Wednesday, March 5, 2014
The Cedars
When young they are best trained to a single leader with the side branches sheared back ( think of a Christmas tree ). Eventually you would want to gradually limb up the tree as to get clearance to walk under.
* Cedar of Lebanon in Columbia, MD - taken Jan 2011
Cedrus atlantica ( Atlas Cedar )
from Atlas Mountains of Morocco & Algeria, hardy zones 6 through 9. Very large tree at maturity. Usually of moderate growth rate, it can be a fast grower on ideal sites of deep well drained soil and reliable moisture. Trees always grow faster with their root zones free of sod and other dense groudcover. A well grown Atlas Cedar can reach 80 feet or more.
Records include: growth rate - 4 feet; 10 years - 30 x 16 feet; 18 years - 50 x 43 feet with trunk diameter of 1.3 feet; 60 years - 90 x 45 feet; 97 years - 140 feet with trunk diameter of 6.5 feet; 120 years - trunk diameter of 8 feet; largest ever recorded - 240 x 100 feet with trunk diameter of 20 feet recorded in the wild where it is now endangered.
In the U.S. one of 125 feet tall with a 5 foot trunk diameter grows in Santa Rosa, California. Large trees grow at Morris Arboretum and Longwood Gardens in the Philadelphia, PA region. Very variable in growth however one thing does not vary, a sparse tree while very young, the Atlas Cedar quickly grows into a truly spectacular tree!
The blue-green to light blue needles are up to 2 inches in vigorous shoots and shorter, shorter and forming short rosettes on older shoots.
The cones are barrel shaped and upright; up to 3 inches in length.
The bark is brown, smooth and shiny; becoming plated after 25 years.
* photo of unknown internet source
* photo taken on Feb 2009 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.
* Santiago, Chile
* photos taken on August 6 2010 @ Windsor, Ontario
* Photo taken on June 15 2011 in Clarksville, MD
* photos taken on June 17 2011 in Columbia, MD
* photos taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore, PA
* photo taken on Oct 17 2011 in Ellicott City, MD
* photo taken on Nov 12 2011 in Columbia, MD
* photo taken on Aug 1 2012 in Windsor, Ontario
* video found on Youtube
Aurea ( Golden Atlas Cedar )
Reaching up to 60 feet tall with golden-yellow tipped foliage.
Fastigiata Glauca
Narrow, upright, fastigiate habit, reaching a maximum size of 100 x 40 feet with a trunk diameter of 42 inches. Some records include: 10 years - 16 x 6 feet.
Glauca
Similar to regular C. atlantica but with bright blue foliage.
Often come true from seed.
* photo taken on Aug 25 2013 @ University of Maryland, College Park
Glauca Pendula ( Weeping Atlas Cedar )
Yep this is one of those cute little spirally bonsai trees often planted near swimming pools. While it can be pruned and trained, the Weeping Atlas Cedar left on its own is not a small tree
Once established; the Weeping Atlas Cedar can be rapid growing reaching up to 10 x 20 feet and larger on ideal sites. Some records include: growth rate - 3 feet; 20 years - 33 x 52 feet; largest size possible - 60 x 100 feet with diameter of 50 inches.
* photos taken on Aug 1 2012 in Windsor, Ontario
Horstmanns Silver
A compact, dense, horizontally branched, natural bonsai-like, dwarf version of Cedrus atlantica. It is slower growing and smaller in all its parts including its icy blue needles, only up to an inch in length.
It reaches at most 10 x 6 ( averaging 6 x 4 ) feet in 10 years, reaching a maximum size of 15 feet after a very long time if it is left unpruned.
* photo taken on June 24 2011 in Harford Co., MD
* photo taken on Sep 1 2011 in Harford Co, MD
* photo taken on Aug 17 2012 in Harford Co., MD
* photos taken on Oct 23 2012 in Harford Co., MD
Cedrus brevifolia ( Cyprian Cedar )
Native to the sountern mountains in Cyprus in the Mediterranean at around 4500 feet elevation; this is typically a slow growing, medium size tree reaching around 60 feet. Moderate growing on ideal sites, some records include: growth rate 25 years - 60 feet; largest ever recorded - 120 x 40 feet with trunk diameter of 4 feet. The Cyprus Cedar is strongly pyramidal in habit and is not drooping.
The needles are short and gray-green to deep green, up to 1.3 inches in length.
