Accidentally frost-testing some 1 gallon bald cypress

[BillsBayou]

I forgot these trees were in a tub of water. We here in New Orleans don't normally have days where the high is two hours at 33°. So these submerged trees were overlooked. The tub is frozen solid. I am going to learn something about frost tolerance this Winter.

 

[sorce]

The one in the blue crate is BC.
Been there through the -15 week, lotta 0 was good on thaw check, back to snow and 10ish.


Sorce

 

[Tieball]

The one in the blue crate is BC.
Been there through the -15 week, lotta 0 was good on thaw check, back to snow and 10ish.
View attachment 174560

Sorce

I like the visual of that kid's scooter crashed...doink!...and down...scooter down....awaiting Spring...and some rust cleanup probably.

I didn’t know a BC could survive a northern winter. I avoided them for that reason. Learning something new. Mighty fine!

 

[petegreg]

They grow here in arboretums and gardens. My small potted tree is well after some 4 winters mulched in the garden.

https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/photos-baldcypress/svk/

 

[Tieball]

They grow here in arboretums and gardens. My small potted tree is well after some 4 winters mulched in the garden.

https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/photos-baldcypress/svk/

Does Slovakia have a frigid winter for several months? Lots of snow?
Just wondering as I have no clue about your winter...and I am curious to learn.

Good to hear your trees are doing well...should mean that a short freeze in New Orleans would have very little impact. I think ice is actually an insulator against further coldness.

 

[petegreg]

It's always different. Some winters are weaker, some are worse. I can remember winters with lots of snow and those warmer when we had snow only in mountains. Last year's winter seemed to be relatively warm and then we had three weeks with downs of -20℃...
This winter is quite pleasant so far, we had some snow before Christmas, then weeks with freeze-thaw cycles repeated every day and now it's snowing again. I'm only afraid of extremely low temperatures and then those cold spells in springs when the trees are waking up. But also have an opportunity to protect them.

It's hard to say if bare rooted BCs in the frozen water suffered some damage, I think two hours mean nothing. Crazy winter in New Orleans.

 

[sorce]

scooter down...

Lol! Hell yeah!

First winter with this one. The tree...scooter too!

Damn scooter! Boy got 2 free bicycles he's plenty capable of riding with a little practice, and she buys him a scooter thats too small for him. And I cant buy a tree at Wal-Mart....c'mon!

Sorce

 

[Dav4]

I like the visual of that kid's scooter crashed...doink!...and down...scooter down....awaiting Spring...and some rust cleanup probably.

I didn’t know a BC could survive a northern winter. I avoided them for that reason. Learning something new. Mighty fine!

I've found bald cypresses planted along the lake front in Chicago, and I've seen one planted waist deep in the shallows of a pond in Ithaca, NY. They're very cold hardy, though apparently, ones collected from LA are more so. I've got a SC collected baldie that's been frozen solid for almost 3 weeks with a scant scattering of leaves to protect the roots...didn't get above 25 F yesterday. It should be fine.

 

[JudyB]

When I had one here, I had it planted in a pot with a plugged up drain hole. It was kept outside in the winter and many times got frozen full of water just like those.

 

[rockm]

I forgot these trees were in a tub of water. We here in New Orleans don't normally have days where the high is two hours at 33°. So these submerged trees were overlooked. The tub is frozen solid. I am going to learn something about frost tolerance this Winter.
View attachment 174557

You probably won't have an issue with these, unless you get real, sustained cold (with lows in the teens or single digits for a week).

Northern hardiness, I think, depends on genetics. There are several more cold hardy varieties of BC that are specifically grown for northern areas. However, I have had La.-collected BC withstand winters with strings of below zero nights and single digit days here in Va. I have kept my La. trees under only mulch in the winter in the backyard for going on 25 years now. No problems at all.

Can't say the same for Florida-collected BC, which seem to be less winter hardy than trees of La. origin.

 

[M. Frary]

They sell them at a nursery 60 miles west of me. It's zone 5 there but still fairly far north.

 

[GGB]

I can confirm that mine freeze over when pretty wet. But I wonder if the trees down by Bill aren't a little less tolerant of the cold. I've heard that trees will quickly produce seed that favors local conditions

 

[Wilson]

I have a dawn redwood that I planted in front of my house, they are supposed to be zone 5. After a few years where I wrapped the tree, it is now fine with sustained cold(-30). I know it is in the ground and a big tree, but always interesting to see how they adapt.

 

[rockm]

I can confirm that mine freeze over when pretty wet. But I wonder if the trees down by Bill aren't a little less tolerant of the cold. I've heard that trees will quickly produce seed that favors local conditions

I don't think that's the case. I've been growing larger Louisiana-collected BC for more than 20 years here in Va. and had them withstand temps as low as -4. I'd be more concerned with ice forming around saplings' trunks at the water level. That might pose some girdling problems, but I don't think even that is a real big deal.

I would, however, get those saplings out of that bucket and under some hardwood mulch if the intense cold persists.

 

[Giga]

I keep mine out all years unless it drop below 15 then just goes in the shed. There pretty tough trees

 

[just.wing.it]

I am going to learn something about frost tolerance this Winter.

We all will!
Hope they pull thru!

 

[rockm]

Louisiana collected Bald cypress is in the middle. This was two or three winters ago. Temp was around 12 F or so...

 

[CasAH]

I didn’t know a BC could survive a northern winter. I avoided them for that reason. Learning something new. Mighty fine!

BC’s natives range includes southern Illinois in the Shawnee National Forest and the Cache River area. This area is Zone 6a.

I have seen them for years growing in a slough ( in standing water year round) in the Chicago area. They seem to reproduce to some degree. This is Zone 5a.

 

[BillsBayou]

Louisiana collected Bald cypress is in the middle. This was two or three winters ago. Temp was around 12 F or so...

That looks like a fine flat-top you're developing.

 

[rockm]

Thanks. I've had that tree for 20-plus years now. Got it as a stump from Zach Smith. It's got some overhaul work that needs to be done.

BTW, that photo was taken in a blizzard...That's only the top third of the tree showing. The stack of cinder blocks to the right is four blocks tall...