Even though Houstonians don’t get the luxury of a true fall like our East Coast friends, we do have trees that reflect the changing seasons. Bald cypress trees are one of the first trees in the state to shed their leaves. It’s how they got their name “bald cypress” – and they’re also the last to bloom in the spring.
These trees, which are part of the Redwood family, have soft and feathery leaves that are green and white underneath. Many animals, like squirrels and wood ducks, enjoy eating their seeds. Bald eagles and ospreys also like to build nests in these cypress trees. At the Houston Arboretum, you can already find the leaves changing colors, including their bald cypress trees.
“During early October in Houston, the temps may yet feel more like summertime than autumn, but the hours of daylight are getting shorter by about a minute and a half each day this month. The flora in the Houston Arboretum are affected by this; making less chlorophyll and leaves are turning from green to shades of golden yellow and orange. If you need a little help getting in the mood for fall, take a stroll along the woodway ponds and enjoy the seasonal change of the bald cypress and pickerelweed,” says Tiffany Ritter of the Houston Arboretum.
