Tree · Pinaceae
Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara
Set in full sun on free-draining ground, this Himalayan cedar develops into a soft, sweeping evergreen that persists for decades.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–9
30–50 ft · 9.1–15.2 m
Overview
A fast-growing evergreen from the western Himalayas, the deodar cedar is one of the genuine cedars of the genus Cedrus. Its soft, blue-green to gray-green needles emerge in tufts along arching branches, and the pendulous terminal leader accounts for the tree's characteristic weeping line. Where space allows full development, it attains 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) in height with a spread nearly as great.
The scale alone makes this a tree for open ground rather than a container. It performs best in full sun on freely draining soil, and after establishment its deep root system underpins the drought tolerance it is known for. The needle apices are sharp, which warrants some clearance, yet a settled tree makes few demands.
It serves well as a specimen or screen, and selected cultivars extend its cold range beyond that of the wild species. The single decisive error is siting it where water collects, because saturated soil drives the root pathogens that the tree cannot tolerate.
Care
The short version: full sun and free-draining soil govern everything else. Irrigate through establishment, then withdraw water as the deep roots take over, allow ample room for the mature spread, and avoid any position where the soil remains saturated.
Light
Site a deodar cedar in full sun to develop the densest crown and the truest form, because foliage density tracks available light. It tolerates partial sun or light shade, but the canopy thins and the habit opens where irradiance falls short of full exposure.
Water
Irrigate regularly through the first year or two, soaking deeply every 7 to 14 days, while the root system extends to support the canopy. Once established the tree is genuinely drought tolerant and needs little supplemental water, and the hazard then reverses to overwatering, which saturates the soil and invites root rot.
Soil
Texture is not limiting, since the tree grows across the range from sandy to clay loam and tolerates a wide pH of 5.5 to 7.5. Drainage is the governing factor, because soil that remains saturated excludes oxygen from the root zone and allows rot organisms to take hold.
Temperature
The species is hardy across a broad thermal range, holding from roughly 0°F to 100°F (-18°C to 38°C). Selected cultivars extend the cold limit further, while late frosts remain a risk because they damage the unhardened new growth that flushes in spring.
Humidity
Ambient outdoor humidity is adequate, so no target figure applies to this tree. Air movement through the crown matters more, because stagnant, humid air around the foliage favors the fungal infections responsible for tip blight.
Feeding
Apply a balanced slow-release tree fertilizer in spring on a seasonal schedule, and keep the rate light. An established, vigorous tree requires little or no feeding, drawing what it needs from the soil reserve.
Pruning
Structurally the tree requires almost no pruning to hold its form. In late winter, remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches together with any growth killed by cold or tip blight, and otherwise leave the natural sweeping habit intact, since unnecessary cuts only open wounds.
Repotting
Grown as a landscape specimen, it rarely belongs in a container, and an established tree resents disturbance to its root system. A young tree held in a pot should be potted on only when roots circle the wall, extension growth stalls, or water passes straight through without wetting the medium.
Size & spacing
360–600 in (914–1524 cm) tall
When to plant
The deodar cedar is best planted in the temperate shoulders of the year. Choose spring or fall, while the soil is workable and neither extreme heat nor hard frost is present, so the root system can extend and establish across a full season before stress arrives.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–9
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
An established deodar cedar presents few disorders, and nearly all of them originate in saturated soil or in a tree already under stress. The branch tips and the canopy register the earliest changes, so read them first. Early intervention usually halts a disorder before it claims a limb or the tree.
A thinning, wilting canopy on a tree in wet ground
Persistently saturated soil indicates Phytophthora root and crown rot, a water mold that destroys the roots from below and so starves the canopy. Excavate near the collar and the roots may be dark and pulpy rather than firm and white. Advanced infection does not reverse, so correct the drainage, reduce irrigation, and re-establish the tree on ground that never remains wet.
