Cedar

Majestic evergreen specimen tree providing year-round structure, privacy screening, and windbreaks. Pyramidal form creates strong vertical accent. Aromatic foliage adds sensory dimension to gardens. Excellent for formal landscapes, sacred spaces, and creating Mediterranean or woodland atmospheres.

Cedar leaf tea traditionally used for respiratory conditions, coughs, and fever reduction. Essential oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Used in steam inhalations for congestion. Native Americans used various species for purification ceremonies and treating rheumatism. Caution: internal use requires expertise as some species contain toxic thujone.

Lebanese cedar nuts (from Cedrus species) are edible pine nut alternatives, used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Cedar leaf tips can flavor game meats and fish when used as smoking wood. Cedar planks popular for grilling salmon. Some species' inner bark historically used as emergency food by indigenous peoples.

Provides critical winter shelter and nesting sites for birds. Seeds feed crossbills, siskins, and small mammals. Dense foliage offers protection from predators and weather. Fallen needles create acidic mulch suppressing some understory plants. Long-lived trees become ecosystem anchors, some living over 1000 years.

Evergreen conifers with needle-like leaves in clusters (true cedars) or scale-like leaves in flattened sprays (false cedars like Thuja). True cedars (Cedrus) have barrel-shaped upright cones and needles in rosettes. Bark typically fibrous and reddish-brown. Distinctive aromatic wood and foliage when crushed.

Exceptional rot-resistance makes it premier choice for outdoor construction, shingles, siding, and fence posts. Natural oils repel insects including termites and moths. Lightweight yet strong, easy to work. Used for closets, chests, and saunas due to aromatic properties. Historical use in shipbuilding and temple construction.

Cedar of Lebanon appears on Lebanese flag and was used to build Solomon's Temple. Ancient Egyptians used cedar oil in mummification. The name 'cedar' is applied to many unrelated trees worldwide. Some specimens of Cedrus libani are over 2000 years old. Cedar waxwings named after their fondness for cedar berries.