Saturday, March 28, 2015

Battle Creek Cypress Swamp - Calvert County Maryland

This swamp in Southern Maryland is the northernmost cypress swamp in the United States.  It is not a large area: only 40 acres, but is is a significant piece of ecological preservation in our region. The park has a very good nature center, considering its small size. The cypresses in this swamp are Bald Cypresses, named that because they shed their needles for the winter like deciduous broad leaf trees. The knobs protruding from the swamp are called "knees" and are part of the root system of the cypress. They are believed to be stabalizers for the cyprss trees.