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57-443: Taxodium distichum var. mucronatum (Ten.) A.Henry Taxodium mexicanum Carrière Taxodium distichum var. mexicanum (Carrière) Gordon Cuprespinnata mexicana (Carrière) J.Nelson Taxodium huegelii C.Lawson Taxodium mucronatum , commonly known as Montezuma bald cypress , Montezuma cypress , or ahuehuete , is a species of Taxodium that is primarily native to Mexico and Guatemala , with

114-501: A crawfish pond in Louisiana , where weed control and soil moisture were excellent through June, averaged 2.9 m (9.5 ft) and 3.5 cm (1.4 in) diameter at breast height after five years. However, a replicate of the same sources planted in an old soybean field, where weed control and soil moisture were poor, resulted in the same diameter, but a smaller average seedling height of 2.1 m (6.9 ft). When planted in

171-447: A trunk diameter of 3–7 feet (0.9–2.1 m). The main trunk is often surrounded by cypress knees . The bark is grayish brown to reddish brown, thin, and fibrous with a stringy texture; it has a vertically, interwoven pattern of shallow ridges and narrow furrows. The needle-like leaves are 1 ⁄ 2 to 3 ⁄ 4 inch (1.3 to 1.9 cm) long and are simple, alternate, green, and linear, with entire margins. In autumn,

228-555: A variety of bald cypress, as Taxodium distichum var. imbricatum (Nutt.) Croom. It differs in shorter leaves borne on erect shoots, and in ecology, being largely confined to low-nutrient blackwater habitats. A few authors also treat Taxodium mucronatum as a variety of bald cypress, as T. distichum var. mexicanum Gordon, thereby considering the genus as comprising only one species. The native range extends from southeastern New Jersey south to Florida and west to Central Texas and southeastern Oklahoma , and also inland up

285-492: A drain on the side of the highway north of Port Douglas Queensland (the tree itself is at a latitude and longitude of-16.4853970, 145.4134609), so it would seem the species can grow well in tropical conditions. It does, however, require hot summers for good growth. When planted in locales with the cool summers of oceanic climates , growth is healthy but very slow; some specimens in northeastern England have only grown to 4–5 m tall in 50 years and do not produce cones. One of

342-486: A few populations in the southwestern United States . Ahuehuete is derived from the Nahuatl name for the tree, āhuēhuētl , which means "upright drum in water" or "old man of the water." It is a large evergreen or semi-evergreen tree growing to 40 m (130 ft) tall and with a trunk of 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) diameter (occasionally much more; see below). The leaves are spirally arranged but twisted at

399-640: A height of 20–75 cm (up to 100 cm in fertilized nursery conditions) in their first year. Seedlings die if inundated for more than about two to four weeks. Natural regeneration is therefore prevented on sites that are always flooded during the growing season. Although vigorous saplings and stump sprouts can produce viable seed, most specimens do not produce seed until they are about 30 years old. In good conditions, bald cypress grows fairly fast when young, then more slowly with age. Trees have been measured to reach 3 m in five years, 21 m in 41 years, and 36 m in height in 96 years; height growth has largely ceased by

456-536: A residential yard and weeded and watered, they averaged 3.7 m (12 ft) tall three years later. Bald cypress is one of the few conifer species that sprouts. Thrifty sprouts are generally produced from stumps of young trees, but trees up to 60 years old also send up healthy sprouts if the trees are cut during the fall or winter. However, survival of these sprouts is often poor, and those that live are usually poorly shaped and do not make quality saw timber trees. Stumps of trees up to 200 years old may also sprout, but

513-404: A striking appearance created by lacy leaves or long needles, while other ornamentals are grown for distinctively colored leaves, such as silvery-gray ground covers and bright red grasses, among many others. Other ornamental plants are cultivated for their blooms. Flowering ornamental plants are a key aspect of most gardens, with many flower gardeners preferring to plant a variety of flowers so that

