Deodar
Cedrus deodara
Pine familiy (Pinaceae)
Least concern
Holy insect repellent
This 50 m tall pine tree grows on the slopes of the western Himalayas. The thin, 7 cm long needles grow in clusters of about 30 and are a blue-green in colour. Deodar is Sanskrit for ‘tree of the gods’ and those forests in which the deodar cedar grows are considered to be holy and are used by Hindus for meditation. It is the national tree of Pakistan and its wood is used widely in the construction of temples and other large structures. The wood is strong, very resistant to weathering and can even be used in water. The heartwood contains aromatic oils from which incense is made. The strong pine scent keeps biting insects at bay and so is also used on livestock.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Kerkrade Botanic Garden.
Oil derived from the sap wood is used as incense. The oil is also used for its antifungal properties (in the storage of wood) and as an insect repellent when rubbed into the hooves of e.g. horses, camels and cattle. The oil is also used as perfume for the production of soap, household cleaning agents and insecticides, and - because of its drying properties - for the cleaning of microscopes.
Awarded the Award of Garden Merit by the British Royal Horticultural Society.
The wood, which is not strong but very durable (600-800 years), was used in the past for building temples, other religious buildings and according to the Indian Srinagar, boat houses.
Oil derived from the sap wood is used as incense. The oil is also used for its antifungal properties (in the storage of wood) and as an insect repellent when rubbed into the hooves of e.g. horses, camels and cattle. The oil is also used as perfume for the production of soap, household cleaning agents and insecticides, and - because of its drying properties - for the cleaning of microscopes.
According to Ayurvedic medicine essential oils are used for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. In the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh patients with asthma should sit under a deodar cedar every morning.
Details
| Description: | Conifer, up to 40-50 m. |
|---|---|
| Distributions: | Himalayas |
| Habitat: | On well-drained, calcareous sand-loam-clay soils at altitudes of 1500-5000m, in humid, monsoon controlled regions of the himalayas in full sun. |
| Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic evergreen) |
| Hardiness: | Colder than -4 f (very hardy) |