BillsBayou
Chumono
This is on the side of a large bald cypress I collected in September of 2022. A large dead area developed beneath the bark. When I removed the bark, I found a gray mass. Anyone know what it is?
Bald cypress, especially larger ones, will develop significant dead zones on their trunk. Once we've topped a tree down to a stump, we've created unemployed areas that die off. At least that's my theory. It's not unlike pouring a large quantity of water down your driveway. Reduce the flow to a trickle and the stream narrows. The wide area of wet concrete will dry and narrow in on the trickle of water (if it's hot enough and you wait long enough). The area beneath the bark of a bald cypress stump is doing the same thing. The flow of nutrients and water slows and narrows to a trickle. That's when you start finding areas where the bark is flaking away to expose deadwood.
I've heard another theory that this can be caused by strong sunlight striking the bark. I say it's the same thing. The sun is dictating the areas where the sap flow will dry out. I have two areas where I keep collected bald cypress. One is south-facing with no shade. The other is north-facing beneath a large pecan tree. It is happenstance that my trees develop deadwood in the front where I would most like to see it.
I wonder how many of us are sun-drying our collected bald cypress on the wrong sides of our trees. An argument could be made to position the fronts our trees where they will receive the most light. After a few years, when sap flow has stabilized, we can position these trees as we like.
But, I digress. That gray mass. What is it and why is it in the middle of so much deadwood?
Bald cypress, especially larger ones, will develop significant dead zones on their trunk. Once we've topped a tree down to a stump, we've created unemployed areas that die off. At least that's my theory. It's not unlike pouring a large quantity of water down your driveway. Reduce the flow to a trickle and the stream narrows. The wide area of wet concrete will dry and narrow in on the trickle of water (if it's hot enough and you wait long enough). The area beneath the bark of a bald cypress stump is doing the same thing. The flow of nutrients and water slows and narrows to a trickle. That's when you start finding areas where the bark is flaking away to expose deadwood.
I've heard another theory that this can be caused by strong sunlight striking the bark. I say it's the same thing. The sun is dictating the areas where the sap flow will dry out. I have two areas where I keep collected bald cypress. One is south-facing with no shade. The other is north-facing beneath a large pecan tree. It is happenstance that my trees develop deadwood in the front where I would most like to see it.
I wonder how many of us are sun-drying our collected bald cypress on the wrong sides of our trees. An argument could be made to position the fronts our trees where they will receive the most light. After a few years, when sap flow has stabilized, we can position these trees as we like.
But, I digress. That gray mass. What is it and why is it in the middle of so much deadwood?