570-682: A whole plantation in a short amount of time. In 2002, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources identified T. distichum as a state protected plant with the status of Threatened. Globally, the species is listed as of Least Concern by the IUCN . The bald cypress is hardy and can be planted in hardiness zones 4 through 10 in the US. The species is a popular ornamental tree that is cultivated for its light, feathery foliage and orangey brown to dull red autumnal color. In cultivation it thrives on

627-457: A wide range of soil types, whether wet, salty, dry, or swampy. It is noted for the russet-red fall color of its lacy needles. This plant has some cultivated varieties and is often used in groupings in public spaces. Common names include bald cypress, swamp cypress, white cypress , tidewater red cypress , gulf cypress and red cypress . The bald cypress was designated the official state tree of Louisiana in 1963. In some cultures,

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684-646: A wide range of soils, including well-drained sites where it would not grow naturally because juvenile seedlings cannot compete with other vegetation. Cultivation is successful far north of its native range, even to southern Canada . It is also commonly planted in Europe , Asia , and other temperate and subtropical locales. Additionally it is sometimes planted in gardens and parks Eastern Australia with most specimens being found in Temperate to warm temperate areas although two trees are thriving in an open location along

741-624: A wide variety of colors, textures, and sizes available. Many ornamental types of grass are true grasses (Poaceae), however, several other families of grass-like plants are typically marketed as ornamental grasses. These include the sedges (Cyperaceae), rushes (Juncaceae), restios (Restionaceae), and cat-tails (Typhaceae). All are monocotyledons , typically with narrow leaves and parallel veins. Most are herbaceous perennials , though many are evergreen and some develop woody tissues. Ornamental grasses are popular in many countries. They bring striking linear form, texture, color, motion, and sound to

798-404: Is epigeal . Under swamp conditions, germination generally takes place on a sphagnum moss or a wet-muck seedbed. Seeds will not germinate under water, but some will remain viable for 30 months under water. By contrast, seeds usually fail to germinate on better drained soils because of the lack of surface water. Thus, a soil saturated but not flooded for a period of one to three months after seedfall

855-972: Is a major branch of horticulture . Commonly, ornamental garden plants are grown for the display of aesthetic features including flowers , leaves , scent, overall foliage texture, fruit, stem and bark, and aesthetic form. In some cases, unusual features may be considered to be of interest, such as the prominent thorns of Rosa sericea and cacti . The cultivation of ornamental plants in gardening began in ancient civilizations around 2000 BC. Ancient Egyptian tomb paintings of 1500 BC show physical evidence of ornamental horticulture and landscape design. The wealthy pharaohs of Amun had plenty of lands to grow all different kinds of ornamental plants. Ornamental plants and trees are distinguished from utilitarian and crop plants, such as those used for agriculture and vegetable crops, and for forestry or as fruit trees. This does not preclude any particular type of plant being grown both for ornamental qualities in

912-774: Is a very light tan in color and weathers to a uniform silvery gray. Paint and stains adhere well to Bald cypress. Bald cypress most often sees use in outdoor structures such as timber frame pavilions, mid-size farmers markets, porches, exterior awnings and decorative trusses where the species’ weather resistance helps ensure long life. New World Species : Ornamental plant Almost all types of plant have ornamental varieties: trees, shrubs , climbers, grasses, succulents , aquatic plants , herbaceous perennials and annual plants . Non-botanical classifications include houseplants , bedding plants , hedges, plants for cut flowers and foliage plants . The cultivation of ornamental plants comes under floriculture and tree nurseries , which

969-477: Is completely submerged by flooding, and prolonged submergence kills the seedling. In nurseries, Taxodium seeds show an apparent internal dormancy that can be overcome by various treatments, usually including cold stratification or submerging in water for 60 days. Nursery beds are sown in spring with pretreated seeds or in fall with untreated seeds. Seedlings usually reach 75 to 100 cm (29.5 to 39.5 in) in height during their first (and usually only) year in

