Cedar Tree Pictures, Detailed Information on Cedar Trees
Welcome to our cedar tree pictures page. On this page you will find lots of nice pictures of cedar trees. You will also find a lot of wonderful information on cedar trees, including information about the cedar tree species, planting information, and much more. This is valuable and useful information that can help you to learn more about the cedar tree.
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Here is some detailed information on cedar trees.
Cedrus, (common name Cedar) is a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae. They are native to the mountains of the western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region, occurring at altitudes of 1,500 to 3,200 m in the Himalaya and 1,000 to 2,200 m in the Mediterranean.
Cedars are trees up to 30 to 40 m (occasionally 60 m) tall with spicy-resinous scented wood, thick ridged or square-cracked bark, and broad, level branches. The shoots are dimorphic, with long shoots, which form the framework of the branches, and short shoots, which carry most of the leaves. The leaves are evergreen and needle-like, 8–60 mm long, arranged in an open spiral phyllotaxis on long shoots, and in dense spiral clusters of 15 to 45 together on short shoots; they vary from bright grass-green to dark green to strongly glaucous pale blue-green, depending on the thickness of the white wax layer which protects the leaves from desiccation. The seed cones are barrel-shaped, 6 to 12 cm long and 3 to 8 cm broad, green maturing grey-brown, and, as in Abies, disintegrate at maturity to release the winged seeds.
The seeds are 10 to 15 mm long, with a 20 to 30 mm wing; as in Abies, the seeds have 2 to 3 resin blisters, containing an unpleasant-tasting resin, thought to be a defence against squirrel predation. Cone maturation takes one year, with pollination in autumn and the seeds maturing the same time a year later. The pollen cones are slender ovoid, 3 to 8 cm long, produced in late summer and shedding pollen in autumn.
Cedars are adapted to mountainous climates; in the Mediterranean they receive winter precipitation, mainly as snow, and summer drought, while in the western Himalaya, they receive primarily summer monsoon rainfall.
Cedars are very popular ornamental trees, widely used in horticulture in temperate climates where winter temperatures do not fall below about −25 degrees celsius. The Turkish Cedar is slightly hardier, to −30 degrees celsius or just below. Extensive mortality of planted specimens can occur in severe winters where temperatures do drop lower. Areas with successful long-term cultivation include the entire Mediterranean region, western Europe north to the British Isles, southern Australia and New Zealand, and southern and western North America.
Cedar wood and cedar oil are known to be a natural repellent to moths, hence cedar is a popular lining for modern-day cedar chests and closets in which woolens are stored. This specific use of cedar is mentioned in The Iliad (Book 24), referring to the cedar-roofed or lined storage chamber where Priam goes to fetch treasures to be used as ransom. Cedar is also commonly used to make shoe trees as it can absorb moisture and de-odorise.
Timber of trees with similar names such as Western Red Cedar is frequently confused with genuine cedar.
The Cedar of Lebanon and to a lesser extent the Deodar have local cultural importance.
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