The Montezuma Cypress
Montezuma Cypress: A Fascinating Specimen The Montezuma Bald Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) is a large, dioecious, semi-deciduous tree that typically reaches heights of 60 to 100 feet, and the trunk has been recorded to diameters of 50 feet or more. The top of the tree, called the pyramidal crown, has a diameter of 25 to 35 feet. The branches tend to droop as the tree matures, which causes the tree to appear wilted despite the greenness of its needles. T. mucronatum has a simple leaf structure, composed of needles (modified leaves) on woody branches. Each blade is pale green and commonly less than 2 inches long. The needle-like leaves are only deciduous in cooler areas, but remain on the tree elsewhere. T. mucronatum is a versatile plant; extremely drought-hardy but can also tolerate wet soils along streams which makes it an excellent desert plant.