walk straight to the another side and put down bamboo and use them as my guide. Then I take 10 steps (30feet) straight toward the other bamboo and shift few feet to either side. Repeat. They look more natural that way.

"On center" means the same as "apart", the "center" being the point where each tree goes. The overall shape of the planting would depend on what your site was like and the appearance you wanting to produce.

Terry: Maybe your father-in-law has a point.

At the risk of bringing the collective ire of this forum onto my head, I've seen beautiful plantings of bald cypresses and willows around a pond. The bald cypresses and willows were planted informally in "drifts." The shapes of the trees contrasted - the bald cypresses soared to the sky, the willows swayed in the wind with branches flowing into the water. The colors were stunning in the fall and early winter.

This planting was so beautiful that I stopped the car and risked life and car to take photos.

Just a thought. ;-)

Pam, you have a way with words. That does sound nice.

Terry, while they aren't necessarily a tree I would want next to my house, driveway, outbuildings (for fear of dropping branches) NOR septic/water lines (for fear of wayward roots), weeping willows can, in the right setting, be lovely trees. They may not live as long as some other trees, and they may not be majestic nor even especially attractive in their old age, but as Pam said, near water, there are, to my mind, few trees that are prettier. Growing up in VT, there was a very large (to my childish eyes) weeping willow down by the river - we used to go through the pasture and play around and on it. As I recall, it began to deteriorate after some years, with major branches falling off. It was gone one spring on my return from boarding school, but I don't know if the ice break-up or a chainsaw took it out - the ice broke up very violently, with flooding, that spring, to the best of my recollection.

While I may (along with Pam) bring the collective ire of the forum on my head, planting trees that are pretty, even if not overly long-lived, is sometimes reason enough to plant them. I equally will allow myself to be sufficiently judgmental to except such trees as the infamous Callery pear grouping, and a few other trees that are just too invasive or too messy - Paulownias, etc., among others - some may find them pretty, but....

Baldcypress with willow is a natural. Other good trees for damp places, soil and climate permitting are

Alder
Serviceberry
River birch
Sweetbay magnolia
Medlar
Poplar
Wingnut
Pear
Pin oak

I forgot about River birch. How do they do in hurricanes?

We have alot of sweetbay magnolias here in coastal Mississippi.

Willows get knocked over pretty easily in my experiance, but they do look good while they are "teenagers".

If you planted them somewhat close would not the lower branches die off when the trees got large so then the screening effect would be diminished? Of course that would be after a few decades. But if spaced farther apart it would not fill in space for a couple decades. Your decision.

I'd use something evergreen, unless a veil-like effect was considered adequate. Native southern flora has lots of species with ornamental attributes to choose from.

On the whole willows are comparatively short-lived trees that pop up in disturbed places but individual species and specimens have varying characteristics and fortunes.

Bald cypress often grow in domes.
Right on top of one another. Space maybe 3 feet apart. Or 5 feet.

Not saying I would plant like this just that I would plant closer than 35'! That's too far.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:500724}}

Terry: You are probably familiar with the "Road Home" project to help Louisiana residents rebuild after Katrina. On their website, they describe trees as "Survivor Trees" or "Victim Trees." (link below)

Survivor Tree  a compact tree that has a major tap root and well-developed secondary roots. It also has a well-tapered trunk, and its center of gravity is low. Survivor trees that are healthy, young-to-middle-aged and well-maintained survive storms well.

Victim Tree  a shallow-rooted tree with a high center of gravity that is weighed down by a dense canopy. Victim trees are generally fast-growing and weak-wooded. In storms they usually either snap or uproot.

Here is a list of the top 10 "Survivors Trees" and a list of other wind-resistant trees. River birch is on the list of wind-resistant trees. I didn't include the Victim Trees" but you can click the link below to get the article and other advice about landscaping to protect from hurricanes.

"Survivor" Trees - LSU Landscape Professor D.G. "Buck" Abbey's Top 10

* Hurricane-Resistant Trees *

Bald Cypress
Live Oak
Sabal Palm
Windmill Palm
Mexican Fan Palm
Black Gum
Cow Oak
Iron Wood
Shumard Oak
Winged Elm

* Other Good Wind-Resistant Tree Species *

American Elm
American Holly
American Hop Hornbean
Black Locust
Catalpa
Cherrybark Oak
Cherry Laurel
Crape Myrtle
Dahoon Holly
Green Ash
Hackberry
Nuttall Oak
Osage Orange
Pond Cypress
River Birch
Savannah Holly
Southern Magnolia
Sycamore
Sweet Bay Magnolia
Sweet Gum
Tulip Tree
Willow Oak

Many good trees on these lists.

Happy hunting,
Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Choosing Trees for Hurricane Resistance

Thanks Pam, for the list of hurricane survivors.

QQ,... Cypress certainly can grow closer together. I think I read somewhere that there exists a cypress, with exceptional girth, that is thought to be three trees that grew together. But I think the usual outcome of trees planted too close, is eventual decline and breakage. Granted, long after I will have joined my garden as humus.

One of the reasons I like the idea of spacing them farther apart, (on the near side of a pond) is to enjoy their individual winter silouettes.

With an occasional loose pairing to suggest a natural planting.