Cedrus libani cedar of Lebanon
Cedrus
The genus of cedars belongs among the very few trees that have accompanied human memory for so long that they seem almost timeless. Fossil pollen and petrified wood show that cedars once covered vast areas of Eurasia, before their range gradually contracted during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods to the mountain belts of the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia. Even the name of the genus, derived from the Greek kedros and the Latin cedrus, evokes their fragrant, resin‑rich wood, long regarded as a symbol of durability, sanctity and power. Worth noting is a common linguistic misunderstanding: the Russian word кедр – kedr does not refer to a true cedar, but to the Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica), a completely different genus of conifer. Cedars appear in epics, biblical texts and classical myths; their timber carried the roofs of temples, the keels of ships and the thrones of kings. When you stand beneath an old cedar, time seems to slow, as if the tree knows that a human life is only a brief episode in its own story, which unfolds over centuries.
The Lebanon cedar is the best known of all cedars, not only for its majesty but also for its cultural significance. It originates from the mountain ranges of Lebanon, the Anti‑Lebanon and the Taurus Mountains; modern sources place its natural populations mainly in Turkey, Syria and Lebanon. The species has been known since the time of Linnaeus, who mentioned it in his Species Plantarum, while the formal binomial name Cedrus libani was published by A. Richard in 1823. For millennia, the Lebanon cedar was sought after for its timber – strong, durable, aromatic and almost indestructible. This very quality, however, proved to be its downfall. Ancient civilisations felled it on such a scale that the original cedar forests of Lebanon almost disappeared. From once extensive stands, only small remnants remain, the most famous being the Arz ar‑Rabb reserve, the “Cedars of God”, which became a symbol of Lebanese identity and still appears on the national flag. The Lebanon cedar is therefore not just a tree, but a piece of cultural heritage, a reminder of how the relationship between people and landscape can shift over centuries from reverence to excess.
The Lebanon cedar is a magnificent evergreen conifer, aristocratic yet entirely natural in appearance. It offers a dense framework of almost horizontal, sturdy branches and a regular, broadly conical crown, whose pronounced terminal leader conveys youthful elegance. After reaching a certain age and height, however, the leader often bends into a horizontal position and temporarily loses its dominance (due to the hormonal balance of auxins), allowing the crown to spread into its characteristic wide tiers. Sometimes it straightens again, only to bend once more, as if the tree were searching for the ideal balance between height and width. This phenomenon is so typical of the Lebanon cedar that it can be used to judge when the tree is entering maturity. The needles are stiff, usually 2 to 3 cm long, deep green, without the bluish hue typical of many forms of the Atlas cedar. In its native range, trees reach 20 to 35 metres in height, with the crown often almost as wide as it is tall. In gardens where root space is limited, their size is usually reduced by a third to a half. The overall impression is calm, monumental and stable, as if designed by an architect working with horizontal lines and a sense of weight and space.
The Lebanon cedar requires a sunny position and well‑drained, rather dry soil. Newly planted trees do not tolerate waterlogging, but well‑established specimens cope with occasional wet conditions after prolonged rainfall, provided the soil dries out between events. Once established, it is highly drought‑tolerant and does not require regular watering. An interesting feature is that it often produces two growth flushes per year – a main spring flush followed by a smaller late‑summer one if warmth and moisture are sufficient. Lebanon cedar regularly sheds older needles, usually in waves towards the end of summer or in autumn; this is a natural renewal process, as needles live for three to six years. The frost hardiness of well‑established trees is remarkably high, commonly around −29 °C (USDA zone 5), making it the most reliable cedar for cooler regions of Europe. Pruning is generally unnecessary, limited to the removal of damaged or crossing branches. It has a deep root system with a pronounced taproot, which gives it exceptional stability against windthrow. Despite its imposing stature, its roots are not aggressive, allowing it to be planted even near roads or buildings without damaging their structure.
Last update 15-01-2009; 25-01-2026
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
