Cypress Knees

January 12

I am thankful for cypress knees. They are so unusual and have a character of their own. And I've already mentioned how I love cypress trees. Cypress knees are projections from the cypress tree roots up to and above the surface of the ground or water. What is the purpose of cypress knees? Nobody exactly knows. Theories are that they help stabilize the tree in the marshy ground where it grows (I believe this theory) or help with aeration of the roots (this theory has pretty much been disproved). Whatever their purpose, I just know that they are very special and unusual in their own right. Knees have been reported to be as high as fourteen feet, however the tallest cypress knees I've seen are at least 3 feet high on the thirteenth hole of TPC Louisiana Golf Course in Avendale, Louisiana (photos of them may be seen in my Golf Courses/TPC Louisiana photo folder on this web page-photos 99-106).

This photo was taken near the City Park Lake in Baton Rouge.

cypress knees

many wooden knobs

sprouting out of the swampy grounds

cypress knees points

like kingly crowns

called boscoyo

by the cajun peoples

cypress knees

pointed spires like steeples

a mini city

of this wooden landscape

giving the tree strength and stability

in this marshy seascape.

© rt tulley