Saving Cypresses

South Carolina's Congaree National Park is home to the world's oldest bald Cypress. One of the Cypresses discovered here dates to at least 605 B.C., making it more than 2600 years old.

Between 1900 and 1935, more than 90% of ancient bald cypresses in the U.S. were cut by loggers. Unlike redwood and giant sequoias, these had no advocacy organizations to lobby for their protection. Bald Cypress swamps were once home to magnificent ivory-billed woodpeckers, warblers, and parakeets.

Cypress trees have the capability to withstand months of flooding and decades-long drought and the uncanny ability to survive the most powerful storms. They have intertwined root systems, which makes them incredibly wind-fast.

Their ability to withstand winds makes them a good choice for restoration projects in places like Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina destroyed eighty percent of the greater New Orleans area, and interestingly, these places were once cypress swamps that got logged and drained. Now, conservation groups have been steadily planting cypress in the effort to restore the region's lost hurricane buffers.