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About This Object

The Cedar of Lebanon is a majestic, broad, sweeping conifer, reaching 40 m. It has a rounded or flat-topped crown and massive fans of needle foliage. The dark green or bluish needles are about 25 mm long. They are produced in tufts arranged in spirals along the branchlets. The barrel-shaped cones are 7 to 12 cm high.

The Cedar of Lebanon is often mentioned in the Old Testament. It is a very hardy tree, but was not introduced into Britain until about the 17th century. The name of the tree is thought to come from the Arabic word kedroum or kedre, meaning ‘power’. This may refer to its massive proportions and strong timber.

Tree tag number 2503.
Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)
species
Additional names
junior synonym:  Pinus cedrus Linnaeus
valid name:  Cedrus libani A. Rich.
Live specimens in Gardens
Kingdom: Plants
Tracheophyta (Tracheophyte)
class: Pinopsida (Pinopsida)
order: Pinales (Pinales)
family: Pinaceae (Pinaceae)
genus: Cedrus (Cedrus)


Habitat
The Cedar of Lebanon is found growing widely in the gardens and parks of stately homes and larger houses. In these, it has been grown as a specimen tree for more than 300 years. It performs best in areas without high rainfall.
Range & distribution
This tree is a native of the Western Mediterranean, from Turkey to Lebanon and Syria.

Lifecycle
This tree is able to live for hundreds of years.
Seasonality
It is an evergreen tree which does not drop its leaves in the autumn. The flowers, or catkins, are produced in the autumn and followed by cones.
Reproductive cycle
The seeds in the cones are dispersed by the wind and other wildlife.

Endangered status
least concern
IUCN entry
http:/www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/42305/0


Related sites and places

Record created 2011-02-22 by NCROWE
Record last updated 2013-02-13 by RSHEPHERD