WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Taxodium mucronatum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water Montezuma cypress in California

In July in the Central Valley, established Montezuma cypress in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 47 gallons a week. Montezuma cypress is a large Mexican conifer with a broad, spreading crown, horizontal limbs and weeping branchlets of flat, bright green needles. In colder winters it holds some foliage that turns orange brown, and it stays fully green only where frost is rare. It grows faster with steady water and slower in dry soil.

TreeRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water Montezuma cypress, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for Montezuma cypress and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • When the soil 6 inches down at the canopy edge is dry, a young Montezuma cypress is due for a deep soak
  • Branchlets that brown or shed needles in summer heat can follow a dry root zone
  • Orange brown foliage after a cold snap is a normal winter change, not thirst
  • Conical knees rising around the trunk show roots sitting in standing water
  • Slow growth in a dry corner reflects limited water, since this tree grows faster when watered well

How to water it

  • Water Montezuma cypress under the whole spread of the crown with a soaker or drip loop, not just at the trunk
  • Soak deeply so water reaches 18 inches or more, then let the top few inches dry out
  • Plant it in full sun with room for a crown 20 to 40 feet wide
  • Mulch the root area with wood chips, or site it in a lawn where it shares regular irrigation
  • Add emitters farther out as the crown spreads so the outer roots get water too

Through the seasons

Keep a new Montezuma cypress well watered through its first summers so it roots out quickly. Established trees can live in drier soil but grow more slowly there. The tree holds part of its foliage through cool winters, often turning orange brown, and keeps full green only where frost is rare. Irrigation matters most from spring through fall, when growth is fastest. Rain usually covers the cool months on the coast and in the Central Valley. Across the north-central coast, the Central Valley, the south coast and South Inland, WUCOLS rates Montezuma cypress moderate water. WUCOLS marks it as not suited to the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Montezuma cypress becomes a 60 to 80 foot tree, so a container only holds a young plant for a season or two. Choose a deep pot with drainage holes. In summer heat, push a finger 2 inches into the mix every few days, and soak it when dry. Let it drain, then dump the saucer. Some foliage may brown in a cold winter, so water sparingly then and plant the tree out in spring.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.671.32.02.70.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.671.32.02.70.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Montezuma Cypress: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.780.78––
Feb0.530.650.810.87––
Mar0.871.091.151.3––
Apr1.181.521.41.61––
May1.462.081.611.95––
Jun1.612.481.742.29––
Jul1.612.671.982.51––
Aug1.492.391.862.33––
Sep1.241.81.491.86––
Oct0.871.181.151.33––
Nov0.470.560.840.9––
Dec0.310.340.650.68––
Year1217.1115.518.41––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated moderate water in the Central Valley, like Montezuma cypress. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Citrus TreesCitrus spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyJapanese MapleAcer palmatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAvocado TreesPersea americanamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyMagnolia TreesMagnolia grandiflora ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPalm TreesSyagrus romanzoffiana (Arecastrum romanzoffianum)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyApple TreesMalus spp. (edible) e.g, 'Anna' (low chill variety for low desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPeach TreesPrunus spp. ediblemoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyPersimmon TreesDiospyros kakimoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAmur MapleAcer ginnalamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyFernleaf MapleAcer japonicummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBox ElderAcer negundomoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyNorway MapleAcer platanoidesmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed MapleAcer rubrummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyChinese MapleAcer truncatummoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed HorsechestnutAesculus x carneamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than Montezuma cypress in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes Montezuma cypress, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water Montezuma cypress in summer?

In July, established Montezuma cypress in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does Montezuma cypress need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established Montezuma cypress needs about 6.8 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 27 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for Montezuma cypress change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates Montezuma cypress separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not suited to this region in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is Montezuma cypress evergreen?

Partly. In frost-free spots it stays green, while colder winters turn part of the foliage orange brown. It holds more foliage through winter than its deciduous relative, the bald cypress.

Can Montezuma cypress grow in a lawn?

Yes. It grows well in watered areas such as lawns, and faster there than in dry soil. Its spreading crown will eventually shade the grass beneath it.

What are the bumps around my cypress trunk?

Those are knees, conical growths that roots send up when they sit in standing water. Garden trees whose soil dries between waterings are less likely to form them.

How cold can Montezuma cypress take?

It is widely listed as hardy to about 10 degrees, and some reports put it below zero. Cold turns part of the foliage orange brown. Water less while it rests in winter.

Can Montezuma cypress be kept as a hedge?

It can be pruned and kept as a large hedge, though it is usually grown as a big tree. A hedge row has a long, narrow root zone, so run drip along both sides of it.

More plant watering guides

Judas TreeNight JessamineChilean JessamineEvergreen ClematisBushy ClematisHarlequin GlorybowerSakakiLily of the Valley

Sources