1026-457: Is often found in swamps as far north as New Jersey, and occasionally as far north as Connecticut, although it is more common in the southeastern states. This partially mineralized wood is harvested from swamps in the southeastern states, and is greatly prized for special uses such as for carvings. The fungus Lauriliella taxodii causes a specific form of the wood called "pecky cypress", which is used for decorative wall paneling . The bald cypress

1083-417: Is prevented by ice damage to seedlings. Larger trees are able to tolerate much lower temperatures and lower humidity. In 2012 scuba divers discovered an underwater cypress forest several miles off the coast of Mobile, Alabama , in 60 feet of water. The forest contains trees that could not be dated with radiocarbon methods , indicating that they are more than 50,000 years old and thus most likely lived in

1140-604: Is recognized as the largest member of its species in the country and is listed as such on the National Register of Champion Trees by American Forest. The National Champion Bald Cypress is in the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge , near St. Francisville, Louisiana , and it is 96 feet (29 m) tall, 56 feet (17 m) in circumference, and is estimated to be approximately 1,500 years old. The oldest known living specimen, found along

1197-402: Is required for germination. After germination, seedlings must grow fast enough to keep at least part of their crowns above floodwaters for most of the growing season. Bald cypress seedlings can endure partial shading, but require overhead light for good growth. Seedlings in swamps often reach heights of 20 to 75 cm (8 to 29.5 in) their first year. Growth is checked when a seedling

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1254-627: Is very drought -tolerant and fast-growing and favors climates that are rainy throughout the year or at least with high summer rainfall. Taxodium mucronatum is native to much of Mexico as far south as the highlands of southern Mexico. Two disjunct populations exist in the United States . One is in the Rio Grande Valley of southernmost Texas , while the other is in southern New Mexico , near Las Cruces . Within Guatemala ,

1311-520: The Battle of La Noche Triste . This plant is mentioned in the 2015 short story "Rivers" by John Keene , which reimagines the story of Mark Twain 's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn . Montezuma cypresses have been used as ornamental trees since Pre-Columbian times. The Aztecs planted āhuēhuētl along processional paths in the gardens of Chapultepec because of its association with government. Artificial islands called chinampas were formed in

1368-607: The Black River in North Carolina , is at least 2,624 years old, rendering it the oldest living tree in eastern North America . The Senator , a bald cypress in Longwood, Florida , was 165 feet (50 m) tall before the hurricane of 1925, when it lost about 40 feet (12 m) in height. It had a circumference of 47 feet (14 m) and a diameter of 17.5 feet (5.3 m) and was estimated to be 3,500 years old. It

1425-785: The Mississippi River . Ancient bald cypress forests , with some trees more than 1,700 years old, once dominated swamps in the Southeast. The original range had been thought to only reach as far north as Delaware , but researchers have now found a natural forest on the Cape May Peninsula in southern New Jersey. The species can also be found growing outside its natural native range, in New York and Pennsylvania . The largest remaining old-growth stands are at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary , near Naples , Florida, and in

1482-778: The Árbol del Tule in Santa María del Tule, Oaxaca , Mexico, is the stoutest tree in the world with a diameter of 11.42 m (37.5 ft). Several other specimens from 3–6 m (9.8–19.7 ft) diameter are known. The second stoutest tree in the world is the Big Baobab , an African baobab . Montezuma cypress is primarily a riparian tree, growing along upland riversides, but can also be found next to springs and marshes . It occurs from 300 to 2,500 m (980 to 8,200 ft), in Mexico mainly in highlands at 1,600–2,300 m (5,200–7,500 ft) in altitude. T. mucronatum

1539-598: The Three Sisters tract along eastern North Carolina's Black River . The Corkscrew trees are around 500 years of age, and some exceed 40 m in height. In 1985, the Black River trees were cored by a dendrochronologist from the University of Arkansas , who found that some began growing as early as 364 AD. A subsequent visit to the area in 2019 revealed a tree dated by its tree-ring count to 605 B. C., ranking as

