Cedrus atlantica
Atlas Cedar
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
40-60' tall and 30-40' wide in U.S. landscapes, but can grow to much larger under ideal conditions and in Europe, where old specimens reach 120' tall and 100' wide. Stiff, erect-pyramidal in youth; becoming flat-topped and picturesque as it ages. Rate is fast, becoming slow as it ages.
Native Range
Native to Northern Africa, Algeria and Morocco on the Atlas Mountains. Introduced into cultivation before 1840.
Flower and Fruit Details
Monoecious, with many erect, finger-like, 2-3", green/yellow/brown male cones, mostly in the bottom part of the tree, shedding much yellow pollen in the fall. Greenish to purplish female flowers borne in stiff, erect cones in the upper part of the tree. Persistent, barrel-like cones are cylindrical, 2-4" long and 2" wide, borne upright on upper sides of branches, requiring 2 years to mature, as they change from green to brown.
Leaf and Bark Features
Evergreen: Needles, 1/2 to 1" long, are curved toward the tip, spirally arranged and occurring in tufted clusters, and are bluish-green to light green to silvery-blue. New shoots are downy. Bark is gray and smooth for 20-30 years, then becomes more plate-like in pattern.
Culture and Care
Difficult to transplant, so plant from a container or B&B tree. Does best in a well-drained, deep, organic soil, but will tolerate & adapt to sandy or clay soils if standing water is avoided. Does best in sun; takes part shade. Protect from strong winds. Prefers acid soil, but tolerates alkaline soils as well. Fairly heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant once established. Tolerates pollution and urban conditions. Zones 6-9. Best in a protected location. Has some problems with tip blight, root rot, black scale, and Deodar Weevil.
Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts
4-season interest: Spring, summer, fall & winter. Heavy snow in winter can break branches. Winterburn is a problem on exposed sites after a severe winter. Full recovery usually occurs. Listed as "Threatened and Endangered" on the IUCN conservation list of plants. Closely related and very similar to the Cedar of Lebanon, but the Atlas Cedar is taller, more open, has thicker, bluish or dark green needles, smaller cones and smaller seeds.
Suggested Uses
Once it ages, this makes a very picturesque specimen tree for the landscape, lawn or park setting.
Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA
The following taxa are (or were) represented in the collections at Boone County Arboretum. Additional taxa may be available in the trade that are not included here.
Cedrus atlantica 'Blue Cascade' // Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar
Tree. A slow grower with a weeping habit, cascading down and forming a sweeping, broad, blue mound, growing to 6' tall and 5' wide during the first 10 years, then eventually to 12-18' tall and 20-25' wide. Needles are blue-green to silver-blue in color. Requires staking when young to create a more upright plant. Prefers well-drained soil in full sun. Drought-tolerant. Resistant to Verticillium Wilt. Hardy to -20 degrees F (Zone 5), if in a more protected site. Good in Zones 5(6)-9.
-- not currently in our collection --Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' // Blue Atlas Cedar
Tree. Good silvery-blue to blue or blue-green needle color. Irregular, open pyramidal form, with lower branches spreading one-half the height. Later becomes flat-topped. Grows fast when young, then slowly. Zones 6-8. Makes a good specimen where there is plenty of room to spread. Allow lower branches to sweep to the ground for best appearance. May also be kept small from youth and turned into a bonsai. Produces brown, oval, 3-6" cones. Tolerates clay, sand, drought, slightly alkaline soil. Needs sun to part shade. Usually pest-free. Protect wind protection if possible.
BT001514