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Himalayan Cedar

Cedrus deodara

Family: Pinaceae Unknown Understory (15-40 ft)

Karl Fuchs Himalayan Cedar is a evergreen needled cultivar of the Deodar cedar in the pine family (Pinaceae). The parent of this plant was discovered in Afghanistan and cultivated by Karl Fuchs in Scheveningen, Germany in the mid-1970s. Plant it in the full sun to partial shade in moist well-drained soil. It is adaptable to both moist soil and dry soil, however, will not tolerate standing water. It will take about 10 years to reach a height and width of 10 feet by 6 feet but will continue to grow at a rate of about 6-8 inches each year. It is very cold-tolerant and doesn't require pruning. 'Karl Fuchs' has a trailing leader and pendulous habit giving it a softer more graceful appearance than other cultivars. The blue-green needles are 1.5 inches long. Its spring growth is a bright blue, maturing to green, giving this cultivar a very showy appearance. Use this striking tree as a specimen or accent in the garden with lighter green foliage plants in front. Narrow vertical spaces are ideal for its upright pyramidal habit. Quick ID: All Cedrus genus members have new needles that are born singly on stems Needles are triangular to quadrangular in cross-section Female wood barrel-shaped cones sit on top of branches Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Soils with poor drainage can result in tip blight and root rot. More information on Cedrus deodara .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 51 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory (15-40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Cedrus deodara
Fills a similar niche Cedrus atlantica Cedrus deodara 'Devinely Blue' Ilex vomitoria 'Pendula'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 12 ft. 0 in. - 35 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Dense; Erect; Pyramidal
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Filiform
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
New growth is distinct bundles of up to 30 blue needles maturing to green and 1 1/2" long.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Barrel-shaped to ovoid upright cones with a rounded top grow in pairs or singular on the branches. 3-4" long by approximately 2" broad
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Stem detail
New stems are smooth maturing to rough and gray.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Germany
Play value
Buffer; Screening; Textural
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Recreational Play Area; Vertical Spaces
Landscape theme
Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Screen/Privacy; Shade Tree; Specimen; Street Tree
Garden tags
#needled evergreen #blue needles #evergreen tree #gray-green leaves #conifer #hardy #showy leaves #urban conditions tolerant #ornamental tree #drought tolerant #ornamentals #frost tolerant #long lived #weeping #cold tolerant #specimen #accent
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Drought; Dry Soil; Pollution; Poor Soil
Propagation
Seed

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.