Given that the Atlas cedar is a true cedar (as opposed to the Western red cedar), does the wood have any particular aromatic or bug-resistant qualities?
I checked The International Book of Wood (edited by Martyn Bramwell; Emblem, 1979), and here is what it says about Cedrus:
“True cedar is a softwood produced by three species. The cedar of antiquity is the cedar of Lebanon, used in the construction of the royal tombs of the early kings of Egypt and by Solomon in the building of the Temple; the deodar of northern India is almost as famous, and the third species is the Atlas cedar [Cedrus atlantica] of the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. […] The wood of the three species is similar, pale-brown, with a fairly well-defined growth ring, and characterized by a fragrant smell. It is of medium weight for a softwood, a little heavier than European redwood. Cedar dries readily though with a tendency to distort. It is inclined to be brittle and, generally, is not a strong wood; it works easily and takes a fine finish. It is noted for its resistance to both fungi and termites.”
This link from Plants for a Future database mentions its fragrance, as well as its fungus- and insect-repelling qualities:
“An essential oil obtained from the distilled branches is a good antiseptic and fungicide that stimulates the circulatory and respiratory systems and also calms the nerves. […] An essential oil obtained from the distilled branches is used in perfumery, notably in jasmine-scented soaps. The essential oil also repels insects.[…] Wood – fragrant and durable. It is prized for joinery and veneer and is also used in construction. It is also used for making insect-repellent articles for storing textiles.”
What is the disease causing needle drop, and even killing in some cases, Cedrus trees in our area? Is there a fungicide recommended to help control the disease, and if so, what timing is recommended?
I can’t be absolutely certain what the cause might be, but taking a look at some Northwest integrated pest management resources could provide ideas on the likely culprits.
Oregon State University’s IPM site mentions Kabatina and Sirococcus conigenus.
Here is what the print companion to the website (2008 Pacific Northwest Plant Diseases Management Handbook) says about Cedar needle blight:
“The fungi Sirococcus conigenus and Kabatina sp. have been associated with blighted needles of Atlas and Deodara cedars in both Oregon and Washington; however, Sirococcus is found most often. More of a problem in years with prolonged wet, cool springs. Infection is on or adjacent to needle bases on new shoots. The disease cycle is completed in 1 year, although spore dispersal from dead parts may continue (…) 10 months. The fungus overwinters in dead shoots. Conidia are dispersed by splashing water in spring and summer. (…) Temperatures of 60 to 70 F are most favorable for disease development.(…) Cultural control: Remove and destroy blight plant material and debris that is found under trees or caught in limbs. Chemical control: No chemicals are specifically registered for this disease on cedar.” (The full information is available in the link above.)
Washington State University in Puyallup has a document indexing plant hosts of various pathogens, and for Cedrus they list Sirococcus species as well as Phomopsis.
There are discussions on the topic of Cedrus blights at University of British Columbia Botanical Garden’s online forum which mention tip blight sometimes appearing in tandem with borers or mites.
My neighbor says his Deodar cedar tree is bisexual, and it’s the male cones that are making so much pollen this October. He seemed to be saying this was unusual, and that not all cedar trees were like this, with both male and female cones. What’s the story?
Cedrus deodara is monoecious, which means that an individual tree will bear separate and unisexual male and female flowers. If the tree had bisexual flowers, each flower would be ‘complete’ and ‘perfect,’ that is, with male stamens and female pistil in each flower. So it’s clearer to call the tree monoecious than to say it is bisexual. According to Wayne’s Word: An Online Textbook of Natural History, “about 90 percent of all flowering plants have bisexual flowers with both male (stamen) and female (pistil) sex organs. The remaining 10 percent have unisexual male and female flowers on the same plant (monoecious species) or male and female flowers on separate plants (dioecious species).”
