“This tree has a host of medicinal properties…”– Ethnobotanical & Economic Uses
Whole plant (Cedrus deodara) (Ruter, 2011)
The generic placement of Cedrus deodara has changed dramatically over time. It was originally described as Pinus deodara by David Don (Lambert, 1803). It was renamed Cedrus deodara in 1830, a change attributed to George Don (Loudon, 1830). It has sometimes been considered a subspecies of Cedrus libani (Sell, 1949).
Kashmir Cedar may be confused with Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) or cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus lebani). Both these trees have needles shorter than 25 mm (~1 in) and their female cones are slightly smaller at 6.5 to 10 cm (2.5 to 4 in) long. Deodar’s needles have at least some that are bluish-green in color, but from a distance the tree may only appear pure green. Cedars (genus Cedrus) differ from pines (genus Pinus) in that their needles grow in whorls of at least 20, whereas pine needles only come in bundles of between 1 and 7 (Welsh, 2003).
Most cultivars of this species are frost sensitive (Welsh, 2003).
This particular individual is a cultivar called “Kashmir” that was bred to be more frost hardy than others of its kind (Krüssmann, 1985) and can thus thrive through the Utah winters.
Native
Introduced
In its native range, Deodar grows in montane coniferous forests 5250-9842 ft (1600-3000 m) in elevation. It prefers a temperate environment with some humidity and aridity (Ghimire, 2021). Deodar is an ornamental tree that thrives in Southernmost Utah. It occurs here in Northern Utah but is sensitive to frost. The male cones shed pollen around autumn. After this, the female cones take about a year and a half to mature (Pijut, 2000). Deodar tends to form a monoculture but may mix with other species in its native range (Bhattacharyya, 2023).
In its native range, deodar is of least concern (POWO, 2024). However, natural forests of deodar are considered rare in its native Nepal and surrounding areas (Ghimire, 2021).
