Water Tree

 

I can remember the first time I saw these giants emerging from the water as I canoed down a southern waterway near Charleston. One can not see where they are connected to the earth as they are submerged below the black waters. The root is unique in that instead of branching out at the base like most trees, the root grows straight down. If the tree is 30-75 feet tall then the tap root is 30-75 feet deep. Additional roots called cypress knees help anchor them to the soft, muddy soil giving them structural support and stability. These buttressed bases and a strong, intertwined root system allow them to resist very strong winds; even hurricanes rarely overturn them. These 'knees' also allow oxygen to get to the tap root which is necessary for it to survive. The older and larger the tree, the more 'knees' it will have.

 

Most old growth was logged between 1880 to the 1930's. By the first half of the 20th century the majority of these trees were nearly all removed from the swamps in Florida. The trees were approximately 150 to 1500 years old at the time they were harvested. Geologist believed that these tree existed as far back as 6,500 years. I can't even image what these trees would have looked like today if they still existed as they are believed to live as long as hundreds to thousands of years.