At The Arboretum Tomé, Our Redwoods Have Male Flowers This Year!

Both Our New Mexico and Texas Redwoods have produced male flowers this season for the first time since planting. Both of these redwood varieties were seed planted about 20 years ago. The original seed source for our New Mexico Redwood was a specimen found growing in the Gila wilderness. This tree has produced female flowers (cones) for 4-5 years

now but without a pollen source no viable seed is produced (cones are sterile). The male flowers, produced in abundance this season hang in clusters. Individual flowers are still closed at this time (October) so are not shedding pollen (see photo below).

We are very excited about the potential to produce this rare tree, a New Mexico Native, from seed in the coming years.

The New Mexico Redwood, (Taxodium mucronatum var. neomexicana) is a fast growing deciduous tree. Native to New Mexico, few specimens survive in the wild. As a riparian tree, with deep roots, the New Mexico Redwood is best grown with ample water. It is not drought tolerant. The New Mexico Redwood is seed propagated, grows up to 4’ per year and can reach 70’ in height. This tree has a pyramidal shape with a canopy spread to 30’. Its leaves turn orangish-red in the fall before they drop.

The Texas Redwood (Taxodium distichum) is also a fast-growing deciduous tree. It also is a riparian tree, so is best grown with ample water. The Texas Redwood grows up to 4′ per year and can reach 70′ in height. It is pyramidally shaped with a canopy spread to 30′. It has beautiful orangish-red fall foliage.

Several of our Texas Redwood had produced the female flowers (cones) for several years.

This is the first season that male flowers have appeared. The male flowers hang in clusters form the upper branches.

Our Texas Redwood that has produced male flowers this season is densely covered in the upper 1/3 of the tree canopy. Looking up into the canopy you cannot miss the great abundance of male flowers.

Come by The Arboretum Tomé, and view the Male NM Redwood Flowers, a rare sight indeed!

The Arboretum is open for tours by appointment only by contacting Trees That Please Nursery at Phone: 505-866-5027
Email: treesthatplease@comcast.net.

Photos & Narrative By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Weed Identification: Goatheads or Stickers

Goatheads ( Tribulus terrestris ) are native to Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Goatheads are also called stickers, sticker weed, bullhead, devil’s weed, and puncturevine. Goatheads are easily recognized by their prostrate growth form, leaves with leaflets, yellow flowers, and stickers (Goatheads). If you miss’em visually then they will stab you painfully in the fingers as you work your garden, or stick to your clothing and shoes. Goatheads are the primary reason local bicyclists must get “thorn proof” tires for riding on area trails and streets. Goatheads have prostrate stems that radiate outward from one central point. Leaves are compound with smaller leaflets. Lemon yellow flowers form along the stems and fertilized flowers form fruits. Fruits consist of several attached structures called nutlets (Goatheads). Each nutlet is a single seed that becomes hard or woody when mature. Each seed has two sharp spines that easily pene...

Weed Identification: Sand Bur

Sand Bur ( Cenchrus longispinus ) is native to North America. It has other names like sand spur, long-spined sand bur, hedgehog grass, and bur grass . Sand Bur is an annual grass usually growing with a prostrate growth form. It is similar in appearance to other grasses prior to seed formation. Individual plants may be 3’ in diameter, sometimes larger. Sand Bur is a common weed of sandy soils but also grows well elsewhere. Sand Bur will often root at stem nodes that are touching the ground. The root system of Sand Bur is shallow and fibrous making them easily pulled (when immature). Sand Bur produces a flowering spike. As seeds begin to form Sand Bur is easily recognized by its numerous sharp or burred seeds or long spines. As the burred seeds mature they are easily separated from the mother plant and their sharp spines stick to virtually anything. Sand Bur can disseminate its seeds long distances because its sharp spines will hitch a ride on skin, anim...

Mulberry Tree

The Mulberry tree ( Morus alba ) is also known as white mulberry. Mulberry trees are fast growing, deciduous trees that are native to China. Mulberry trees can reach 25’-30’ tall and 35’-40’ wide, or larger. Fruitless mulberry or male trees are generally considered more desirable than the female or fruit bearing trees. However, fruitless mulberry trees are prolific pollen producers and are banned in some communities because of allergen potential. Mulberries can grow 4’-6’ per year producing a tree canopy that is more wide than tall. Where water is not limiting, mulberries make great shade trees producing a deep, dark, shade canopy. Leaves are large and sometimes variable in shape. A few strategically planted mulberries can shade an entire yard. The female mulberry tree produces abundant sweet fruit that resemble blackberries. Female trees are very messy because of fruit drop so plant them away from sidewalks, driveways, and the house. Mulbe...

Trees That Please Nursery

Search This Blog