AHUEHUETE: LIFE CYCLE, MEANING AND CHARACTERISTICS - BIOLOGY - 2025

The ahuehuete (scientific name Taxodium mucronatum), also known as the Mexican or Moctezuma cypress, is a fast-growing tree that is usually found in swampy areas or with a spring climate, near streams or areas surrounded by abundant water.

It has a root system that fixes it to permanent sources of water, ensuring its irrigation throughout the year (Bailey, 2001). It is native to Mexico and belongs to the cupresaceae family.

Ahuehuete in the Jardines del Buen Retiro, Madrid.

The life cycle of the ahuehuete is similar to that of other long-lived trees. This starts from the sowing of a seed, then grows, begins to take root and develop its leaves, reaches maturity, bears fruit and later dies. One of the peculiarities of the Ahuehuete life cycle is its longevity.

The life expectancy of this tree is extensive, as they can live for more than 500 years. Today you can find adult specimens over 1,400 years old.

This tree usually grows near other trees, such as poplars, willows, and mesquite. Some specimens can be found alone and despite their tendency to grow in humid soils, they are surprisingly tolerant to areas affected by extreme temperatures in both hot and cold climates.

During its development, the ahuehuete reaches a large size, with a huge, heavy and resistant trunk, usually defined by a marked circumference.

These trees are known as “the giants” because they reach enormous sizes during their maturity, with an average height between 18 and 45 meters and a perimeter that can reach 46 meters (Díaz, et al., 2017).

Their death can be caused by lack of hydration in their roots, by pollution, stress or deforestation for the production of wood goods.

Life cycle: the 6 stages

Germination

The life cycle of the ahuehuete begins with the germination process of the seed.

The seeds of the ahuehuete, being a coniferous plant, have a wing that allows transport by action of the wind and gravity. Once the seed comes into contact with the earth, the embryo inside the seed germinates and sprouts.

Growth and development

After having germinated, the embryo develops taking as food the starch contained in the seed.

The embryo grows roots through which it will obtain the water and nutrients necessary for its optimal development. Then it becomes a seedling, once the stem and its first leaves grow.

The ahuehuete requires spaces where the soil contains a lot of organic matter. For its proper development, this tree must be in the presence of abundant water, either in springs or on the banks of rivers.

The space where it takes place is what gives it the name "the old man of the water." As it grows, it has thicker branches, leaves and more roots.

Growing conditions

It needs to be exposed to the sun and warm temperatures, although in the presence of cold or drought it is quite resistant; It can withstand low temperatures and even light frosts.

How high does it reach?

In its first year it can reach a height of one meter. Its growth rate is rather medium due to its long life span.

An adult ahuehuete reaches heights greater than 40 meters, its trunk has a diameter of between 2 and 14 meters.

Its leaves are small, elongated and grouped in twigs. It is a deciduous tree, that is, it loses its leaves in the fall and then has new shoots that appear in spring.

Once it reaches maturity, it begins to produce cones or scaly cones that will then participate in the reproduction process.

Reproduction

It produces seeds throughout the year every two years, especially between the months of August and November. The ahuehuete is a gymnosperm, that is, a bare-seeded tree that produces both female and male "fruits" in the shape of a cone.

The female cones or cones are also known as gálbulas. These possess the ovules and scales that carry megaspores, which allow pollination.

The male cones are much smaller than the female ones, they are found grouped at the end of the branches and they house the pollen grains that fertilize the female ones through the wind.

After the pollination and fertilization process, fertile seeds are obtained to obtain new specimens of the ahuehuete.

Fertilization

The megaspores contained in the cones form sex cells or gametophytes with the female sex organ of the plant (also known as archegonium), which contains a zygote.

Once the pollen comes into contact with the sex cells or ovules, the male cells fertilize the zygote, which becomes an embryo. Later, the sex cells and the embryo mature, thus becoming a seed.

Seed distribution

When the seeds are fully ripe, the pineapple or female cone opens. The action of wind and gravity play an important role in this process, since they are responsible for distributing these seeds.

