The rare wormwood cypress can only harvested from salt water logging sites along the coastline. The distinctive character of the wood is created by the teredo worm, notorious for destruction to submarine timber structures and the hulls of wooden boats. 

Pecky cypress has distinctive ridges caused by a fungal attack on the growing tree that renders long, narrow burrows in the wood. 

Cypress without any internal characteristics (caused by either fungi or worms) is referred to as clear cypress.