Fix:
- Improve drainage or relocate to a well-drained site
- Reduce irrigation
- Remove severely affected trees
Flagging branches, weeping resin, and bare cases hanging in the limbs
Flagging limbs and resin flow signal the deodar weevil, a bark beetle that tunnels the wood and provokes resin bleeding from the entry wounds, with bagworms and borers compounding the injury. Inspect for small bark holes, sawdust, and the pendant spindle-shaped bagworm cases. Because attack concentrates on drought-stressed trees, the controlling measure is vigor: steady moisture, mulch, and prompt removal and burning of infested material.
Fix:
- Keep trees vigorous with proper watering and mulch
- Remove and destroy infested branches and bagworm bags
- Consult local extension for targeted insect management
Browning branch tips and dying-back twigs
The usual agent is tip blight, caused by the Sphaeropsis or Diplodia fungus, which colonizes after wet weather and progresses inward from the branch extremities. A late frost can imitate the symptom by killing the unhardened new growth at the same points. Prune the affected tips well below the dead tissue, disinfect tools between cuts to avoid spreading inoculum, and keep the foliage dry to deny the fungus its moisture.
Fix:
- Prune out and dispose of affected tips well below the dead tissue
- Disinfect tools between cuts
- Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering
Toxicity
The deodar cedar is safe to site within a domestic setting. It contains no compound that poisons pets, livestock, or people, and it is absent from the ASPCA poison lists. The only genuine hazard is mechanical: the sharp-pointed needles can prick small hands working near a young tree.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Cats are unaffected, because neither the foliage nor the wood contains a compound toxic to them. A cat that chews a branch may regurgitate plant material, but that response traces to the sharp needle tips rather than to any poison.
Dogs None
No toxic constituents are present, so a dog may investigate and brush against the tree without consequence. Gnawing on fallen twigs is harmless, though a mouthful of needles can provoke transient salivation.
Horses Safe
The deodar cedar poses no threat to a horse grazing nearby, since the tree contains no toxin, which makes it suitable for planting around paddocks and pasture margins.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits are at no risk from this tree. The needles are non-toxic, and an exploratory nibble produces no harm.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can occupy the same ground as a deodar cedar without hazard, because it holds no toxin that disturbs the digestive or nervous systems.
Birds Safe
Birds may nest and perch in the dense crown without risk, since the tree is non-toxic and its cones and cover are a positive feature of the garden for them.
People Safe
For people the deodar cedar is non-poisonous. The needles terminate in sharp points, so the only real precaution is careful handling of young plants.
No special handling needed; needles are sharp-pointed so handle young plants with care.
Varieties
Beyond the wild species, several named selections are distinguished by greater cold hardiness or by a particular foliage color and habit. These are the forms most often offered in the nursery trade.
Karl Fuchs
Among the most cold-hardy selections, it withstands zone 6 and bears steely blue-green needles on graceful, drooping branches.
Shalimar
Raised from seed collected at the Shalimar Gardens, this blue-green form tolerates cold appreciably better than the typical species.
Kashmir
Hardier than the species to about zone 6, it stands among the best true cedars available for southern gardens.
Pendula
A weeping selection whose branches descend strongly toward the ground, producing a soft, draped outline.
Aurea
A golden form that flushes bright yellow new growth in spring before the foliage matures toward green.
How to propagate
A deodar cedar may be raised from seed or, for the selected forms, propagated by the method the nursery trade relies on. Each route serves a different objective, and one demands considerably more skill and time than the other.
SeedModerate
Fall to spring after cold stratification · Several years
The species germinates readily from seed once it has received a period of cold stratification, which may be initiated anytime from fall to spring. A tree of real stature takes several years to develop, and because seedlings segregate for form and color, no two come out alike.
GraftingDemanding
Late winter · 1 to 2 years
The named cultivars, including the weeping and golden forms, are grafted in late winter, since seed does not transmit their traits reliably. The work is exacting and the union takes 1 to 2 years to consolidate, which accounts for the higher price of grafted stock at the nursery.
Myths
Any tree bearing the name cedar is a true cedar like the deodar.
Only the species of the genus Cedrus, the deodar included, are true cedars. Numerous North American trees carry the common name without the lineage, among them eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), which occupy entirely different genera and are not cedars in the botanical sense.