As soon as the seeds come into contact with the soil, if conditions are favorable, the seeds will be able to germinate to continue in this way with the life cycle of the plant.

The ahuehuete produces seeds every two years.

Sowing

Obtaining an "artificial" ahuehuete is also possible if the care that this specimen requires for its development is taken into account.

It is viable to multiply it through grafting or by seeds in the summer season. However, during the summer the tree will require more care. In early spring or autumn it is more effective to transplant the seedling.

The soil must be very rich in nutrients and organic matter, as well as being able to contain moisture, have good drainage and a pH from alkaline to acidic, since the ahuehuete does not support clay soils.

The soil must remain moist throughout the year, so watering should be moderate. In this sense, the soil must be prepared with organic material and minerals prior to transplanting and subsequently must be fertilized every year.

Are its fruits edible?

The ahuehuete is an ornamental tree, it does not bear edible fruits. It is resistant to pests and diseases, as well as to environmental pollution in large cities, which makes it an ideal specimen for spacious gardens, parks or squares.

Do you need pruning?

With regards to pruning, it will need to be pruned from branches that are dry or dead as they could affect the health of the tree as it ages.

In addition, if it is planted in public places, it is best to prune branches that could be dangerous or reduce visibility.

How long to live?

Needs sun exposure, although they also work well in partial shade. Once its development has begun, it is capable of living for many years: it is estimated that this species can live for more than 2000 years.

What does "ahuehuete" mean?

The name "ahuehuete" comes from the Nahuatl word āhuēhuētl. Although it is not known for sure, it surely means "oak drum." The word āhuatl means oak and huēhuētl drum.

Other possible meanings, although less likely, are "old man of water" (huēhueh, old man; and ātl, water), "drum of water" (ātl, water; huēhuētl, drum) or "he who does not grow old" (huēhuehti, to grow old; āmo, negation).

Habitat and ecology

This species differs from its close relatives such as Taxodium distichum in that the habitat it needs for a successful life cycle is limited to streams, surface lakes, streams, and wet soils.

However, since pre-Hispanic times it has been planted far from water sources in Mexico, Guatemala and the United States, having to reach groundwater with its deep root system.

In general, the specimens found of ahuehuete that have reached a greater size during their life cycle, have been cultivated at more than 250 meters above sea level and less than 2,500 m asl

In order to germinate its seeds, the soil must have a high concentration of humidity and constant drafts. The growth of the ahuehuete and its morphology is linked to the place where it is planted (Rzedowski, 2006).

The ahuehuete is a tree with permanent foliage, this means that, throughout its life cycle, they always have green leaves. This phenomenon is possible thanks to the fact that it perennially has a layer of leaves that are growing at the time that the layer of older leaves falls

The ahuehuete foliage, however, can fall completely when the tree is stressed by lack of water at the roots.

Unlike other trees, the ahuehuete can withstand arid climates and extremely low temperatures, thanks to the fact that it can take the water it needs from the groundwater table.

Sowing and reproduction

The ahuehuete can be reproduced artificially by sowing or naturally with the help of the wind.

In any case, the reproduction of this tree is only possible when the male shoots are mixed with the female ones and this mixture is contained in a capsule shaped like a strobile or pineapple.

Planting the tree should be done in moist soil so that the pineapples can quickly start the germination process, and it should always have direct lighting. When ahuehuete seeds are younger, they are more likely to germinate successfully.

The first ahuehuetes sown by man were planted by the Aztecs before the arrival of the Spanish.

These trees were planted in the center of perennial water sources and around them fertile planting areas were established with moist soils that served to hydrate the ahuehuetes and crops.

The ahuehuete is a hardy, fast-growing tree that does not produce nodes. It is tolerant to droughts once its growth has stabilized and it is not prone to diseases related to soil pH. During its first years of life it can easily take root (NatureServe, 2017).

