Taxodium distichum.

As Autumn approaches, watch for these stunning trees at Lake Te Koo Utu park, best viewed from the Camelia Walk above the lake, beside the Lakewood development. They are also lovely in spring, when their new ferny foliage is a pale green, as it is a deciduous conifer.

Native to North America, they are the tallest conifers of the eastern border, dominating the swamps of Florida, where they become festooned with Spanish moss as they age. They are also able to grow in the sub-arctic winters of Ottawa, though their chief desire is for a warm summer. They are long-lived trees, the oldest known being almost 1700 years.

To appreciate their most peculiar feature, stand at the fluted and flaring base which gives the tree stability in wet ground, for here are the unique "knees" that grow up from their roots when they are near water. 

The wood is used for making shingles and panelling, and is highly valued for its resistance to water. Like the NZ kauri, prehistoric taxodiums are mined from swamps. In 2012, divers discovered a submerged forest of the species off the coast of Alabama. Radiocarbon dating showed that the trees were growing more than 50 000 years ago.