Bald cypress, along with Spanish Moss, make up Louisiana's famous swamp. This species is one of few that is capable of withstanding season flooding and water-saturated soils that lack oxygen. The cypress knees help to aerate the root system by spreading the weight of the tree over a greater area of swampy ground. The tree is deciduous, but it is also a conifer, like pines, spruces, and firs. While young trees are conical in outline, more mature trees have stronger lateral branches, as their tops have been removed by hurricane winds. Since their wood is extremely resistant to decay, they became one of the chief lumber trees of the Mississippi River floodplain. Sadly, few large specimen remain in the wild because of this. Cypress trees can be found on campus near the entrance to Dinwiddie and behind Warren House.
The Bald Cypress on Gibson Quad is between 25-50 years old and approximately 50 feet tall. Bald Cypress trees can live up to 200 years.