Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Tuesday's Trees- Deodora Cedar

I hope everyone had a nice break from the trees…now it's time to explore some of the evergreens in our landscape. The Deodora Cedar is one of the true cedars and does very well in zones 7-9. A nicely shaped tree, it is pyramidal with drooping leader. It reminds me of Harry Potter and some kind of wizard's hat. (I saw one or two of the movies, isn't there a hat that talks??) The tips of the branches also droop.



A moderate grower, it can reach a height of up to 80 feet with a 40 foot spread. It can grow in sun to partial shade and needs well drained soil.




The leaves/needles are whorled in groups of 15- 20, about 1"- 2" long. The color is great…a blue-gray-green. It looks and feels soft.
The fruit occur on the female tree and the catkins on the male tree. The pollen is shed in the fall and the female fruit doesn't grow until the following spring, becoming full sized by June/July. It is not until September-November that they have fully ripened. From flower to fully ripe fruit is over a year! (I have one source that says it is monoecious and two that say it is dioecious. More research is needed, though it does have male and female flowers.)











The tree is a native of India/ Pakistan in the Himalayan Mountains. It transplants easily and is said to be the best cedar for the south. There are no big pest issues but poor soil and smog can cause problems.


NCState- quick good reference.
Virginia Tech – brief reference sheet, monoecious or dioecious?
Forestry Service/ UFL- good detail, no photos
Floridata- info -use of essential oils in Asia to treat TB and also used as an antiseptic.


Next week's tree- Eastern Red Cedar




27 comments:

  1. It is a really beautiful tree. I see them all the time for sale and have loved them.

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  2. They are beautiful trees. I have always loved any kind of cedars. I have one big cedar in my back yard that has grown so much in the past 10 years.

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  3. These are nice trees, though I've never used one in a design. Not sure why...

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  4. Next week's tree is my cedar.

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  5. This and the blue atlas cedar are my two favorite evergreens, there is a huge 100 year old blue atlas cedar
    in a historic cemetery here in town and i love strolling beneath its long
    weeping locks in the spring, who knew these could get so big! most people only see the creeping cultivars of either that must be trellised.

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  6. I love the pyramid shape and that it does grow so large.

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  7. Oh it's wonderful, Janet. Our neighbor has one that is getting quite large, other stuff has to be cut down to give it room, but worth it.
    Frances

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  8. I love Deodor Cedars, even though they will sometimes get leader tip die-off.

    (There was a talking hat in the Harry Potter books -- the Sorting Hat!)

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  9. Janet,
    I was first alerted to the ID of this tree on the Eastern Shore of Virginia hawk watch. This deodoras top was missing and the birds would perch on the open top.

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  10. Very nice tree! How does it do against bagworms?

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  11. Janet -- another great tree! We have one that was planted in Fall 2005. It is a slow grower, but so nice.

    We have to put a wire guard (32" high edging fence) around the base of ours before Halloween and keep it there until spring as the deer will rub antlers on it -- the soft bark can get really damaged and it doesn't heal. Our tree is still doing okay in spite of the damage in 2008.

    Cheers,
    Cameron
    (we're heading out to California for a bit. The Archaeologist will be here full-time while we're gone to take care of Charm and the house, but I can't talk him into blogging for me! LOL)

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  12. This is a lovely tree - and I could grow it! I'm not at all familiar with these cedars, so thanks for sharing!

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  13. Morning Tina, a good tree to add to the landscape, if there is room!

    Hi Debbie, is your cedar a Deodora? We have a lot of Eastern Red Cedars around here.

    Hi Phillip, they do get large, but they sure are pretty.

    Hi Nell Jean, hope I do it justice!

    Hi JJ, thanks for visiting! I am glad I was able to show off one of your favorites! I bet that 100 year old one is amazing.

    Hi Noelle, the shape is really nice, great tree!

    Hi Frances, I am glad your neighbor moved other plant material to give this one room. It is a great tree.

