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Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica)
Photo: Photo (c)2007 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries tree

Atlas cedar

Cedrus atlantica

Family: Pinaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Algeria, Morocco.

A tall conifer with short, blue-green needles borne in clusters and upright cones that break apart on the branches once the seeds have ripened. In Algeria it forms forests on the highest parts of the Tell and Saharan Atlas mountains, usually above 1,300 m, where snow lies in winter. Individual trees live for several hundred years and grow over 30 m tall. For several decades the Aurès and Belezma have seen mass die-off of cedars, linked to droughts and a warming climate.

Description from: Algeria.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Algeria no. 2 of 10 native

    The cedar forests are protected in the Chréa, Djurdjura, Belezma and Theniet El Had national parks, and the cedar is a symbol of Algeria’s mountains and a popular destination for trips from Algiers.

  2. Morocco no. 2 of 10 native

    Most of the world’s Atlas cedar grows in Morocco, and the cedar forests of Ifrane and Azrou, a stronghold of the Barbary macaque, are among the country’s most recognisable landscapes.