Timber! Felling a large Bald Cypress in a city neighborhood [View all]

The bald cypress (taxodium distichum) is a deciduous conifer that sheds its needlelike leaves in the fall. This bald cypress was in the backyard of a house across the street from my home. I could see the tree from my front skylight as well as from my back deck (where I took the photos) and have been watching its seasonal changes for several years. The tree seemed healthy and was alive when felled today. I don't know why it was taken down; perhaps the owner feared that a severe storm, like those we've been getting for the past few years, might cause the tree to break or topple.

Felling a tall tree in this neighborhood was no easy task. The tree was first pruned of its branches from the ground up to the crown. After the crown was removed, the trunk was taken down in several sections.