Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article illustrates a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources. Where possible we will give the tree tag number - these are the small aluminium discs, usually fixed on the tree trunk, 2 to 3m above ground level. Click here to view the tree archive

by Jonathan Pilcher

There are only four true cedars (the Deodar, the Atlas Cedar, the Cedar of Lebanon and the Cyprus Cedar) and they are all from the Old World. The deodar is from the Western Himalayas. The tree shown here is on the north side of the main entrance path from the Malone road gate of the Botanic Gardens. The deodar can usually be distinguished at a distance from the other cedars by the drooping tips of the branches. The needles are arranged spirally on young twigs, but most of the needles are held in bunches on very short stubby branches. This arrangement is similar to the larches, but unlike the larches, the cedars are not deciduous. As with all the cedars, the cones break up and shed their seed while still attached to the tree, rather than fall as a unit as pine cones do. The trees flower in the autumn.

Deodar in Belfast Botanic Gardens	The tips of the branches in deodar turn down
Young male cones on the lower branches	Detail of male cones and bunches of needles on short shoots
Twig showing spirally arranged leaves on youngest growth (left) and a bunch of leaves on a short shoot, typical of older branches.	transparent tip to leaf

Photos taken in 2008 in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Copyright Jon Pilcher