The bark is silvery, cracking into vertical plates.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 ( reports of 5 unconfirmed )
Cedrus deodara ( Kashmir Cedar )
One of the worlds most majestic trees, it can reach 300 x 150 feet with trunk diameters of 16 feet in its native western Himilayas. In the U.S. trees have already grown 100 x 85 x 6 in Sacramento, California & 114 in Seattle. On ideal sites
records include: growth rate - 4 feet; 3 years - 10 feet; 6 years - 21 x 14 feet; 10 years - 30 x 8 feet with a trunk diameter of 6 inches; 20 years - 60 x 23 feet; 40 years - 70 feet; 130 years - trunk diameter of 5 feet.
Generally regarded as hardy from zone 7 south, Kashmir and Shalimar are hardy to zone 6 and can be found in places such as Boston, MA & Leamington, Ontario. Kashmir is reported to have survived -25F in 1934 however protection from wind would still be essential in zone 6 in first few years. Selections of this tree from wild groves in the Paktia Provincec of Afghanistan may have great value in extending this trees range into colder climates.
The needles are generally 2 to sometimes 3" long and are green ( with exception of Sanders Blue variety which is as blue as the Colorado Blue Spruce, and both Kashmir and Shalimar which are blue green ).
The barrel shaped cones are upright, to 5 inches in length.
The bark is brown and cracks vertically with age.
These trees are best planted in full sun in deep well drained soil and pruned to a single central leader when young.
* photo taken @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C. on August 2005
* photo of unknown source on internet
* photo taken on Feb 2009 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.
* Santiago, Chile
* photos of unknown internet source
* photo taken on May 3 2011 in Harford Co., MD
* photos taken on Oct 23 2012 in Harford Co., MD
* video found on Youtube
* photo taken on Aug 16 2012 in Clarksville, MD
Aurea ( Golden Deodara Cedar )
A Golden foliaged variety of the Kashmir Cedar growing to 60 feet in height.
Very fast growing, some records include: 20 years - 37 x 17 feet; largest recorded - 100 x 55 feet
with trunk diameter of 43 inches.
* photo taken Feb 2009 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.
* photo of tree @ Univ of MD tree found on internet
* photo taken on Aug 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD
* photos taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore, PA
* photos taken on June 23 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, DC
Blue Angel
Very weeping with ice-blue foliage. Reaches up to 10+ feet in 10 years, eventually much larger.
Blue Snake
Reaches up to 6 feet in height in 10 years if the main leader is stakes, otherwise it is trailing. It is very weeping in habit with bright blue foliage.
Brackens Blue Ice
Bright blue foliage is as intense in color as Kosters Blue Spruce
Devinely Blue
Grows to 5 feet tall and 13 feet wide, a miniature compared to the regular Kashmir Cedar. Very old plants may form a leader and reach up to 7 feet. Slow growing, some records include: fastest recorded growth rate - 6 inches; 10 years - 5 x 5 feet.
The foliage is silvery-blue at first, aging to deeper blue.
Extremely heat tolerant, even in full sun in Dallas, Texas.
* photos taken on October 17 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.
* photos taken on Oct 14 2010 in Crownsville, MD
* photos taken on June 23 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, DC
Eisregen
Fast growing, elegant and narrow-conical in habit, reaching up to 50 x 25 feet, with very blue needles.
It is another unusual hardy selection, fully hardy in zone 6 that originated in Afghanistans Paktia province.
Electra Blue
Dense, upright and conical in habit, reaching up to 12 x 6 feet in 10 years, eventually becoming a small tree. Shear for compact habit.
The foliage is bright blue.
Feeling Blue
A trailing, cascading groundcover form, reaching up to 1 x 6 feet in 10 years, with icy-blue foliage.
Hardy north to zone 6.
Glacier Blue
Compact, dense and mounding in habit, reaching up to 4 feet in 10 years, with icy-blue foliage.
Golden Horizon
graceful and semi-spreading in habit with pendulous branches. Size in 10 years - 32 inches x 4 feet; record size - 6 x 33 feet. Foliage is golden-yellow
Karl Fuchs
Originating in Paktia province in Afghanistan, it is hardy throughout all zone 6 and possibly zone 5 though still being tested. It can even grow in central Michigan without winter damage.
Foliage is icy-blue.
Kashmir
a zone hardier than average.
Fast growing, it has a strong central leader and graceful pendulous side branches, remembling a Nootka Cypress in habit.
