Lebanon Cedar

Cedrus libani, commonly known as the Lebanon Cedar or Cedar of Lebanon, is a coniferous tree native to the mountains of the Mediterranean region, in Lebanon, western Syria and south central Turkey; varieties of it (some treated as separate species by some authors) occur in southwest Turkey, Cyprus, and the Atlas Mountains in Algeria and Morocco in northwest Africa:

Related Topics:
Coniferous - Tree - Mediterranean - Lebanon - Syria - Turkey - Cyprus - Atlas Mountains - Algeria - Morocco - Africa

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• Cedrus libani var. libani (Lebanon Cedar): Lebanon, western Syria and south central Turkey
• Cedrus libani var. stenocoma (Turkish Cedar): southwest Turkey
• Cedrus libani var. brevifolia (Cyprus Cedar): Cyprus
• Cedrus libani var. atlantica (Atlas Cedar): Atlas Mountains

In Lebanon and Turkey it is most abundant at altitudes of 1,000-2,000 m, where it forms pure forests or mixed forests with Cilicican Fir (Abies cilicica), European Black Pine (Pinus nigra), and several juniper (Juniperus) species. In Cyprus, it occurs at 1,000-1,525 m (reaching the summit of Mount Paphos), and in the Atlas Mountains at 1,300-2,200 m, in pure forests or mixed with Algerian Fir, junipers, oaks and maples.

Related Topics:
Forest - Cilicican Fir - European Black Pine - Juniper - Algerian Fir - Oak - Maple

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The tree is an evergreen in the family Pinaceae, with a height of up to 40 m, and a conic (when young) to broadly tabular shape. The shoots are dimorphic, with long shoots and short shoots. The leaves are needle-like, spaced out on the long shoots, and in clusters of 15-45 on the short shoots; they are 5-30 mm in length, quadrangular in cross-section, and vary from green to glaucous blue-green with stomatal bands on all four sides.

Related Topics:
Evergreen - Pinaceae - Leaves - Stomata

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The cones are produced often every second year, and mature in 12 months from pollination; mature cones in October are 8-11 cm long and 4-6 cm wide, resinous, and break up to release the winged seeds through the winter. The seeds are 15 mm long, 6 mm broad, with a triangular wing 20-25 mm long. First cone production typically begins when the tree is 20-40 years old.

Related Topics:
Cones - Resin - Seed

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Lebanon Cedar: History, symbolism and uses ►