1596-603: The United States. A linear grove is located in the main courtyard of the Getty Center Art Museum, thriving since 1995. New World Species : Taxodium distichum Taxodium distichum ( baldcypress , bald-cypress , bald cypress , swamp cypress ; French : cyprès chauve ; cipre in Louisiana ) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae . It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to

1653-426: The bald cypress symbolizes longevity, endurance, and mourning. Bald cypress trees are valued because of their rot-resistant heartwood when the trees are mature. Because of this, the trees are often used for making fence posts, doors, flooring, caskets, and a number of other items. Taxodium distichum is a large, slow-growing, and long-lived tree . It typically grows to heights of 35–120 feet (10–40 m) and has

1710-478: The bark was used as a diuretic and an emmenagogue . Pitch derived from the wood was used as a cure for bronchitis The leaves acted as a relaxant and could help reduce itching. In some parts of Mexico the foliage is used to decorate church altars during religious ceremonies. John Naka , a bonsai master, donated his very first bonsai, a Montezuma cypress, to the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum of

1767-472: The base to lie in two horizontal ranks, 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) broad. The cones are ovoid, 1.5–2.5 cm (0.59–0.98 in) long and 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) broad. Unlike bald cypress and pond cypress , Montezuma cypress rarely produces cypress knees from the roots . Trees from the Mexican highlands achieve a notable stoutness. One specimen,

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1824-416: The cone is deposited on shore. The second is by wildlife: squirrels eat seeds, but often drop some scales from the cones they harvest. Seeds do not germinate under water and rarely germinate on well-drained soils; seedlings normally become established on continuously saturated, but not flooded, soils for one to three months. After germination, seedlings must grow quickly to escape floodwaters; they often reach

1881-426: The cone scales with their resin-coated seeds adhering to them, or sometimes entire cones, drop to the water or ground. This drop of mature seeds is often hastened by squirrels, which eat bald cypress seeds, but usually drop several scales with undamaged seeds still attached to each cone they pick. Floodwaters spread the scales or cones along streams and are the most important means of seed dissemination. Germination

1938-486: The early glacial interval of the last ice age. The cypress forest is well preserved, and when samples are cut they still smell like fresh cypress. A team, which has not yet published its results in a peer-reviewed journal, is studying the site. One possibility is that Hurricane Katrina exposed the grove of bald cypress, which had been protected under ocean floor sediments. The bald cypress is monoecious . Male and female strobili mature in one growing season from buds formed

1995-563: The foliage of ornamental plants, compromising their aesthetic appeal and overall health. This widespread recognition of the Japanese beetle's impact underscores the importance of effective pest management strategies to protect ornamental gardens and landscapes from infestation. The term ornamental plant is used here in the same sense that it is generally used in the horticultural trades, in which they are often just called "ornamentals". The term largely corresponds to 'garden plant', though

2052-497: The full range of light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) soils. It can also grow in saline soils. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution. The cones are often consumed by wildlife. The tallest known specimen, near Williamsburg, Virginia , is 44.11 m (145 ft) tall, and the stoutest known, in the Real County near Leakey, Texas , has a circumference of 475 in (39 ft). The National Champion Bald Cypress

2109-399: The garden is continuously in flower through the spring and summer. Depending on the types of plants being grown, the flowers may be subtle and delicate, or large and showy, with some ornamental plants producing distinctive aromas. Ornamental plants are beneficial. Ornamental grasses and grass-like plants are valued in home landscapes for their hardiness, ease of care, dramatic appearance, and

2166-636: The garden, and for utilitarian purposes in other settings. Thus lavender is typically grown as an ornamental plant in gardens, but may also be grown as a crop plant for the production of lavender oil . Ornamental plants are frequently targeted by the Japanese beetle , a notorious insect pest known for its destructive feeding habits. With a voracious appetite, Japanese beetles pose a significant threat to various plant species, including ornamental flowers, fruit-bearing trees, and agricultural crops. Their indiscriminate feeding behavior can cause extensive damage to

