Cypress

The bald cypress is known by other names in parts of its range - Gulf cypress, red cypress, southern cypress, swamp cypress, white cypress and yellow cypress. Taxodium is Greek for "yewlike," which refers to a family of generally small trees prized for hard wood. 

Cypress is also called the "wood eternal" because the heartwood is resistant to decay. The Choctaw Indians used the bark for string and rope. The Seminoles found bald cypress useful for making houses, canoes, and ceremonial objects.

More at the TPWD web site on Bald Cypress.