Morphology

ahuehuete leaf

The ahuehuete is a huge tree for its natural habitat with a conical structure when young and a dense crown. Once it reaches maturity, it begins to extend its branches in a pendulum position, reaching heights of more than 18 meters. Its leaves are pale green and some of them go through an unremarkable shedding process.

The trunk of the tree is particularly thick, even when it is still young. Its foliage is feathery and delicate, providing light shade. Its roots are resistant to rot and are located deep in the earth.

When the ahuehuete reaches maturity, it produces flowers in long buds, similar to catkins or oak flowers.

Each flower is located individually in a spiral direction along the trunk. The fruit that the tree delivers is a pineapple approximately 3 cm in diameter. This fruit is green and fleshy initially, turning brown and woody later.

The ahuehuete in Mexican culture

The Tree of Tule or "Tree of Life" in Oaxaca.

The Tule tree or "Tree of Life" is the most famous ahuehuete in the world.

It is recognized for its longevity and the size of its trunk, being called the most robust tree in the world. Legend has it that it was planted by an Aztec priest 1,400 years ago 10 kilometers from what is now known as the state of Oaxaca, in Mexico.

The Aztecs were the first to use the wood of the Moctezuma cypress to give rise to arable lands strategically located in shallow lakes. In this way, they planted the ahuehuetes in the lakes and filled the space around them with earth. On the other hand, the Aztecs also used this tree for various medicinal uses (Allaby, 2001).

The ahuehuete is one of the trees most revered by Mexican culture, which has a remarkable history around the life of this tree.

Today it is mainly planted in gardens, patios and lawns. It is grown in numerous environments including wet soils, dry soils, and temperatures starting from -20 ° C. It is appreciated for landscaping activities since thanks to its life cycle and leaf shedding it does not require pruning.

Similarly, several scientists from China, the United States, and Mexico have worked collaboratively in order to reproduce the seeds of the Tule Tree, sowing seeds of the tree to give life to more "sons of Oaxaca."

Ahuehuete life cycle coloring page

Related topics

Life cycle of the turtle.

Hummingbird life cycle.

References

1. Allaby, M. (2001). Plants and Plant Life: Plants used by people. Grolier Educational.
2. Bailey, J. (2001). Montezuma cypress swamp. In J. Bailey, Plants and Plant Life: Mosses and ferns (pp. 36-37). Grolier Educational Corporation.
3. Creech, D. (December 25, 2016). Dave Creech - Life on the Green Side. Obtained from Taxodium distichum var. mexicanum - the Arbole de Tule: dcreechsite.wordpress.com
4. Díaz, JV, Paredes, JC, Stahle, DW, García, VC, Salem, LV, Ávalos, JE, & Solorio, J. d. (2017). Ancient Trees of Mexico. Mexican Journal of Forest Sciences, 20 - 22.
5. (2017). Encyclopedia of Life. Obtained from Taxodium mucronatum: eol.org
6. Rzedowski, J. (2006). Chapter 19. Aquatic and underwater vegetation. In J. Rzedowski, Vegetation of Mexico (p. 363). Mexico: National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of.
7. Service, TA (2014). Trees of Texas. Retrieved from Montezuma Baldcypress: texastreeid.tamu.edu.
8. “Living memory of our history. Ahuehuetes: the old men of the water ”. Recovered from the Communication Directorate of Science Universidad Veracruzana: uv.mx
9. “Taxodium mucronatum, Mexican cypress or ahuehuete. Care ”. Recovered from Consulta Plants: consultaplantas.com
10. "Ahuehuete, taxodium mucronatum". Recovered from El Jardín Bonito: eljardinbonito.es
11. "Ethnobotany of Ahuehuete". Recovered from El Cuexcomate: cuexcomate.com
12. "The life cycle of conifers." Recovered from eHow in Spanish: ehowenespanol.com
13. "Facts about coniferous trees." Recovered from DigeFineArt: digfineart.com
14. "Family Taxodiaceae". Recovered from ornamental trees: arbolesornamentales.es
15. "Forest species of traditional use in Veracruz". Recovered from See trees: verarboles.com.