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Pinaceae
Cedrus atlantica
Also called the Atlas Mountain Cedar
Specimen Size: 105.3ft tall, 52in in diameter.
Location: North of the brick walkway from the HUB on the Allen library side of the yard.
Historical Background: This tree derives its name from the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco where it thrives in the hot, dry climate better than most conifers. Atlas cedar is closely related to Deodar Cedar and Cedar of Lebanon, and some people even consider it to be a subspecies of the Cedar of Lebanon. The wood is fragrant and durable and often used for veneers and construction. Essential oils derived from this tree acts as an insect repellent, and the wood has also been used to make insect repelling containers for storing textiles.
Non-native
Native Range: Morocco and Algeria - the Atlas and Riff Mountains
Identifying Features: The Atlas cedar is another of our campuses true cedars, and may be compared to the Deodar seen as the first tree of this tour. A grand tree it has a pyramidal crown when young that becomes more flattened and broad with age. The blue green to silvery foliage stems from needles growing in clusters around spurs. Cones mature on the tree and are upright, like that of the true firs. Their scales can be quite a wake up call when tread upon barefoot and may litter the base of the tree at times.
Identifying Features In Depth:
Form: A large broad tree with a spreading pyramidal crown and pointed top that turns broader and flattened with age, growing to a height of 80’ (24m) and width of 3’ (0.9m).
Leaves: A blue pale color and evergreen in nature, sometimes almost silvery, crowded into spurs or about 10-20 and evergreen. Needles are 3 angled (again felt by rolling them between one's fingers), and about 1” (2.5 cm) long.
Bark: Gray to dark gray and smooth, becoming furrowed into irregular flat ridges with age. Twigs are long and stout with fine hairs and when young and bearing needles many small spurs.
Reproductive Bodies: Cones are 2-3” (5-7.5cm) and up to 2” (5cm) in diameter, barrel shaped with a nearly flat top. They grow upright on the tree with no stalk and are light brown in color. Their hardened scales mature in the second year and pop off while still on the tree to release broad winged seeds in pairs.
Native range of Cedrus atlantica in a map compiled by Wazen et. al in the Annals of Silviculture Research.
Below is the description found for this species on the original Brockman Memorial Tree Tour:
Historic Tree Tour Information: Alone on the edge of lawn next to Allen Library's tower is a landmark evergreen with a massive, pillar-upright trunk, from which arch forth irregular boughs laden with short, sharply tufted needles and avocado-sized cones. It is relatively rare to see such Atlas Cedars, since people usually plant powder blue varieties of the species. This tree derives its name from the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco where it thrives in the hot, dry climate better than most conifers.
Atlas cedar is closely related to Deodar Cedar and Cedar of Lebanon, and some people even consider it to be a subspecies of the Cedar of Lebanon. The form of all three species is comparatively spidery, with remarkably "reaching" limbs giving it an open, jagged silhouette. The wood is fragrant and durable and often used for veneers and construction. Essential oils derived from this tree acts as an insect repellent, and the wood has also been used to make insect repelling containers for storing textiles.
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