Cedrus deodara

• Syn. C. libani
• Vernavcular name- Deodara
 Characteristics of Tree

• Large evergreen tree with dark green and fairly silvery foliage
• Branches horizontal or slightly ascending or descending not whorled.
• Shape of crown- upto middle age conical ,later becomes rounded or broad and
flat with spreading horizontal branches,
• Leaves acicular, stiff ,1-1.5 in long
• Bark – greyish brown with vertical and diagonal cracks
• Wood- moderately hard, sap-wood white , heart-wood light yellowish brown
C. deodara tree Flower
Cones of C. deodara Germination
General Description

• The crown extends to the grounds with the branches forming a

conical shape.
• The leaves are three, sided 2.5 to 4 cm long.
• The bark is grayish or reddish-brown.
• Good seed years occur once in three years.
• Seed is oily. It can not be stored for long time. It is best to sow
fresh seeds before snowfall.
• There are two winged seed beneath each cone scale.
Contd….
• A tolerant tree that will grow fairly well in shade, requiring full
sunlight with age.
• Seed viability is low.
• It grows slow. M.A.I. of 6 to 9 m3/ha/year has recorded.
• The wood is high demand resulting in over cutting.
• On average 7900/kg seed weight.
• Germinative capacity is 65-80% and plant percent 58.
 Distribution and Habitat

• General distribution
• It is found in AJK, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Tirah,
Murree hills, Kaghan, Naran, Hazara Galiat,
Shogran.
• Found throughout westen himalaya from
Afganistan to Garhwal
• Elevation varies from 4000 to 10000 ft from MSL
• It often form pure forest
• Associates- Blue pine maple, horse-
chestnut,elm The brown shade showing the
distribution of C. deodara in India
 Contd..

Topography, geology, and soil

• Naturally occurs on mountain with varying slopes
• Grows well in northerly aspects and cool situation
• Found naturally on geological formation like granite, gneiss, mica, shale,
limestone, quarzite
• Avoids stiff badly drained soil
• Best growth on fairly porous, fertile soil in cool situation like along side of
moist rivine
Contd…
• Climate
• Rainfall- 40 to 70 inch
• Rainfall during S-W monsoon during June to September,
• Considerable snowfall during winter from December to March.
• Temperature – max 800 to 1000 F
Phenology
• Leaf shedding
• New shoot appear in March or early april
• Old leaves shed most parts of the dry season chiefly in May
• Cone Ripen in late October to November.
• Cones are collected end September to early October.
• Seed is shed in November.
Silvicultural characteristics
• Deodar is light-demander; can tolerant side-shade in early stage.
• It is sensitive to drought in seedling stage.
• It is frost resistant, wind-firm, liable to snow damage.
• Uncontrolled fire and grazing are very injurious.
 Particulars about Seed:

• Male flowers appear June and female flowers in

August;
• pollen is shed mid September to midOctober;
• female cones (bearing seed) ripen in late October
to November, A months aftertheir appearance.
• These break up on the tree itself; scales and
winged seeds fall on the ground andonly the
persistent axis remains on the tree.
• Some of the seeds in a cone are infertile.

Female cone with fallen of leaves

 Contd…
• Good seedyears occur once in three years, Cones
are collected off the trees immediately before they
open, end September to early October; placed in
the sun for about a week till they open and break
up.
• These are thrashed, cleaned and sieved to separate
scales.
• Seed is oily; it cannot be stored for long; it is best
to sow fresh seeds before snowfall.
• At best, it maybe stored in sealed tins till the
following rains. Stratification method of storing and
pre-treatment of the seed may be applied.

Male cones
 Method of Propagation:

Natural Regeneration :
• Under favourable conditions of snowfall, good seed year, well
distributedrainfall, soil conditions in respect of raw humus and weed
growth, adequate sunlight under properlyopened up crop, profuse natural
regeneration comes up, which may be tended to establish.
• Prolonged dry spell after germination, in May-June, however prove
disastrous as could be caused by fire and/or uncontrolled grazing.
 Contd…

Artificial Regeneration
• Direct Sowings : It is done broadcast, or along contour lines 3 m apart in well-
worked 30 cm wide terraces, continuous or broken, or in patches of various sizes,
1.5 m x 0.5 m to 1.5 m x 1.5 m, spaced 2m apart.
• These patches can serve the purpose of temporary nurseries for the next year as
surplus seedlings are available for planting out; for this, patches are made 3.8 m
apart, edge to edge in the lines.
• Sowing is done in November.
Contd…

Nursery Practice
• Nursery should be located in the optimum zone of deodar, on northern
aspect; soil to be thoroughlyworked and mixed with leaf mould.
• Beds should be raised; size usually 2 m x 1.2 in.
• Seed is sown in November-December just before snowfall, in drills 10-1.5
cm apart; 5 cm apart in drills, and coveredwith thorny twigs to protect
against birds.
• Germination takes place in following spring, inMarch/April; as early as
February and as late as May, depending on altitude and temperature
conditions.
Contd…
• Watering is necessary in May-June till reins start; seedlings are very
sensitive post-germination drought.
• Nursery beds must be kept well weeded.
• Seedlings are pricked in July of thesame year, 10 cm x 15 cm:, then
again in July of second year, 15 cm x 23 cm; finally planted out in the
field in Jul of third year, when about 30 - 45 cm tall.
• Less vigorous plants, and also those required to be planted in difficult
locations infested with heavy weed growth, may be pricked out once
again in the nursery and planted out in July of the fourth year.
 Contd…

Tending
• Young crops, whether natural or artificial, have to be weeded adequately; with heavy
weed growth, two weedings, one in July and other in August, are necessary in the first
year; otherwise only one weeding in August will suffice. If weeds persist, continue
weeding for 3 or 4 years.
• Cleaning operations are required in the sapling stage to free them from overhead shade,
while preserving side/lateral shade, by lopping or topping of branches, or girdling of
inferior trees, if necessary.
• Cleanings are repeated at frequent intervals, and saplings suitably spaced also.
• Thinnings should begin early and be carried at intervals not exceeding 10 years.
 Injuries, Pests and Diseases

• Injuries :
a) Climatic : Deodar is badly affected by drought in seedling stage; it is
damaged by snow; snow-bending, breaking of branches or uprooting of
poles. It is wind-firm and frost-resistant
b) Biotic : Birds eat away seed: bears remove bark of poles and saplings;
porcupine and monkeys gnaw bark at the base; uncontrolled fire in the hot
weather and unregulated grazing in intensity, time and place, cause
immense damage; regulated grazing and control-burning before
regeneration operations are beneficial.
c) Climbers :Rosa moschata, Vitis spp.. Clematis spp.. Hedera helix cause
varying degree ofdamage.
Contd…

• Insects : Larvae of brown moth. Euzophera cedrella destroy the

seed, in half-grown cones in Jul.Cockchafer grubs destroy roots and
cutworms (Agrotis spp.) bite through roots and stem.
• Fungi : Fomes annosus attacks roots upward through cambium;
Peridermium cedri attacks needlesof current year's shoots causing
"Witches Broom".
 Uses

• Its timber is moderately hard and heavy, scented, very durable and easy to
work.
• It is highly valued for building and bridge construction, joiner, furniture;
very suitable for Railway Sleepers, but because of its limited supplies and
very high prices on the one hand, and alternative materials being available
for sleepers on the other, deodar is no longer used for this purpose.
• Deodar oil is used for ulcers and skin eruption.