Cedrus deodara Karl Fuchs - Himalayan Cedar

The Cedrus deodara 'Karl Fuchs' is a very beautiful grey-blue form of the Himalayan cedar. It is a slow-growing conifer, with a slender pyramidal habit, maintaining reasonable dimensions. Its gracefully tiered branches with slightly weeping tips bear foliage draped in a soft, silky, and luminous grey-blue hue. More hardy than the species, less bulky, this tree will make a magnificent specimen in a medium to large-sized garden.

The Cedrus deodara belongs to the Pinaceae family. This fine, fragrant essence is also the sacred cedar of Hindu temples. It originates from temperate altitude forests (between 1500 and 3000 m altitude) that cover the southern foothills of the Himalayas. Its distribution range extends from Afghanistan to Tibet, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. In our climates, it typically reaches a height of 20 to 35 m with a spread of 8 m.

The 'Karl Fuchs' Himalayan cedar shows a rather slow growth, reaching 2.50 m in height in 10 years. Its habit is conical, slender, and airy. At the age of 20-25 years, it measures around 10 m in height with a base spread of 4 to 5 m. This tree develops a very vertical trunk, covered with a greyish bark, cracked in large irregular scales. Its branches, almost horizontal, bear slightly drooping secondary branches at their ends. The flexible terminal shoots give it a slightly weeping appearance. The branches are grey, not brown like the species. The top of this cedar does not flatten over the years. Its needles are clustered. Measuring 3 to 5 cm long, they are flexible and range in colour from grey-blue to more or less silvery blue-green. Female and male cones coexist on the same individual. They measure 7 to 12 cm long by 5 to 9 cm wide. They consist of fine scales, each housing a seed extended by a wing. These large seeds will germinate very easily after the winter and cold spell.

The Cedrus deodara 'Karl Fuchs' is a very handsome conifer, to be isolated to appreciate its beautiful silhouette and refined colour. In a large garden, one can also plant several specimens along a wide pathway. This passage will then take on a completely different dimension and a romantic style. Space the trees sufficiently so that they do not obstruct each other later on. Surprisingly, this cedar also adapts very well to bonsai cultivation.