Hi Dave,
Nice pictures. How long have you been growing cedars in zone 5 and what is the coldest it had been there. From what I have been told I would be pushing it here in northern zone 6 with most cedrus. David

Those are all pretty young. Even though the house walls will give some protection, I'd still reckon a bad winter will take them out before too long.

Maybe a good thing in the circumstances, if global warming takes off and they all thrive, you'll have housing problems when they get two-metre thick trunks . . . Cedrus libani var. stenocoma

Resin

I know I am living on the edge but at 67 I am not going to worry about two-metre thick trunks. They have all seen -9 F below zero. I have seen -16 F here in 1985. It could happen again. If it does I can kiss them good by. I sure am enjoying them now. The big libani 'Pendula' I have had for 5 years.

Dave

Bottom one is a deodar also, and not a Cedar-of-Lebanon.

Ron I was wondering about that and I think you are right. Needle structure and color is similiar to the 'Pygmacea' photo. Then I assume Cedrus deodore 'Pendula' is correct or is the species wrong also?

Dave

Correction, should read is the cultivar wrong also?

Dave

Dave, great pics... I've been looking for the C. Deodara prostrate beauty.. I've heard it has good hardiness, below -10F, what is that -23C.???... The mature Cedars are just gorgeous... I know that there are quite a few stenocoma's that have come through temps below -20F/-29C without a problem throught the Midwest. Gee's Farm in Michigan (zone 5) has c. libanii stenocoma, C. deodara's Eisregen, Karl Fuchs, and Polar Ice that have survived -18F/-28C without any damage or needle burn. I know of a Blue Atlas Cedar that went through the record low of -22F/-30f here in 1994, with complete defoliation and some bark split, but refoliated the next spring... The reason it survived was that it is was tucked between two buildings. Oh well... I guess enjoy them, while you have them... More people in zone 5/6 should try some of the hardier deodara varieties...

Hi Dave
I'm afraid Your photo of Cedrus deodara Pygmaea is not the right plant. The true form of Cedrus deodara Pygmy, not Pygmaea, is the correct name,only grows about 1/2inch per year or so, making a very tight, dense little plant, and in 10 yrs probably no more than 6x6inches.
Regards, bluespruce.

bluespruce, thanks for your information regarding Cedrus d. 'Pygmaea'. It seems to have been a mismarked conifer when I purchased it in 2004. I have showing the tag that was on it when purchased. Anybody got a clue as to what it is?

Dave

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Dave, can't tell what plant it is, but I'm surprised to see what looks like an Iseli nursery tag for the plant.
Bluespruce.

I'll re-read but the only plant in question is the last I believe. Beautiful photos. No I guess two are now in question.

Here's a photo I took in Washington D.C. this spring (US Arb -):

Cedrus deodara 'Pygmy'
(Obrizok - 'A Garden of Conifers - Introduction and Selection Guide' (1999) does list a synonym of (Pygmaea)>> and he says: "Very dwarf, nearly perfect globose bun, very slow growing, bluish green needles." But we all know that very old plants take on shapes that aren't what are seen early on. Here's that photo taken the first week of May)

And as to the label, who knows. Lots of people involved when plants are brought to their final destination.

Still some beautiful plants and certainly a touch of fun for Dave.

Also, the growth from the previous year on the photo I took, looks like the same amount of growth on Dave's plant. Maybe Obrizok is wrong about the growth rate, but then again with a name of 'Pygmy' - SPRUCE has a very valid point. I have no idea now.

Dax

Hey Dave,

In the first photo, is that Juniper (Juniperus procumbens 'Nana' or Juniperus horizontalis 'Nana Procumbens) or what is it?

Thanks,

Dax

Hi Dax,
Obrizok's description of Cedrus deodara Pygmy sounds about right to me, and given the fact as you say many dwarf conifers can put on more vigorous growth with age, the photo you took at the US arboretum is also not the true Pygmy, unless of course it is suffering from the worst case of reversion I have ever seen.
Regards, Bluespruce.

All grafted propagations subject to vigor imparted by rootstock used. It is common for grafted stock to have more horsepower than original seedling or branch sport, thus recurring discrpancies between cultivar descriptions based on behavior of original specimen and growth demonstrated by propagations encountered elsewhere.

The last one isn't in question, it's the scarecrow habit deodar sold as weeping Cedar-of-Lebanon, weeping blue Cedar-of-Lebanon...forest green Cedrus deodara 'Repandens' is also sold as weeping Cedar-of-Lebanon, under a number of cultivar names ('Beacon Hill' etc.).

There are indeed two of Dave's plants in question. My photo of Cedrus deodara 'Feeling Blue' (or rather, what I bought as such!) may help with the question about pygmaea, as it is another possible identity for your apparently misnamed plant.

(with the pine, podocarp, and little spruce all planted far too close... I know; it's only temporary).

By the way "reference" cited here, if still unrevised is just a bunch of names and descriptions cobbled together unselectively with little apparent regard for synonymy, commercial prescence etc. Same cultivars listed separately under variant spellings, including erroneous ones and so on.

karin, Cedrus deodara 'Feelin Blue'( note correct spelling) is a first class plant, possibly one of the bluest cedars in cultivation and stays very low with no tendency to throw up a leader in my experience. I doubt your plant is the same as Dave's, If I knew how to post photos in with my text like the rest of you I could show good examples of both Cedrus deodara 'Pygmy' and 'Feelin Blue'.
Regards, Bluespruce.