Most conifers (like true cedar) are monoecious. The male pollen cones are 2 to 3 inches long by October, and are found in great number on the lower parts of the tree. Female flowers are tiny, and usually found high up in the tree. Female seed cones take two years to mature. You might wonder how pollination can take place if the female flowers are up high and the pollen is down low. Conifer pollen is wind-dispersed, so it might seem arduous for it to reach the female flowers up above. However, if you consider the geographic origins of the true cedars, you will notice that Deodar cedar is also called Himalayan cedar and like the cedar of Lebanon (C. libani) and the Atlas cedar (C. atlantica), its native range is mountainous. Imagine cedars growing on a sloping mountainside, and you can easily picture the pollen drifting downward to female flowers on the trees below.
My deodar cedar drips a lot and an arborist told me the tree has ongoing pest problems. Could the tree have aphids?
There are several possible causes for the dripping of your Cedrus deodara. It might be honeydew (from an insect infestation). There is a type of aphid, Cinara curvipes, the bowlegged fir aphid, which feeds on cedar bark. Large colonies of aphids can develop on the twigs or branches of host trees in the winter along the Pacific Coast, or in the spring inland. Vast amounts of honeydew can rain down if the infestation is heavy. If you shake an infested branch, aphids should drop from it.
(Source: Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs by Warren T. Johnson and Howard H. Lyon, 1994)
If, in addition to the oozing sap, the foliage is also discoloring and wilting, it could be caused by a root or crown rot.
(Source: Pests of Landscape Trees and Shrubs, 2nd edition, by Steve Dreistadt, 2004)
Since there could be many causes, it might make sense for you to bring in a sample to a Master Gardener Clinic. You can locate a Master Gardener Clinic within King County on this website (Plant Clinic Schedule, or statewide here.
This fall, the evergreen tree (needles, sort of bluish in color) in front of my house has been driving me crazy. It’s dropping tons of soft, yellowy, pod-like things and when people walk into the house, they track in this yellow pollen and it stains the carpets. First, what kind of tree does this, and second, is it on some kind of cycle? Will it stop dropping these things soon?
Without seeing the tree, my best guess is that it is a type of Cedrus, possibly Cedrus deodara or Cedrus atlantica. Since it is now October, what you are seeing is the shedding of male catkins or pollen cones. This is a seasonal phenomenon, so it will stop soon. Oregon State University’s Landscape Plants database has some pictures of the cones in fall. Meanwhile, you might want to have a shoes-off policy inside the house, which should cut down on the invasion of pollen.
Are there any lists of shrubs/small trees that are best viewed from below, such as Styrax or Halesia?
While there are no lists of shrubs/small trees best viewed from below, there is a list of trees with weeping habits in The Pacific Northwest Gardener’s Book of Lists (Ray and Jan McNeilan, 1997). Many genera of conifers – Cedrus (cedar), Chamaecyparis (cypress), Larix (larch), Picea (spruce), Pinus (pine), and Tsuga (hemlock) – have weeping forms, often indicated by a variety name ‘Pendula’ or ‘Pendulum’. There are weeping birches (Betula), beeches (Fagus), and cherries (Prunus), too.
You are correct about Styrax and Halesia. Additionally, I ran across a few individual species that may be of interest to you as I researched this question:
–Davidia involucrata
–Laburnum anagyroides
–flowering currants, Ribes spp.
–flowering cherry trees, particularly Prunus padus
–various plants in the Ericaceae family have bell-shaped flowers that hang on the underside of the stem.
I would add that any tree which has a naturally graceful branching pattern and/or delicately shaped foliage (such as Japanese maples) would be pleasant to view from below, as well as from other angles.
I need a large tree for privacy and would like it to be fast growing here in Seattle. I would not like it to be much more than 15 feet wide at maturity but the height doesn’t matter, also evergreen. Would an Incense cedar grow fast?
In addition to Calocedrus decurrens (Incense Cedar), you might also consider Podocarpus or Cryptomeria.
You may want to consult the locally created web pages of Great Plant Picks, and see which evergreen trees they recommend for our area. This is their list of conifers, and here is the information on Incense Cedar.
Incidentally, Great Plant Picks says that Incense Cedar does make a good screening plant. They claim it will mature at 35-40 feet tall in garden conditions (as opposed to in the wild), and about 10 to 12 feet wide, so your original idea of planting this tree sounds like a good one.