Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 7b |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | pyramidal |
| Mature height | 80 feet |
| Spread | 40 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | dry to wet |
| Plant origin | import |
Montezuma Cypress
Botanical name: Taxodium mucronatum
This beautiful variety has a broad, spreading crown, strong horizontal branches with delicate weeping branchlets; a large trunk and odd knee-like protrusions at the base when grown in standing water; evergreen in frost free areas.
Other names: Taxodium huegelii, Sabino, Ahuehuete
Ornamental Features
Montezuma Cypress has emerald green foliage. The ferny bipinnately compound leaves remain emerald green throughout the winter. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant. The shaggy tan bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Montezuma Cypress is an evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Montezuma Cypress is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Vertical Accent
Planting and Growing
Montezuma Cypress will grow to be about 80 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 7 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 200 years or more; think of this as a heritage tree for future generations!
This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the leaves in alkaline soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is not originally from North America.
