Virginia Tech Dendrology

cedar of Lebanon Pinaceae Cedrus libani A. Rich. [excluded] symbol: CELI6
Leaf: Evergreen needles; 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, sharp pointed; occur singly on new growth and than in large clusters later on spur shoots; dark green to gray-green; remaining on the tree for 3 to 6 years.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones 2 to 3 inches long, pale yellow on the lower parts of crown; female cones erect, purplish.
Fruit: Upright cones, 3 to 4 inches long and 3 inches across; deciduous scales; initially green and purplish, then later turning a reddish brown when mature, usually resinous, requires two years to mature and developing cones are often quite conspicuous.
Twig: Slender, with numerous short spur shoots, branches spread horizontally; buds are very small and round.
Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, later developing short furrows with scaly ridge tops and becoming darker.
Form: Young trees have a pyramidal crown that becomes wider with age; branches spread into horizontal layers. In the landscape it can reach 80 feet tall but becomes much taller in its native range.
Looks like: Atlas cedar - Deodar cedar - European larch

Additional Range Information: Cedrus libani is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information