Montezuma cypresses have been used as ornamental trees since Pre-Columbian times. The Aztecs planted "āhuēhuētl" along processional paths in the gardens of Chapultepec because of its association with government. Artificial islands called "chinampas" were formed in the shallow lakes of the Valley of Mexico by adding soil to rectangular areas enclosed by trees such as "āhuēhuētl"; they also lined the region's canals prior to Spanish conquest.