The Bald Cypress tree and the Tamarack shed all of their leaves in the fall, the only native conifers to do so. The Bald Cypress typically is associated with water and swamps, growing in very wet or even submerged soils. Nevertheless, it grows very well on well-drained upland sites. The natural range of the Bald Cypress today extends along the coastal plain from Delaware southward to Florida, and westward to southeastern Texas. Also it grows northward in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys to southern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. This tree has been used in state forests, in arboretum plantings, and as ornamentals. In its natural range the Bald Cypress is an important timber tree. Its wood is very durable and is used for heavy construction where wood is required that is resistant to decay.

One of the most famous cypress trees is the "Tree of the Sorrowful Night", under which Cortes wept in 1520 after he had lost most of his men in battle. The cypress has always been a symbol of sadness and mourning.