My goldfish pond

[CometKeith]

Here are some new pictures of the pond I took today.

 

[j.w]

Nice photos and I see your tree in there growing nicely and looks like you are going to have some nice dark Iris blooms any minute. Fish look happy and have the nice long tails I love!

 

[taherrmann4]

Looking good. I like your cypress tree you have in the pond.

 

[icsd71]

Nice. i like that!

 

[addy1]

Very nice!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Really coming nice Keith, fish are real cute too

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks for the comments! The cypress tree is a tropical that has survived for 4 years now. When I bought it the store told me it wouldn't last the Chicago winters. I drop it to the bottom every year when it gets cold and somehow it survives. The fish are all doing well and really active. They are fun to watch now and very friendly to anyone that walks up to the pond. It was an interesting view from behind the irises looking down on the cypress. I was fixing my lights and decided it would be neat to take a photo from that angle even though it's not a place you can really stand very easily.

 

[j.w]

What zone are you in?
Is it a Bald Cypress tree cuz it says hardy zones 4 - 10. Or if it's a pond cypress zones 5 -11.

Description
Pond-cypress (Taxodium ascendens) is very similar to bald-cypress (T. distichum), and has been considered a variety of that species by some authorities. Most recent experts, however, now believe that pond-cypress is a distinct species. Pond-cypress has awl shaped or scalelike leaves which are closely appressed and overlapping on the twigs, whereas bald-cypress has linear leaves which spread out and are arranged in two ranks on opposite sides of the twigs. The branchlets of bald-cypress tend to spread horizontally outward, while those of pond-cypress are more ascending. Pond-cypress isn't as prone as bald-cypress to have knees, and when it does, they tend to be shorter and more rounded. Pond-cypress is usually more columnar than bald-cypress. The two species are not always easy to tell apart. Hybridization probably occurs, and young, fast growing specimens of pond-cypress sometimes have leaves more like those of bald-cypress. Pond-cypress is generally a smaller tree, to 80 ft (25 m) or so in height. However, the National champion, in Pierce County, Georgia, is 135' (41 m) tall with a trunk diameter of 7.5 ft (2.3 m) - nearly as large as a big bald-cypress. The largest pond-cypress in Florida is 64 ft (19.5 m) tall and has a trunk diameter of 3.4 ft (1 m). It grows on the grounds of the Museum of History and Natural Sciences in Tallahassee.
Location
Pond-cypress occurs naturally in shallow ponds and wetlands along the southeastern U.S. coast from Virginia to Louisiana. Its distribution is smaller than that of bald-cypress, and it rarely grows along flowing streams and rivers or in floodplain bottomland swamps as does bald-cypress. Pond-cypress rarely is found at elevations above 100 ft (30 m).
Culture
Pond-cypress seems to be more dependent on acidic soils than bald-cypress.
Light: Pond-cypress does its best in full sun.
Moisture: Like bald-cypress, pond-cypress grows well on dry upland sites even though it doesn't occur there naturally.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-11.
Propagation: Start the seeds in moist soil.

The pond cypress makes an impressive contribution when used in landscapes as demonstrated by this handsome individual growing pondside at Georgia's Calloway Gardens.

The pond-cypress bears seeds within round golf ball size "cones".
Usage
Lumbermen tend not to distinguish between this species and bald-cypress, although ecologists certainly do. According to Florida ecologist Dr. Katherine Ewel, pond-cypress tends to occur at higher densities than bald-cypress, on sites with slow to stagnant water, low nutrients, and occasional forest fires. Bald-cypress is more likely encountered at low densities, in places with moderate water flow, higher nutrient availability, and rare forest fires.
Features
When pond-cypress grows on nutrient-poor or marly soils, as in some parts of the Everglades, Big Cypress Swamp and Tate's Hell in North Florida, they grow very slowly and usually remain stunted. Even very old trees may be no more that 6 ft (2 m) tall. These dwarfs are called "hat-rack" cypress.
See the bald-cypress, (T. distichum), profile for information about related species.
Steve Christman 12/29/05

 

[CometKeith]

JW, I'm in 5b. Maybe it is a pond cypress. it has only grown a few inches since I got it. I actually thought it was some sort of shrub, but had no idea what it was. I just thought it looked cool, like a miniature tree. I have seen the pond cypress seeds on golf courses. They are pretty amazing. Didn't know what tree they were from until now.

 

[addy1]

I am going to try and grow a hibiscus in the pond like fishin did, got a few seedlings to try it out on.

 

[j.w]

Me too addy but I've got to get busy and find the right pot to put it in and set up something to raise it up out of the water some. Wonder how deep it can go in the water.............just it's roots or?

 

[taherrmann4]

Hey comet they grow really slow, mine has been in my pond for 7 or 8 years and I bought it when it was about 3' tall and is now somewhere around 5 or 6 feet. Only grows a few inches a year. I am thinking of cutting the top off so it does not grow any taller, can't decide though. I am waiting to see if it will grow knees but don't think it will b.c from what I understand the water level needs to drop to the top of the soil. Not sure if this is the case but I thought I read this somewhere.

I also repotted it three years ago and it started to do better. It now resides in a 10g pot.

 

[CountryEscape]

Really interesting, Keith and Todd! I love bald cypress trees, but I think the type I'm referring to grows pretty fast, once it gets established and they do very well along the edge of ponds. My neighbor has about 5 of them on the edge of his yard, no water nearby, not sure how they grow so well, maybe because they are established. Or, maybe it's that he also has high water table, and they have rooted down into that! If/when I ever get my farm pond dug out or relocated (dig new, bury the old), I would love to have bald cypress on the north and west sides of it to help shelter it from the winds.

 

[taherrmann4]

Since mine is in a pot it is sort of like a bonsai, so I should be able to limit the growth somewhat. I will pull it out next year, pull it out of its pot and trim the roots and stick it back in.

 

[taherrmann4]

Really interesting, Keith and Todd! I love bald cypress trees, but I think the type I'm referring to grows pretty fast, once it gets established and they do very well along the edge of ponds. My neighbor has about 5 of them on the edge of his yard, no water nearby, not sure how they grow so well, maybe because they are established. Or, maybe it's that he also has high water table, and they have rooted down into that! If/when I ever get my farm pond dug out or relocated (dig new, bury the old), I would love to have bald cypress on the north and west sides of it to help shelter it from the winds.

CE if you want a tree similar to a bald cypress check out the dawn redwood. Mine is growing about 2-3 feet a year and has the similarities of a bald cypress.
http://www.google.co...iw=1280&bih=666