Fallen red conifer needles in Bute Park in December
Welcome to my second monthly tree-following link box after taking over the project from Loose and Leafy. The box is now closed but you’ll find everyone’s links at the bottom of the post.
In the UK most of the tree leaves have fallen now, although I can still see yellow sycamore and hazel leaves hanging on in a sheltered corner of my garden. We had a very wet and windy November here – I wonder what the weather has been like where you live?
I love learning new things and the tree at the top of this post has taught me that larches are not the only conifers that lose their foliage in winter. I’m afraid I always thought they were.
I spotted that tree beside the red bridge in Cardiff’s Bute Park in November and at first I thought it was dying…
Conifer turning red and losing its leaves in November
Of course it didn’t take much Googling to discover it was a species of swamp cypress that does indeed shed its leaves – and they ARE called leaves, not needles. At first I thought it was a Taxodium distichum (common names are the bald cypress, southern cypress, white cypress, tidewater red cypress, Gulf cypress or swamp cypress). But the Cardiff Council parks website tells me it is a Taxodium ascendens or pond cypress, a close relative of the swamp cypress.
Both are native to the Everglades and Gulf states on the USA and can grow with their feet in water. This park example can enjoy our Welsh wet weather without paddling in the nearby river Taff.
A closer look at the feathery leaves in November
Pond cypress in December
Soon after spotting this tree I read an article about deciduous conifers in a gardening magazine and learned that as well as the larches and swamp cypresses, dawn redwoods (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) are also deciduous conifers. I know there is one of those in Bute Park, too, so in 2016 I must keep an eye on these individuals, as I do intend to learn more about conifers.
Let’s all meet up again in January, with a whole new year of tree-following to look forward to!
Are you following a particular tree?
If so – add a link to your post about it in the box below.
Whether you follow a tree regularly or just occasionally, please check the master list here to make sure you are on it. Email any corrections or additions to squirrelbasket@gmail.com.
If not – why not start?
You can become a tree follower at any time in the year.
Do join us. All you need to know is here.
The December tree-following link box is now closed, but here are all the contributions we received this month…
Squirrelbasket’s Paulownia tomentosa in Wales
Tina’s new tree – an American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) in Texas
Hollis of Plants and Rocks revisits Willow Canyon in a Wyoming winter
Mild weather for Erika and her Maple in Sweden
Laura’s Lindens in London show their variety
Tineka in the Netherlands is a new recruit to Tree Following with her Willow
Alison’s Quince perseveres in England’s East Midlands
Liz from Kentucky and Flighty in England are feeling festive
Amy’s Parkinsonia florida flourishes in the Sonora Desert
Furry Gnome captures a beautiful Canadian sunrise – and his Butternut tree
Caroline’s Maple and Birch bare their twigs in a Suffolk wildlife garden
Thank you to everyone – see you all again on January 7, in 2016!
The Squirrelbasket 
Lovely post thank you for sharing and have a blessed day
You too 🙂
I know that tree! Well, not THAT particular tree, but here in Central Texas, one can see the beautiful Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum along river and stream banks. In San Antonio, there are some magnificent specimens along the Riverwalk–gorgeous, especially when the foliage color changes. Your tree is lovely in mid-change and will be again when it flushes out its new growth in spring Thanks for hosting Tree Following!
Thanks for all that. I will be looking out for the new growth in spring!
Do you think this picture shows one on the San Antonio Riverwalk – here?
All the best – and thanks again for joining in 🙂
A worthy tree–I’ll look forward to following your posts in the months to come. I hope to join in the tree following early in the new year. 🙂
Lovely!
I look forward to seeing what tree you choose 🙂
always assumed the ones in various London parks were swamp cypress so interested to read there is a pond version. Such a beautiful tree
Am joining in for the last of the year’s posts with my Tilias which are still quite green!
p.s. thank you Pat for taking over the hosting of TF
Thanks for all that – I was quite oblivious to any sort of deciduous cypress until now.
And please do try to join us again next year with a new (and less confusing?) tree…
All the best 🙂
A Dutch tree, a willow, has entered the tree following community. My blog is usually in Dutch, but I will add a translation for the tree-following entries.
And you can always use google translate to get an idea of what I’m writing about.
Thank you for that! You are very welcome to our community.
I will add you into the list on the main tree following reference page.
I did use Google translate – and yes some of it was a bit hilarious! I’m sure it will help me learn a bit more Dutch.
See you again in January…
All the best 🙂
Hello I’ve just done a general Tree Following post for Liz and myself. We’re both looking at trees to follow next year. xx
I’ve visited your blog post and left a comment. Very festive!
And I so look forward to as many people as possible choosing a tree for 2016.
All the best 🙂
I love the bright, rusty colour the tree is turning. While living in Kansas City, I saw Taxodium distichum used as a street tree, but the autumn colour was rarely very bright, nor did the trees grow as large as they do further south. Still very attractive in their way, especially the soft green new growth. So I wonder whether your T. ascendens normally produces brighter hues or perhaps is showing its pleasure at the Welsh weather 🙂
Well, if it likes wet weather, it’s certainly getting plenty here at the moment.
You are the second person to mention the beauty of the new green growth in spring, so I will look forward to that, although I still don’t think this will be THE tree for me to follow every month in 2016. We’ll see…
I enjoyed your post – thanks for following and Merry Christmas 🙂
[…] progress of this tree, though I will continue to observe it every so often. Thanks to Pat of thesquirrelbasket for co-ordinating the Tree Following […]