How To: Care for Mexican elder tree

How to Care for Mexican elder tree

In this video from nmsuaces we learn how to care for the Mexican elder tree. This is a widely used tree but it is not a good windbreak tree. It could have limb breakage. It's native to northern Mexico and southern California and is found in New Mexico. The sprouts on the tree need to be broken off the sides of the tree otherwise they are taking energy away from the rest of the tree. When it goes through its dormancy, you need to keep dead wood out of it. It needs a water source near it but it doesn't need to live in water. Pruning them up to get a great visual on the bark is a great idea. A bubbler a foot away from the tree is not good because it is keeping too much moisture around the trunk of the tree. Black plastic around the roots is bad too. The roots will form too close to the surface and raise the soil levels. Take away the low hanging branches because those could snap easily in wind. It's a great tree to use in the southern part of New Mexico.