The ancient cypress found in the chapel next to the cemetery and the river was highlighted as it was planted while the chapel was built as a sign of spirituality.

Longwood has been a destination point for Florida travelers since coastal tribes used The Senator (which has been burned down as of 2012), an ancient bald cypress, to find their way over land from the St. Johns River to trading grounds at Spring Hammock.

From the watery inlets rose the ancient bald cypress trees, magnificently - some would say grotesquely - swollen at the base, their islands of woody "knees" adjacent.

The reserve boasts a scenic blufftop trail through ancient cypress groves overlooking the Pacific Ocean, historically interesting tidepools and a variety of significant marine animals and pelagic birds.

ONE moment, the paddler was sliding through a narrow passageway between an ancient bald cypress and a towering tupelo gum tree.

As far north as Corkscrew Swamp, virgin stands of ancient bald cypress are dying.

He ordered the ancient sacred Cypress of the Zoroastrians, Cypress of Kashmar to be cut down in order to use it in constructing his new palace despite the enormous protests from the Zoroastrian community.