* Photo taken on June 15 2011 in Clarksville, MD
Prostrate Beauty
A very low, spreading, groundcover form, reaching up to 1 x 8 feet in 10 years, with silvery-blue foliage.
Hardy north to zone 6.
* photo taken on Mar 7 2013 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD
Pygmaea
A miniature globe, reaching a maximum size of 9 x 9 feet after many decades. Some records include: fastest growth rate - 6 inches ( often no more than 1 inch ). The foliage is blue.
Robusta
Heavy branching and very long blue-green needles
Shalimar
Similar to Cedrus deodara but hardier ( north to zone 5 - known to survive -17 F with no leaf burn ), if originated from the mountains of Afghanistan. If forms a graceful, narrow pyramidal tree with weeping side brances, somewhat like a Nootka Cypress. It also grows to equal size with equal vigor as regular Cedrus deodara would. The foliage is blue-green.
Silver Mist
A dwarf, forming a dense, weeping, broad pyramid, reaching a maximum size of 6 x 6 ( often less than 3 - especially with pruning ) feet in 10 years.
The foliage is creamy-white.
Snow Sprite
* photo taken on Aug 20 2011 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD
* photo taken on Mar 7 2013 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD
Viridis
same as species with deep green foliage
Cedrus libani ( Cedar of Lebanon )
Yes this is the famous tree from the bible. It was for thousands of years the predominent lumber tree in the region centering around Lebanon and covered hillsides in the eastern Mediterranean. However after centuries of environmental degredation, it only remains left in a few isolated groves in the high mountains of Lebanon and a few of the more even hardier clone in the high mountains of s. Turkey. It is now endangered in the wild. However in Europe it has long been a very popular landscape tree and huge Lebanon Cedars are found on parks, estate lawns and city squares all from England to France, Spain, Italy & Greece. Though uncommon it is an excellent large landscape tree for much of the U.S. growing well on both the West Coast & the East. It is hardy from zones 5 south in the U.S. and the variety Stenocoma from the mountains of Turkey is even hardier down to -26F extending its range into the Midwest ( reported to grow well in both Indiana and Leamington, Ontario ). The Cedar of Lebanon where ever planted has the potential to grow HUGE to 100 feet or more! while 18 x 12 feet in 10 years is average, on good sites records include: growth rate - 4 feet; 23 years - 62 x 27 feet with trunk diameter of 1.3 feet; 55 years - 75 x 64 feet with trunk diameter of 3.8 feet; largest ever recorded - 200 x 100 feet with trunk diameter of 15 feet!.
May be slower growing in zone 6 ( Stenacoma grew to 36 x 20 feet in 25 years in Michigan ). One tree 110 feet tall and 5.5 feet in trunk diameter currently grows at Tyler Arboretum in Philly. The Cedar of Lebanon is also one of the worlds oldest living trees reaching up to 3000 years. Young trees are conical in shape with a stiff leading shoot. Older trees become spreading with massive horizontal limbs.
The needles are deep green and up to 1.5 inches in length.
The bark is brown, cracking into vertical plates.
The upright cones are barrel shaped and up to 5 inches in length. They are purple-green in color, eventually ripening to brown.
Hardy zone 5 to 9 and prefers deep soils.
* Cedar of Lebanon in Columbia, MD - taken Jan 2011
* photo taken @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C. on Feb 2009
* photo taken @ Tyler Arboretum near Philly on August 2004
* photo taken in Columbia, MD on April 2005
* photo of unknown internet source
* Cedar of Lebanon is found in the Bible and is the national tree of Lebanon as seen on the flag
* photos taken on Aug 25 2011 @ Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore, PA
* photos taken on Oct 31 2013 @ Hampton Ntl. Historic Site, Towson, MD
* videos found on Youtube
Nana
Slow growing, dense & conical when young and eventually becoming flat topped and spreading. Size in 10 years - 4 x 4 feet; largest on record - 20 x 17 feet.
Perdue Hardy
Hardy zones 5 to 9, survived -26 F in Indiana.
Foliage is blue-green, otherwise similar to species.
Sargentii
Dwarf growing, naturally prostrate forming a dense mat but can be trained to form a weeping, dome shaped bush reaching up to 5 x 10 feet. Records include: 10 years - 20 inches x 6 feet; largest recorded - 6.6 x 13 feet
Stenocoma
Reported to be hardy to as low as -25 F and known to grow in Chicago, otherwise similar.
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