Lake Martin, one of the most unique ecosystems found in the state of Alabama, is home to a variety of animals and vegetation.

One species of tree, however, may be the longest-living inhabitant of the body of water capable of easily reaching 600 years old with some reported living thousands of years.

The Bald Cypress Tree, according to Lake Magazine Life, is a large, slow-growing tree that is found mainly along rivers and swamps that flood regularly. They grow well in acidic, moist, mucky, sandy, or loamy soil as well as in well-drained soils and clay in areas that receive adequate rainfall. The trees are unusual because while they are most often associated with a very wet habitat, they have been known to thrive well away from water.

Cypress trees have been reported in the Willow Point neighborhood of Lake Martin and also along the southwestern shore of the lake near Kowaliga Marina. They can reach as high as 70 feet with a trunk diameter of 3-6 feet.