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Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara)
Photo: Paul Evans from London, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries tree symbol: Pakistan

Deodar cedar

Cedrus deodara

Family: Pinaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Pakistan, Afghanistan.

A stately conifer growing 40–50 m tall, with a conical crown and characteristically drooping branch tips. Its needles, 2.5–5 cm long, are clustered in bundles on short shoots, and its barrel-shaped cones break up while still on the tree. It grows in the mountains at about 1,500–3,200 m, forming pure stands or mixing with blue pine and fir. Its aromatic, durable, rot-resistant wood has been used for centuries to build houses, mosques, bridges and boats, and cedarwood oil is distilled from it.

Description from: Pakistan.

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

Significance in each country

  1. Pakistan no. 1 of 10 native

    National tree of Pakistan

    The deodar is Pakistan’s national tree and the country’s most valuable construction timber; its forests in the Swat and Kaghan valleys are a symbol of the mountainous north, but also need protecting from illegal logging.

  2. Afghanistan no. 4 of 8 native

    Nuristan and Kunar are the only Afghan provinces with extensive cedar forests, and traditional, richly carved houses were built here from deodar wood. These forests have suffered badly from illegal logging and timber smuggling.