Cedar Tree Facts

Cedar trees are a group of coniferous trees, belonging to the plant family called 'Pinaceae'. Cedar or cedrus is a 'Genus' of many types of trees, which share common ancestry. This article is a compilation of cedar tree facts, which will include general facts about this genus of trees and some facts about different types of cedar trees.

Scientific Classification of Cedar Trees
It should be noted that, white cedar trees belong to a separate family and genus. Here is the scientific classification of Cedar trees:

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Pinophyta
• Class: Pinopsida
• Order: Pinales
• Family: Pinaceae
• Genus: Cedrus

Interesting Cedar Tree Facts
Cedar trees like many pine trees have a long life. They are known to live for as much as 800 years. Since time immemorial, cedar wood has found many uses all over the world. They grace the Himalayas with their natural beauty. Let us begin with some basic facts about cedar trees.

Cedar Tree Facts about Morphology
Here are some facts about cedar trees, detailing their origin, appearance and structure.

• Cedar tress have been known to originate from and are native to the western Himalayan mountains and mountains in the Mediterranean region. They are trees that thrive in high altitude regions. They grow at an altitude of 1500 - 3200 meters in the western Himalayas and at an altitude of 1000 - 2200 meters in the Mediterranean.
• Cedar trees grow to an average height of 30 - 40 meters. Some are occasionally known to grow up to 70 meters.
• They have broad branches with a cracked bark and their wood is scented spicy - resinous.
• The shoots of these trees are of two types. One type of shoot forms the main framework of branches, while others are short, carrying leaves. In short they are dimorphic in botanical jargon.
• The leaves of Cedar trees form dense spiral structures, are evergreen and shaped like needles. Their color varies from light green to a very dark shade of green, depending on the thickness of wax layer over them.
• The seed cones of the cedar trees are barrel shaped, with color ranging from green to brown after maturity. When cones mature after a year, on an average, they disintegrate releasing seeds which are winged.

Cedar Tree Facts: Uses

• The cedar tree is officially, the national symbol of Lebanese Republic and appears on the Lebanese flag.
• They are grown as ornamental plants in temperate climates.
• Cedar wood has been used in ancient times to build ships, even for Alexander the Great. It is said the King Solomon's temple was built with cedar wood.
• Cedar trees are also grown for their scented and decay resistant wood. Cedar wood and oils derived from it, can act as natural repellents to moths. Hence, they are used in modern closet linings.
• Guitar soundboards are made from western red cedar trees, while guitar necks are made of Spanish cedar.

Planting cedar trees in your backyard is a nice idea, as they provide ample shade and make it look, a class apart. These were some facts about cedar trees for your perusal. Hope, these facts have helped you know these trees better and next time you see a cedar tree, it's more familiar to you!