#43 HIMALAYAN CEDAR
Cedrus deodara
Planted: 1912
This tree is in the American Section, near the Park Drive fence
| Distribution: | Himalayan region at 1,500 to 3,200 m. |
| Planting Date: | 1912, transplanted here by Captain Chaplin in 1916 in his Pinetum. |
| Growth Habit: | A large evergreen coniferous tree, a conic crown with level branches and drooping branch-lets. |
| Bark: | Grey and scaly. |
| Leaf: | The leaves are needle-like, mostly 2.5 to 5 cm long, occasionally up to 7 cm, slender (1 mm thick), borne singly on long shoots, and in dense clusters of 20 to 30 on short shoots; they vary from bright green to glaucous blue-green. |
| Flowers: | Insignificant |
| Fruit: | The female cones are barrel-shaped, 7 to 13 cm long and 5 to 9 cm wide. They disintegrate when mature (in 12 months) to release the winged seeds. The male cones are 4 to 6 cm long, and shed their pollen in autumn. |
| Toxicity: | The outer bark and stem are astringent. |
| Potential tree size | 40 to 50 m |
| Uses: | Widely grown as an ornamental tree, in the west. In great demand as building material because of its durability, rot-resistant character and fine, close grain, which is capable of taking a high polish. Its historical use to construct religious temples and in landscaping around temples is well recorded. Its rot-resistant character also makes it an ideal wood for constructing the well-known houseboats. Despite its durability, it is not a strong timber, and its brittle nature makes it unsuitable for delicate work. The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense and distilled into essential oil, used in aromatherapy. |
| Plant Hunter: | Not known |
| Introduction Date: | circa 1830s |
| Anecdotes and Comments: | The Himalayan Cedar is worshipped as a divine tree; Its name originates from “deodar” meaning “timber of the gods”. According to Hindu mythology, Kamadeva, the god of love, struck Lord Shiva with an arrow as he meditated under a deodar tree. His intention was having Shiva fall in love with Parvati. |