Yes, that is a good green, Lou. While I can't answer your question, I can ask you one: Regarding "Western bald cypress", do you have any more info on this, I'm assuming, subspecies? That purported tolerance of higher pH could be useful in many locations.

Actually, the City of Milwaukee has quite a few regular BC's used as street trees. They really look pretty decent, including foliage color.

+oM

Lou
There is a gorgeous BC in my neighborhood. When it leafs out, I'll get some pictures. It was very healthy looking (nothing like mine just a few blocks away). Mine looked pretty chlorotic last year. I added suflfur to the yard a month ago. Maybe I can get the pH a little closer to 7 than 8.5!
J.D.

"Western Baldcypress" is something that's commented on in a number of books re its occurrence at higher altitudes on streamsides rather than low altitude floodplains, and lime tolerance, but it has never been described as a distinct taxon. Whether it should be, is another matter! It would need a more detailed study than has so far been done, ideally as part of a full Taxodium range-wide genetic and morphological study which would also cover aspects like the validity of Pondcypress, etc.

Resin

It's just a term that we use for bald cypress trees in the central Texas when discussed. It's not your typical swampy place. They are growing along the rivers. I will try and take pictures next time I go river tubing there in the summer. Texas A&M is conducting experiments on them, I believe, to determine their ability to tolerate alkalinity. 'Nanjing Beauty' hybrid has the ability to tolerate as high as 8.0 pH, maybe 8.5. There are more unnamed hybrids that can tolerate up to 8.5 pH. All of these were created by scientists in China and brought over to USA for evaluation in USA. My alma mater college, Stephen F Austin State University has collected cypress (MC, PC, BC) from many locations and they are growing along the creek that cuts through the campus for evaluation.

I know only of one nursery in central Texas that sells BC that are native to the alkaline area. - http://home.earthlink.net/%7Emadronenursery/Trees/bald_cypress.html
- They sell Montezuma cypress as well. I've purchased MC from them last fall and they are already leafing out, well before most trees. It won't be 3-4 more weeks till they start to leaf out. Anyway, it appears that most BC trees being sold are of 'Eastern' type. I don't know if that is why they don't seem to thrive over here. I suppose I could do some calling and find out where they got them from.

J.D. - Sulfur won't really solve the problem in the long run unfortunately. Sulfur is fungicide and beneficial soil fungi is really responsible for buffering high pH and will gradually bring pH down over time as long as nothing damages soil biology which means no chemical of any kind. My neighbor has a red maple growing in caliche soil and I suggested that they put down compost and generous amount of greensand (mixed with lava sand to break up clumpy greensand) and covered with mulch. It thrived last year for the first time ever. Maybe you should try that. Just simply put down compost within 5 feet diamter followed by greensand. Spinkling soybean meal (great fungal food) on top of compost/greensand will help alot to stimulate soil biology in the soil. Trees need a lot of beneficial fungi in the soil. A lot more than grass...

Here's the website what it typically look like in central texas for bald cypress lining along the streams...

Here is a link that might be useful: Bald cypress in Central Texas

"Here's the website ..."

Like the 2nd pic of the creek, where what I presume is the high water flood mark is visible in the paler bark on the lower two metres or so. Good info, too.

Resin

Lou,
I'll add the organic matter and see what happens. I wasn't happy with my BC performance last year. In spite of all of that good rain, it still looked chlorotic.
J.D.

Thanks for the info and clarification, Resin and Lou. Great pics also.

+oM

Just pointing out a few things.

First, I wonder if the tests in nacodoches can really yield any info about tolerance of alkalinity b/c I think that area has acid soil. Its a high rainfall part of texas cant be too too alkaline. But that creetch guy is a swell guy in my opinion.

Whatever the purported problems with alkalinity are they are not a problem in the moderately alkaline parts of San Antonio where I live. the more northern black prarie soils are probably more alkaline and problematic. There are huge ones all over here, the river walk, public library down the street, strip center landscaping etc. not to mention san marcos where there are some of the largest Ive seen.

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green sand and lava sand are basically inert so i doubt they would affect the PH per se. Probably a magnesium deficiency, because magnesium is somewhat available in green sand and people with hard water have much more calcium than magensium in their water....

I read that the Bald Cypress is in decline b/c of the extinction of all the native Carolina Parakeets. They were the only parakeet/parrot native to the Eastern US. Supposedly they were very adept at getting the seeds out of the cones an spreading them. Their beaks were perfect at getting into the tough cones. Nowadays they just sit under the trees and are dispersed only by water. Here are some pics of them.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/AudubonCarolinaParakeet2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Karolinasittich_01.jpg

It is primarily in decline because too much is being cut for timber, and even more wastefully, for bark.

Don't buy cypress mulch.

Resin

averbisadverbera-

I don't think Dr. Creech isn't testing cypress for alkaline tolerance but I could be wrong. It probably would have to be done in the container using dolomitic lime to push pH up for alkaline tolerant testing. I don't know. I think that's Texas A&M's department. It appears that 'Hill Country' or 'Western' BC have adapted to thrive in alkaline soil over many years. The soil here is very similar to the soil in Central Texas so it may be why all the BCs do not look like they are too happy. Perhaps they are of eastern type???

Greensand has nothing to do with changing pH at all. It just helps plant perform better in alkaline soil because it is 15-20% iron by weight and makes iron more available to the plants somehow. It also has loads of other nutrients as well that you mentioned. It's probably the soil biology that makes it happen despite it being "inert". Look up Malcomb Beck and greensand study in San Antonio. Supposedly of all iron supplement product on the market tested by Malcomb, it is the best, better than Ironite. Somehow it made my neighbor's red maple thrive in caliche soil. I've seen it in my own eyes since it is right down the street and i see it all the time. Others have tried it and it worked. They just can't explain why exactly it worked in soil like caliche.

It isn't probably needed for Hill Country bald cypress. I'd be curious to see if greensand will help on eastern BC in caliche soil. This calls for an experiment! There are many of them around here so I supposed I could spread some around one poorly performing BC and see what happens. Lava sand is just to break up greensand since it tends to clump together when moist. Makes a lot easier to spread them.

By the way, those are nice looking cypress trees!

When I was visiting with Dr. Creech, he was indeed doing both salt and pH tolerances in potted plants. Adjusting the salt content of each test group and pH levels in other test groups. I can't recall how he was adjusting the soil pH though. I also believe he said his Chinese collaborators were doing similar tests in China, and I think they were doing some of it with planted trees. All in all, it is very interesting research and it was a great pleasure to be able to speak with him about his research and actually see the plants being studied. I think more very cool and horticulturally important Taxodium trees will be released from this research.

I have seen the ones with salt tolerant testing but didn't see for the alkalinity tolerant testing. They sure have a lot of cypress of all kinds everywhere. It's a very nice place to visit if anyone's close by. April would be best time to see all the azaleas blooming and December to see all japanese maple turning colors and even azaleas blooming as well. I'm going back there and beg for the new hybrids!