Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Thursday - July 11, 2013
From: Spring Branch, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Watering, Trees
Title: Watering a Montezuma Cypress in Spring Branch, TX
Answered by: Larry Larson
QUESTION:
Live near San Antonio, and have a Montesuma Cypress, 15 ft tall. Great soil. Planted in April, should I keep it moist??? The foliage is getting brown.ANSWER:
You should most certainly keep Taxodium mucronatum (Montezuma bald cypress) moist! I checked its plant record and it said that the Montezuma Cypress is:
Large, needle-leaf, aquatic tree with tall, straight trunk and broad crown of spreading branches and drooping twigs, evergreen or nearly so. Trunk enlarged at base with ridges above; sometimes small knees project from submerged roots.
And for growing conditions it gave:
Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
Now, in a more general sense, here is a set of YouTube videos on watering young trees and also some previous Mr Smarty Plants question/answers. These are aimed at trees that have much more modest water needs, so the routines mentioned here are good, but you should consider this a minimum for a Taxodium mucronatum (Montezuma bald cypress)! You should plan that this one will need a lot of water to be successful!
YouTube Instruction Videos:
Watering Young Trees
Tree Watering Tips for Texas
Mr Smarty Plants Question/Answer Pairs:
Georgetown, TX
Live Oaks in Katy, Texas - Note this paragraph:
"To water, especially in the very hot weather we are experiencing right now, push your hose deep into the (hopefully) soft soil around the roots and let it slowly drip until water comes to the surface. Unless you are getting frequent rains, do this twice a week.
From the Image Gallery
More Trees Questions
Live Christmas tree in Katy, TX
March 16, 2010 - My husband is really bent towards having a live "Christmas tree" in the front yard. I hate to use anything non-native so I am looking for a native Texas juniper shrub or a small tree that can be tri...
view the full question and answer
Bird-attracting trees in Marble Falls TX
May 24, 2010 - What fruiting trees/shrubs other than red mulberry are good to attract native birds (and for bird watching opportunities)? We'd prefer native species, but does white mulberry attract as many bird sp...
view the full question and answer
Distance for Escarpment oak to house from Lewisville TX
August 22, 2010 - I am planting an Escarpment Live Oak about 15' from my house. Thats as far away as I can plant it. Will this be a safe distance? How large will it be in 20 years?
view the full question and answer
Windbreak [Dustbreak] for Shelton, WA
May 31, 2013 - I live on a well traveled, dusty, gravel road in the Pacific North West and would like to plant a barrier to help control the dust.
view the full question and answer
Native plants of Taos and Los Alamos NM from Houston
April 07, 2012 - Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, can you recommend a guidebook for the native plants of the Taos/Los Alamos region? (I'm most interested in forbs.) I'll be headed there in May--is there anything I should es...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |