Conifers live much longer than their deciduous counterparts. Scientists have found that the Mexican or Lusitanian cypress is the absolute long-liver among the trees. Its age limit is 10,000 years.
Varieties and forms of Mexican cypress
Cypress is a tree, all varieties and forms of which grow very slowly. It usually reaches an average size only by the age of 80-100 and after that it begins to grow. The cypress tree reaches 40 m in height, and its trunk grows in width up to 16 m in diameter. The crown of the tree is pyramidal or spreading, rarely, but it is also found such that all branches of the tree are in the same plane. The branches of the cypress are many times branched, the needles are evergreen, scaly, cross-paired, tightly pressed to the branches. Cypress seeds are in cones, rounded and with many thyroid scales, each of which is a flat seed. An interesting fact is that the seeds reach maturity only in the second year of life.
Particularly popular is the Benthamii variety, with a graceful thin crown and blue-green needles. Slightly less common cypress with large cones, Lindleyi, its needles are green. The columnar form of Tristis, with its branches hanging down, casts doubt on whether this plant belongs to the cypress.
Cypress living conditions
Cypress varieties need different ways of keeping and in different living conditions. The long-liver, the Mexican cypress, is very moody. He does not tolerate drought and needs a very large amount of moisture, not so much in the soil, but in the air. This tree does not belong to frost-resistant varieties, it needs a warm climate. The soil suitable for the Mexican cypress is the most diverse, the main condition is air permeability and good drainage, taking into account these features, the cypress can live both in calcareous soil and in red soil.
Most often, Mexican cypress is used along with Arizona and evergreen for hedges, since, despite its capriciousness, it tolerates haircuts well and lends itself to any shaping. In the middle zone, the Mexican cypress will be able to live only at home, since even with shelter it will not be able to withstand severe frosts. At home or in the winter garden, this plant will require frequent transplantation and high humidity, and in return will greatly refresh the atmosphere of the room in which it is located.
In order for a cypress to appear at home, it is not necessary to buy an adult plant in a nursery. All cypresses reproduce quite easily by seeds, and the advantage of such a plant over an adult is obvious - it does not have to spend time and effort on acclimatization, as a result of which many of these capricious plants die in new conditions.
From excessive dryness of the air, the cypress turns yellow and loses its needles irrevocably. This is especially true for those cypress trees that live indoors. Insufficient watering is also detrimental to them.
