Tony Aguirre, who identified himself as a “VIP” and an “important plant representative,” spoke about the Montezuma cypress during a segment in a McAllen meeting, urging residents to mark Native Plant Month and “plant native.”

Aguirre said Mexico’s famous Árbol del Tule is “over 2,000 years old” and that a Montezuma cypress in Álamo (referred to in the transcript as “Abraham, Texas”) is about 900 years old. He noted McAllen has a Montezuma cypress “over 100 years old” and a younger specimen at Quinta Mazatlán that is “now over 20 years old.”

Aguirre described Montezuma cypresses as trees that “grow near rivers and resacas” and encouraged residents to visit the District 1 tree he called a city “VIP.” He closed the remarks with: “Let’s root for McAllen. Plant native.”

The remarks were informational and part of a short agenda segment; no formal actions, motions, or votes were recorded in the transcript provided.