A cypress knee is a distinctive structure forming above the roots of a cypress tree of any of various species of the subfamily Taxodioideae, such as the bald cypress. Their function is unknown, but they are generally seen on trees growing in swamps .

2021年12月1日 · Visitors to the cypress swamps of the southeastern United States are often intrigued by the swollen bases, or buttresses, of cypresses, and by the woody conical structures—the knees—of varying size found around the base of many trees.

2000年5月15日 · The surprising and characteristic temerity of the tree is accompanied by another striking peculiarity—it almost invariably, in soft soils, throws upward from the upper surface of its roots conspicuous protuberances that are known as “Cypress knees.”

Why Do Cypress Trees Have Knees? During my research, I found that Cypress tree knees may help it absorb oxygen from the water effectively. There is no hard-core proof, but it is still one of the theories that many in our community believe.

Several species of cypress trees, which can grow in wetlands and shallow water, produce unusual structures called knees. Unlike roots, cypress knees grow above the ground. They are strange formations that extend upward from the trees’ roots into the air.

2021年5月1日 · Bald Cypress knees are polymorphous narrowly conical or multitipped vertical root outgrowths formed predominantly in swampy habitats by Taxodium distichum. Almost 180 years of sporadic botanical attention to the knees has failed to generate consensus on their adaptive significance, a situation exacerbated by inadequate data on their structure.

2015年10月19日 · Swamp cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) knees are woody projections that sprout above water level, growing vertically from the knobby roots of bald cypress trees. You can find them congregating around the trees that grow in spots along Sydnor Lake at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

2022年8月14日 · According to LSU horticulturists, you can carefully remove the knees without harming the tree: Dig a small area to expose the knee a few inches below the soil level. With a clean, sharp knife or saw, cut the knee off horizontally, 1 to 2 inches below the soil level.

Cypress tree knees are a type of plant root system found in swamps and wetlands. They are often considered an eyesore, but they actually provide many benefits to the environment. Cypress tree knees help protect the shoreline from erosion, provide habitat for wildlife, and create a natural filter that purifies the water.

2005年4月15日 · In good soils, and without constant flooding or "wet feet", the trees don't produce the knees. For example, here in Nebraska, they only do it when they're near creeks and rivers and in the flood plain that is subject to frequent flooding.