Tree · Pinaceae
Deodar Cedar
Cedrus deodara
Plant it in full sun on ground that drains, and this Himalayan cedar rockets into a soft, sweeping evergreen that lasts for decades.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–9
30–50 ft · 9.1–15.2 m
Overview
The deodar cedar tears upward fast, a Himalayan evergreen and one of the genuine cedars in the genus Cedrus. Soft, blue-green to gray-green needles bunch in tufts along arching branches, and a drooping leader crowns the top to hand the tree its sweeping, weeping line. Turn it loose with room and it climbs to 30 to 50 feet (9 to 15 meters) tall and throws its spread out nearly as far.
Hand this one open space, not a pot or a tight corner, and watch it run. It thrives in full sun on freely draining soil, and once it digs in it powers through dry spells like they are nothing. The needles end in sharp points, so it earns a bit of distance, but it gives back far more than it asks once it roots in.
Gardeners grab it as a bold specimen or a fast screen, and a clutch of cultivars push its reach into colder gardens than the wild tree dares. Just dodge the one real trap: standing water at the roots, since soggy ground is the single thing it flatly refuses to take.
Care
The short version: full sun and free-draining soil drive the whole show. Water it hard while it's young, then turn it loose to fend for itself, hand it room to throw out its spread, and keep it well away from any spot where the ground stays wet.
Light
Drop a deodar cedar into full sun and it builds the densest, best-shaped tree you can ask for. It will take partial sun or light shade in a pinch, but the canopy thins and the form loosens up wherever the light runs short.
Water
Water it hard through the first year or two while the roots push out, soaking deeply every 7 to 14 days. After that it flips into a genuinely drought-tolerant tree that barely needs a thing, and the real danger swings over to overwatering, which kicks off root rot.
Soil
It shrugs off texture, charging ahead in anything from sandy to clay loam, and it powers through a wide pH of 5.5 to 7.5. The one rule that counts is drainage, since soil that stays soggy will rot the roots fast.
Temperature
This tree takes a beating across a huge range, holding from about 0°F to 100°F (-18°C to 38°C). Hardy cultivars stretch the cold end even further, though a late frost can still nip the tender new growth come spring.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air suits it perfectly, so forget chasing a humidity figure. What really counts is strong air movement around the branches, since still, damp air is exactly what hands tip blight its opening.
Feeding
Hit it with a light spring feed of balanced slow-release tree fertilizer, once a season does it. An established tree charging along needs little or no feeding and runs just fine on what the soil already serves up.
Pruning
This tree barely needs a cut to hold its shape, which frees you up. In late winter, pull out any dead, damaged, or crossing branches, plus growth killed by cold or tip blight, and otherwise let its natural sweeping form rip.
Repotting
Grown as a landscape tree, it rarely lands in a container, and an established one wants nothing more than to be left alone. If you're nursing a young one in a pot, bump it up only when roots circle the inside, growth stalls, or water blasts straight through without soaking in.
Size & spacing
360–600 in (914–1524 cm) tall
When to plant
Get a deodar cedar in the ground during the mild shoulders of the year and it takes off. Plant in spring or fall, while the soil works easily and the heat or hard cold has lifted, and the roots seize a whole season to dig in before the weather turns.
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
Keep a deodar cedar thriving and it throws very few problems your way, since nearly all trouble tracks back to wet soil or a tree under stress. Scan the branches and the canopy for the first signs. Pounce early and you can almost always turn it around before a limb, or the whole tree, goes down.
A thinning, wilting canopy on a tree in wet ground
Soggy soil flags Phytophthora root and crown rot, which suffocates and rots the roots from below. Dig in near the base and you might turn up dark, mushy roots where firm white ones belong. Once the rot runs deep there's no clawing it back, so fix the drainage, pull back the water, and replant somewhere the ground never stays 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
A stressed tree pulls in the deodar weevil, a bark beetle that bores in and bleeds resin from the wounds, while bagworms and borers pile on the damage. Hunt for small holes, sawdust, and the hanging spindle-shaped bags that give bagworms away. Most attacks slam trees already worn down by drought, so the best defense is steady water, a layer of mulch, and pruning out and burning anything infested.
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
Usually this comes down to tip blight, driven by the Sphaeropsis or Diplodia fungus, which storms in after wet weather and kicks off right at the branch tips. A late frost can fake it cold, killing the tender new growth the same way. Cut the affected tips well below the dead wood, disinfect your pruners between cuts, and keep water off the foliage to shut it down.
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
Plant a deodar cedar around the household and breathe easy. It packs no toxin that harms pets, livestock, or people, and it never lands on the ASPCA poison lists. The one thing to watch is the sharp-pointed needles, which can prick small hands working close to a young tree.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
It's a green light around cats, since nothing in the needles or wood poisons them. A cat that chews on a branch might cough up a little plant matter, but that's the sharp tips at work, not a toxin.
Dogs None
No toxic compounds here, so a dog can sniff and brush against the tree free and clear. Gnawing on a fallen twig does no harm, though a mouthful of needles may kick off a little drool.
Horses Safe
Nothing about the deodar cedar threatens a horse grazing nearby. The tree carries no poison, so plant it around paddocks and pasture edges with confidence.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits run no risk from this tree at all. The needles aren't toxic, and a curious nibble does no harm.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can share the ground with a deodar cedar safely. It holds no toxin that troubles the stomach or nerves.
Birds Safe
Birds nest and perch in the dense branches without any risk. The tree is non-toxic, and its cones and cover make a welcome part of the garden for them.
People Safe
Nothing about a deodar cedar is poisonous to people. The needles end in sharp points, so the only real caution is handling young plants with care.
No special handling needed; needles are sharp-pointed so handle young plants with care.
Varieties
Push past the wild species and a handful of named selections jump out for hardier cold tolerance or a striking color and shape. These are the ones you'll spot most often at a nursery.
Karl Fuchs
One of the toughest cold-hardy picks going, it powers through to zone 6 with steely blue-green needles riding graceful, drooping branches.
Shalimar
Grown from seed of the Shalimar Gardens, this blue-green form shrugs off cold better than the ordinary species.
Kashmir
Hardier than the species to around zone 6, it stands tall among the best true cedars for southern gardens.
Pendula
A weeping form whose branches pour strongly toward the ground for a soft, draped shape.
Aurea
A golden form that fires out bright yellow new growth in spring before settling toward green as it ages.
How to propagate
Raise a deodar cedar from seed, or chase the route nurseries take for the fancy forms. Each path drives at a different goal, and one demands a whole lot more patience and skill than the other.
SeedModerate
Fall to spring after cold stratification · Several years
The species shoots up readily from seed once it's had a spell of cold stratification, kicked off anytime from fall to spring. Brace for a wait of several years before it's a real tree, and know seedlings vary in form and color, so no two come out quite the same.
GraftingDemanding
Late winter · 1 to 2 years
The named cultivars, the weeping and golden forms included, get grafted in late winter because seed won't reliably pass their traits along. It's demanding work that takes 1 to 2 years to settle, which is why grafted plants cost more at the nursery.
Myths
Every tree that goes by cedar is a true cedar like the deodar.
Only the members of the genus Cedrus, the deodar among them, count as true cedars. Plenty of North American trees grab the name without the goods, like eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), and they sit in entirely different genera, so they aren't cedars at all.