Watching the foliage change color is one of the greatest joys of autumn for nature lovers. As the temperature drops, bald cypresses (Taxodium distichum) in the South China National Botanical Garden (SCNBG) begin to turn beautiful shades of reddish-brown, orange-brown, and coppery bronze, adding an exceptional autumnal palette to the natural surroundings.

There is also a small number of Taxodium distichum var. imbricatum (a variety of cypress), Glyptostrobus pensilis, and Metasequoia glyptostroboides in the botanical garden, in addition to bald cypresses. Compared with tropical trees that are evergreen all year round, the needle-like leaves of these cypresses will first turn yellow and red in autumn, then drop to the ground in cold winter. The lower the temperature, the faster the color changes. The discoloration of the entire forest can last for more than a month.

The best viewing points for red and yellow cypresses in the SCNBG are Longdong Qilin (龙洞琪林), both sides of the Aquatic Botanical Garden (水生植物园), Pandanus Garden (露兜园), the arched stone bridge in front of the Science Information Center, and the entrance of the Alpine Botanical Garden (高山植物室).

The bald cypresses in the SCNBG were planted between 1928 and 1929, when the Institute of Agricultural and Forestry Botany of Sun Yat-sen University, the predecessor of SCNBG, was just established. The founder, Academician Chen Huanyong, exchanged cypress seeds from the University of California in the United States. After breeding and cultivation by older scientists, the bald cypresses are now widespread throughout swampy areas in Guangdong.

The bald cypress has structures developed from its roots called "knees" - they grow out of the water in order to perform gas exchange, which helps the tree survive in the marshes. Thus, tourists tend to drop their mobile phones into the water when taking pictures. During the New Year's Day holiday, the security corps in the garden fished out four mobile phones from the lake.