    Hi Sweetbay, Thanks for the hat info, I am not losing my mind. :-)

    Hi Randy, These are not hard to ID with the drooping tips and leader (though the one you saw had no leader)

    Hi Dave, I haven't read any problems with bagworms and haven't seen any in the ones around here.

    Hi Cameron, thanks. Would love to see a picture of your Deodora! Deer are incredibly destructive. Have a safe trip and have fun!

    Hi Pam, it is a good one, though it does get large.

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  14. Janet, I learned so much about trees from you! This is another example -I saw such cedar in my neighborhood and was wondering what was its name? Now, I know! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  15. A gorgeous tree! It does resemble a witch's or wizard's hat:) Too bad they won't grow in zone 5.

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  16. Wow, you can tell from the pictures how soft it must be. What a beautiful evergreen.

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  17. What perfect timing for me that you've posted on this tree now! I've spent the day considering whether I should plant one or a few in my yard. Apparently there is a cultivar or two that is hardy in zone 5 - the nursery near my home has a large one growing. I fell in love with this tree in college. The effect of the relaxed branches is so soft and dreamy. And the cones are marvelous! I'll have to keep this in mind for spring.

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  18. Good Morning! You have picked another of my favorite trees. My grandparents did not own their own house until they were in their 50's and had one built for them. They moved in at Christmas and my grandfather bought my grandmother a live Deodara as a Christmas tree. As kids we slept on the living room floor when they moved in among the unpacked boxes and the little Christmas tree. It was planted after the holidays and grew to dwarf the two story house. Thanks for the memory prompt.

    (BTW, I enjoyed your house pictures and love the view, the porches, the roof line and the big windows. Is there a post in the works?)

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  19. Janet you are right ! There is a talking hat from the Hogwart school and it does look like that tree ! .. I love that picture of the branch/needles .. that hue of green blue is so refreshing and pretty ! It would be one impressive tree here .. great for the city parks in Kingston but not our grow zone .. too bad .. I would think of the HP movies every time I would see it ? haha
    Joy

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  20. Beautiful tree, anything from the Himalaya may require freezing climate. Our climate must too hot for the tree..... ~bangchik

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  21. Janet that is a beautiful tree but looks so different from the Cedar I'm use to seeing here and love and want so much. All firs surrounding our place. Your tree posts are always so informative. I've always been a tree lover and that's why I love this state so much - all the big ole trees.

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  22. Hi Tatyana, I am happy to hear you are learning with me! thanks!!

    Hi Rose, it is a gorgeous tree. VW seems to think there is a variety hardy to zone 5.

    Hi Kathleen, it is soft, really nice.

    Hi VW, if you have the room it is certainly a wonderful tree. The cones look like little bee hives.

    Hi Les, wow, looks like I did well again. What a wonderful memory. Thanks. Glad you like the pictures of the house. A post will be coming in February I think....making another trip sometime soon.

    Hi Joy, I KNEW it looked like a hat!! haha the color of this tree is so gray green, really nice. Sorry it is not available for your zone.

    Hi Bangchik, I was surprised to read about it coming from the Himalaya region...but hardy zones 7-9.

    Hi RainGardener, could be your Cedar isn't a true cedar?? I am glad you find these informative. You are in the place for great trees!

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  23. I really appreciate these tree posts. They are always helpful!
    I have evergreens here I still can't id. They remain a mystery to me.
    Rosey

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  24. That is a beautiful tree! I love the shape it has. It looks so different from the Red Cedars we have here.

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  25. Hi Rosey, thanks. I am glad they are helpful. Evergreens are hard to ID I think.

    Hi Catherine, It does have a wonderful shape. You will have to tell me about the Red Cedars after my Eastern Redcedar post.

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  26. I love these trees. They have great texture, the way the tips of the branches hang down. They always crack me up because my mother in law is constantly wanting to plant one in her teeny back yard. She likes that they're possible to get fairly inexpensively for a good sized tree, but the eventual size...that's just not going to work. I'm advising against it every other week.

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  27. Hi Megan, yes it does get to be a large tree. Hope you steer your Mother in Law away from using such a big tree in a small landscape.

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