Cedar

Plant guide

Cedar are coniferous trees that originate from around the Mediterranean and western Himalayas. Many cedar species are popular today even here in northern Europe - not least as an alternative Christmas tree or interior decoration.,

Scientific name (Latin): Cedrus
Family: Pine family (Pinaceae)

Cedar, Mediterranean plants that thrive even in Sweden

Cedrus libani, Atlas Cedar and Cedrus deodara, Himalayan Cedar are two very popular cedar plants that have become trendy alternatives to a traditional Christmas tree, especially during the holiday season. Whether indoors or in a pot at an entrance, on a terrace or balcony.

Atlasceder - Lebanese cedar

Especially blue Atlas Cedar is a highly valued plant for its characteristic steel-blue needles. The needles grow along beautifully hanging branches, and in a garden, the slow growth rate of the atlas cedar means you don't have to spend a lot of time pruning every year. The Atlas Cedar originates from North Africa but is considered a subspecies of the Lebanese Cedar. In the wild, these trees grow to over 30 meters tall, but when grown at home they are usually much smaller.

Himalayan cedar

As the name suggests, the Himalayan cedar comes from the enormous mountain range between India, Pakistan, Nepal, and China. Despite its origin, it is also popular in the Nordic countries today. The Latin name "deodara" originates from Sanskrit and roughly translates to "Tree of the Gods." This cedar is very popular in both larger parks and regular gardens thanks to its unique slender appearance with spectacular hanging branches.

Planting and care of cedar

Transplanting a cedar in a pot is easy to arrange, and often you just need to simply buy your cedar that comes in a planting pot and put it in a suitable outer pot. It does not like to be repotted so avoid this unless absolutely necessary.

Care instructions:

Wants a lot of sunlight, so it is best to place the plant near a window indoors or in a sunny location outdoors.

The soil should be kept moist, water before the cedar dries out completely.

However, like all plants, you should be careful not to overwater. If the needles turn yellow, it is a sign that you have watered too much.

If you have the cedar in a pot outdoors, it should ideally be frost-free, but it can withstand temperatures down to -25 degrees.

As christmas tree

For those who want something different than the traditional Christmas tree, a blue atlas cedar can be a perfect choice. With a beautiful pot and maybe some Christmas decorations, you will get a Christmas feeling beyond the ordinary, while still keeping the feeling of a conifer for Christmas. So yes, a cedar as a Christmas tree is definitely a good choice for you who are looking for something other than the old usual tree!

Cedar in the open air

You can also plant cedar directly in the ground in the garden, but since it does not originate from northern latitudes, it should be winter covered every winter with, for example, burlap. Since the branches are tender, it is also important that the cedar tree does not become too covered with snow, as this can cause the branches to break off.

A cedar tree wants a lot of sunlight, so a south-facing location works best. The cedar tree should also not dry out, so make sure the soil is always slightly moist. When it is a few years old, it becomes more tolerant to drier periods.

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Plant guide