Both our trees of Swamp Cypress (Taxodium distichum) rise directly out of the Lake bed. Their conical spires offer year-round interest, and in winter the naked silhouette adds an interesting structure to the treescape. In spring, the light apple-green leaves appear on twisted stems and consisting of skinny leaflets running in pairs from a central rib. In autumn the foliage turns a deep fox-fur russet.
Visible throughout the year are the tree roots that buckle up above the surface of the lake into knobbly 'knees', known as pneumatophores. They are characteristic of Swamp Cypress trees growing in waterlogged soils or open water lacking in oxygen. They absorb oxygen for the deep roots. The pneumatophores are popular landing spots for ducks and moorhens. The Swamp Cypress is a major constituent of the Florida Everglades flora and was introduced from America to the UK by John Tradescant the younger in 1640.
