Nutrient availability and flooding stress interact to affect growth and mercury concentration in Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. seedlings

•Our data contradicted the idea that plants produce more roots to forage for nutrients when nutrients are less abundant.•Nutrient availability and flooding stress interacted to influence Taxodium distichum growth with the interaction dominated by flooding stress.•The C:N and N:P ratio in leaves could not be used to indicate nutrient limitation in Taxodium distichum because flooding also altered those ratios.•Taxodium distichum leaves accumulated higher concentrations of Hg than soil; foliar Hg concentrations increased in response to flooding during the first year and in response to nutrient availability during the second year.