Shankolo (Bald Cypress)

Courtesy: Delaware Wetlands

Did you know--Delaware is home to the country's northern most natural stand of Shankolo (Choctaw) or Bald Cypress! 

This stunning tree can reach heights of over 100 feet tall and its raised roots, known as “knees”, can grow 50-70 feet high!

This tree’s size helps it play a critical role in wetlands. Shankolo help swamps act like giant sponges and mitigate flooding and erosion. The knees slow floodwaters, spread the water across the floodplain, trap sediments, and help the water soak into the soil.  

Since Shankolo live in swamps, the knees are believed to provide the tree’s underwater roots with oxygen. They have served Indigenous communities, too, as bee hives!

Shankolo wood and fiber have powerful anti-fungal properties (due to the tree’s swampy origins). The Seminole used it to create dugout canoes. Tribes like the Choctaw, Timucua, and Mikosukee make cords, drums, cooking tools, housing materials, and bows from it. And resin found in Shankolo cones may have been used as a balm for rashes and wounds.

Courtesy: Delaware Wetlands

Get outside and enjoy the trees native to your region! And keep reading to learn about other plants native to the Delmarva region like Gwen'den'en niyo'enno'den' (Red Osier Dogwood), Tehim (Strawberry), and Nènèskakw (Redbud). 

*Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Consult a doctor before using this plant for a medical purpose.*

References: Arbor Day Foundation, Bellarmine University, University of Kentucky Department of Horticulture, University of Vermont's Center for Teaching and Learning, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, National Forest Foundation, “A Dictionary of the Choctaw Language” by Cyrus Byington