Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Stay tuned. I have an idea!
Right now it is a secret. It will be hidden in the swamp.
Right now it is a secret. It will be hidden in the swamp.
Montezuma cypress
- Thread starter Cajunrider
- Start date
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
After watching the growth pattern of my tree, I decided to try to develop the tree to a pattern like that of Glyptostrobus pensilis similar to the one pictured below. I think my Montezuma cypress, being in the same family and has similar leaf and growth pattern, has the potential to grow this way. I give myself 10 years to bring this vision to reality.
With my tree, I think I have the lower two branches in place. The tree will be chopped early next year to force the growth of the lower branches and form the next part of the trunk.
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Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Hidden below the soil level is a huge side root developed by the tree while it was in the ground. I have a lot of work to do to correct that. I allowed the big root to stay healthy because I had to nurse the tree back to health. I am planning to reduce the root mass from that dominant root soon to encourage root growth on the other side.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Montezuma cypress is a bit like BC and pond cypress. Something to keep in mind is that it is almost a tropical species (native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley to Guatemala). It grows best in environments that don't get really cold in the winter.
John Naka's Montezuma cypress (below), begun in the 1948 from a Southern California landscape tree, is at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. It requires a mostly frost-free overwintering location, if I remember. This species tends to be an evergreen in its home environment. It is the national tree of Mexico. The Arbol de Tule near Oaxaca holds the world record for the tree with the largest circumference in the world--137 feet.
www.bonsai-nbf.org
John Naka's Montezuma cypress (below), begun in the 1948 from a Southern California landscape tree, is at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. It requires a mostly frost-free overwintering location, if I remember. This species tends to be an evergreen in its home environment. It is the national tree of Mexico. The Arbol de Tule near Oaxaca holds the world record for the tree with the largest circumference in the world--137 feet.
Species Spotlight: Cypress (Taxodium distichum, ascendens, mucronatum) — National Bonsai Foundation
This month’s Species Spotlight (by our First Curator’s Assistant, Andy Bello) turns the light on three different species that constitute the genus Taxodium: Bald Cypress ( Taxodium distichum ), Pond Cypress ( Taxodium ascendens ) and Montezuma Cypress ( Taxodium mucronatum ). All three species
www.bonsai-nbf.org
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes on the evergreen part. Last year my Montezuma cypress did not drop their leaves over the winter even though we had a really cold spell. Thankfully the cold spell only lasted two weeks.Montezuma cypress is a bit like BC and pond cypress. Something to keep in mind is that it is almost a tropical species (native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley to Guatemala). It grows best in environments that don't get really cold in the winter.
John Naka's Montezuma cypress (below), begun in the 1948 from a Southern California landscape tree, is at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. It requires a mostly frost-free overwintering location, if I remember. This species tends to be an evergreen in its home environment. It is the national tree of Mexico. The Arbol de Tule near Oaxaca holds the world record for the tree with the largest circumference in the world--137 feet.
Species Spotlight: Cypress (Taxodium distichum, ascendens, mucronatum) — National Bonsai Foundation
This month’s Species Spotlight (by our First Curator’s Assistant, Andy Bello) turns the light on three different species that constitute the genus Taxodium: Bald Cypress ( Taxodium distichum ), Pond Cypress ( Taxodium ascendens ) and Montezuma Cypress ( Taxodium mucronatum ). All three species
View attachment 517236
Are you telling me it's unlikely to survive in my rainy waterlogged garden in IrelandMontezuma cypress is a bit like BC and pond cypress. Something to keep in mind is that it is almost a tropical species (native to the Lower Rio Grande Valley to Guatemala). It grows best in environments that don't get really cold in the winter.
John Naka's Montezuma cypress (below), begun in the 1948 from a Southern California landscape tree, is at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. It requires a mostly frost-free overwintering location, if I remember. This species tends to be an evergreen in its home environment. It is the national tree of Mexico. The Arbol de Tule near Oaxaca holds the world record for the tree with the largest circumference in the world--137 feet.
Species Spotlight: Cypress (Taxodium distichum, ascendens, mucronatum) — National Bonsai Foundation
This month’s Species Spotlight (by our First Curator’s Assistant, Andy Bello) turns the light on three different species that constitute the genus Taxodium: Bald Cypress ( Taxodium distichum ), Pond Cypress ( Taxodium ascendens ) and Montezuma Cypress ( Taxodium mucronatum ). All three species
View attachment 517236
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
It probably will, but it might not be as hardy as a plain old Bald Cypress.Are you telling me it's unlikely to survive in my rainy waterlogged garden in Ireland
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
What weather zone are you in @czaczaja?Are you telling me it's unlikely to survive in my rainy waterlogged garden in Ireland
Depending on what map you look at I'm 8-9 on the USDA scale. Coastal Ireland. We get lots of rain 9/12 months in a year but over the recent years we get some snow in winter.
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
You should be able to grow Montezuma cypress then with simple winter protection.
Let me order the seeds then
Sorry for hijacking the thread
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
No problem. The more people discussing the species the better.Let me order the seeds then
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
I wired the tree to have a super-wide canopy for now. It is winter and the tree is growing very slowly so I don’t want to chop it. Next spring the branches may be chopped very short.
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Compared to last year, the trunk has grown a whole lot. I might just let it grow another season before cutting back. Montezuma cypress has a propensity to grow a very wide trunk with spread out canopy. My wiring has spreaded out all the vertical branches to the side by 18" in diameter. This increased the area for catching sunlight a whole lot. Being submerged in that bus tub without drain, the tree grew like crazy. I might extend this experiment to see how far I can push this Montezuma cypress. My vision for the final bonsai remains the same but I think patience will reward me with a spectacular tree.
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
4" trunk, 8" base, 22" tall, shape is like the one I posted for Glyptostrobus pensilis. I figure it will take about 5 years from now to get to that trunk size. Wiring the branches to spread out wide now will allow them to grow bigger and set as the low branches for the bonsai. When the branches are big enough, they will be cut short for ramification development. I give myself 5 year for that.
You have it all planned out
The concept of no drainage is so scary to me.