2223-591: The ground or water. Their function was once thought to be to provide oxygen to the roots, which grow in the low dissolved oxygen waters typical of a swamp (as in mangroves ). However, evidence for this is scant; in fact, roots of swamp-dwelling specimens whose knees are removed do not decrease in oxygen content and the trees continue to thrive. Another more likely function is structural support and stabilization. Bald cypress trees growing on flood-prone sites tend to form buttressed bases, but trees grown on drier sites may lack this feature. The buttressed base usually begins at

2280-451: The heartwood of living trees, usually from the crown down to the roots. A few other fungi attack the sapwood and the heartwood of the tree, but they do not usually cause serious damage. Insects such as the cypress flea beetle ( Systena marginalis ) and the bald cypress leafroller ( Archips goyerana ) can seriously damage trees by destroying leaves, cones or bark. Nutrias also clip and unroot young bald cypress seedlings, sometimes killing

2337-486: The keystone of ornamental gardening, and they come in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors suitable to a broad array of climates, landscapes, and gardening needs. Some ornamental plants are foliage plants grown mainly or entirely for their showy foliage; this is especially true of houseplants. Their foliage may be deciduous, turning bright orange, red, and yellow before dropping off in the fall, or evergreen, in which case it stays green year-round. Some ornamental foliage has

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2394-433: The largest of any species of Cupressaceae , and are produced every year, with heavy crops every 3–5 years. The seedlings have three to nine, but usually six, cotyledons each. The bald cypress grows in full sunlight to partial shade. This species grows best in wet or well-drained soil but can tolerate dry soil. It is moderately able to grow in aerosols of salt water. It does well in acid, neutral and alkaline soils across

2451-408: The latter is much less precise, as any plant may be grown in a garden. Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for display purposes, rather than functional ones. While some plants are both ornamental and functional, people usually use the term "ornamental plants" to refer to plants which have no value beyond being attractive, although many people feel that this is value enough. Ornamental plants are

2508-715: The leaves turn yellow or copper red. The bald cypress is deciduous. This species is monoecious , with male and female cones on a single plant forming on slender, tassel-like structures near the edge of branchlets. The tree produces cones in April and the seeds ripen in October. The male and female strobili are produced from buds formed in late autumn, with pollination in early winter, and mature in about 12 months. Male cones emerge on panicles that are 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) inches long. Female cones are round, resinous and green while young. They then turn hard and then brown as

2565-545: The ninth-oldest tree in the world. This species is native to humid climates where annual precipitation ranges from about 30 in or 760 millimetres in Central Texas to 64 in or 1,600 millimetres along the Gulf Coast. Although it grows best in warm climates, the natural northern limit of the species is not due to a lack of cold tolerance, but to specific reproductive requirements: further north, regeneration

2622-579: The nursery. Average size of 1-0 nursery-grown seedlings in a seed source test including 72 families was 81.4 cm (32.0 in) tall and 1.1 cm (0.43 in) in diameter. Control of competing vegetation may be necessary for a year or more for bald cypress planted outside of swamps. Five years after planting on a harrowed and bedded, poorly drained site in Florida, survival was high, but heights had increased only 30 cm (12 in), probably because of heavy herbaceous competition. Seedlings grown in

2679-596: The oldest specimens in Europe was planted in the 1900s in the Arboretum de Pézanin in Burgundy , France . An alley of Louisiana cypress trees was planted in the 18th century in the park of the Château de Rambouillet , southwest of Paris. Bald cypress has great merchantable yields. In virgin stands, yields from 112 to 196 m /ha were common, and some stands may have exceeded 1,000 m /ha. Still usable prehistoric wood

2736-1048: The previous year. The male catkins are about 2 mm (0.079 in) in diameter and are borne in slender, purplish, drooping clusters 7 to 13 cm ( 2 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 5 in) long that are conspicuous during the winter on this deciduous conifer. Pollen is shed in March and April. Female conelets are found singly or in clusters of two or three. The globose cones turn from green to brownish-purple as they mature from October to December. The cones are 13 to 36 mm (0.51 to 1.42 in) in diameter and consist of 9 to 15 four-sided scales that break away irregularly after maturity. Each scale can bear two (rarely three) irregular, triangular seeds with thick, horny, warty coats and projecting flanges. The number of seeds per cone averages 16 and ranges from 2 to 34. Cleaned seeds number from about 5,600 to 18,430 per kg (2,540 to 8,360 per lb). Some seeds are produced every year, and good seed crops occur at three- to five-year intervals. At maturity,

2793-481: The shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico by adding soil to rectangular areas enclosed by trees such as āhuēhuētl ; they also lined the region's canals prior to Spanish conquest . Ahuehuetes are frequently cultivated in Mexican parks and gardens . The wood is used to make house beams and furniture,. The Aztecs used its resin to treat gout , ulcers , skin diseases, wounds, and toothaches. A decoction made from

2850-418: The soil surface and usually extends up to the maximum annual flooding elevation. Buttressed bases and a strong, intertwined root system allow them to resist very strong winds; even hurricanes rarely overturn them. Many agents damage T. distichum trees. The main damaging (in some cases lethal) agent is the fungus Lauriliella taxodii , which causes a brown pocket rot known as "pecky cypress." It attacks

2907-409: The sprouts are not as vigorous and are more subject to wind damage as the stump decays. In the only report on the rooting of bald cypress cuttings found in the literature, cuttings from trees five years old rooted better than those from older trees. The seeds remain viable for less than one year, and are dispersed in two ways. One is by water: the seeds float and move on water until flooding recedes or

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2964-406: The time the trees are 200 years old. Some individuals can live over 1,000 years. Determination of the age of an old tree may be difficult because of frequent missing or false rings of stemwood caused by variable and stressful growing environments. Bald cypress trees growing in swamps have a peculiarity of growth called cypress knees . These are woody projections from the root system project above

3021-621: The tree is restricted to Huehuetenango Department . The sabino became the national tree of Mexico in 1910. The tree is sacred to the native peoples of Mexico , and is featured in the Zapotec creation myth . To the Aztecs , the combined shade of an āhuēhuētl and a pōchōtl ( Ceiba pentandra ) metaphorically represented a ruler's authority. According to legend, Hernán Cortés wept under an ahuehuete in Popotla after suffering defeat during

3078-414: The tree matures. They are globular and 2.0–3.5 cm ( 3 ⁄ 4 – 1 + 3 ⁄ 8  in) in diameter. They have from 20 to 30 spirally arranged, four-sided scales, each bearing one, two, or rarely three triangular seeds . Each cone contains 20 to 40 large seeds. The cones disintegrate at maturity to release the seeds. The seeds are 5–10 mm ( 3 ⁄ 16 – 13 ⁄ 32  in) long,

3135-458: The wood is exposed to the elements. In the first half of the 20th century, it was marketed as "The Wood Eternal." The lumber is valuable for timber framing, building materials, fence posts, planking in boats, river pilings, doors, blinds, flooring, shingles, garden boxes, caskets, interior trim and cabinetry. Bald cypress timbers are commonly available in lengths up to 24 feet. This species enjoys predictable lead times for projects. The wood

3192-499: Was burned down accidentally in 2012. "Big Dan" is one of the oldest living specimens and is found near High Springs, Florida at Camp Kulaqua. It is estimated to be 2,704 years old as of 2020. It is growing in the Hornsby Spring swamp run and is more than 35 feet in circumference. The closely related Taxodium ascendens (pond cypress) is treated by some botanists as a distinct species, while others classify it as merely

3249-606: Was used by Native Americans to create coffins, homes, drums and canoes. Joshua D. Brown , the first settler of Kerrville , Texas , made his living producing shingles from bald cypress trees that grew along the Guadalupe River of the Texas Hill Country . In the southern United States, the odorless wood, which closely resembles that of other Cupressus species, has been valued since colonial times for its resistance to water, making it ideal for use wherever

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