Plant: Deodar Cedar Tree

Plant description

Deodar cedar is a finely textured needled evergreen tree in the pine family that is pyramidal when young, its pendulous or weeping branches becoming wide spreading with age. It grows at a moderate rate to 30 to 50 feet tall and 30 to 40 feet wide, carrying one to two inch blue green sharp pointed needles, 15 to 20 per whorl, with bluish green cones 3 to 4 inches long on female trees. Native from northeastern Afghanistan to western Nepal, it wants full sun to partial shade and clay, loam, sandy or organic soil with good drainage, being intolerant of poorly drained wet soils and easily damaged by frost. It resists deer, drought, heat, humidity and salt and works as a specimen, accent, hedge or privacy screen in lawns and meadows.

Foliage

One to two inch blue green, sharp pointed needles, 15 to 20 per whorl.

Fruit

Male cones are solitary on short branchlets, ovoid or oblong ovoid, 3 to 4 inches long by about 2 inches broad; female trees carry 3 to 4 inch bluish green cones.

Bark & stems

Young trees have smooth gray bark that cracks into dark gray plates and fissures into dark brown to black.

Pruning

Intolerant of poorly drained wet soils and easily damaged by frost; site it where its mature 30 to 40 foot spread is not crowded.

Native range

North Eastern Afghanistan to Western Nepal and NW. India

Plant details