Bald Cypress

I was wondering if the roots of this tree need to stay in soil if the tree is planted in water? Or can the tree live if the roots are just placed in the water? Since this is a swamp tree I would think that the roots would not rot if exposed to water.

Around here Bald Cypress grow alongside the river banks of the Colorado River. If the roots are spread out evenly all the way round, the a portion of the root system is under water when the level of the river rises. From what I have read, Bald Cypress grow in soil that floods periodically. That implies that the tree is not always in the water. Pond cypress will grow in ponds. Roots act as anchors as well and need something solid to grow into. If the tree is just placed in the water, the roots won't have anything to hold onto.
http://forestry.about.com/library/silvics/blsiltaxdis.htm
http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=117
In the following link, scroll down to Moisture under the Culture heading for information on where the Bald Cypress grows best. What is your soil pH? This tree prefers acidic soils.
http://www.floridata.com/ref/T/taxodium.cfm

bettydee has it right on every count. You can plant Bald Cypress in shallow water(I'd be wary of planting in anything deeper than 1'(25cm) or so at the deepest), but it still needs to be planted into the soil at the bottom of the water. Also in colder climates freeze thaw cycles of the water can damage and maybe even uproot a small Bald Cypress, so if your pond/creek/waterway freezes very deeply in winter you would probably be better off planting it next to the water, rather than in it.

I have a friend who planted a potted bald cypress in his koi pond, and it's doing just great. I think the pot even freezes some winters. Also, at Aquatic Design (west of Indy), they have bald cypresses planted in a bog area (directly in the ground) so that they can be part of the biofiltering system. I have 20-year-old bald cypresses planted in a marshy area, which sometimes dries up in the summer. They're growing small "knees". Cool. I think for best health, you would need to plant it in soil. They do grow large!

I usually see Bald cypress along the edges of water but I have seen them in a swamp so I don't see reason why you can't plant it right in the water without any rot problems.

Thanks for all your input on this.

HoosierGreen: I am going to do what your friend did but on a small scale. I plan on making a 10 gallon pot out of hypertufa but in the center it well have a raised part that will be two inches lower than the water line. I will be planting three Bald Cypress (for Bonsai) in the raised part that way they are only in two inches of water out of it, then I will get five 1.5" fish that look like "mini-koi" to swim in the rest of the "tank".

Herb_Canopy: What an imaginative and novel bonsai! I've never seen a water bonsai before, and I've seen some great collections. Be sure to post some pics when you have this done.