A majestic evergreen conifer of the eastern Mediterranean mountains, symbol of Lebanon and source of fragrant rot-resistant timber prized since antiquity.
Where it grows
The cedar of Lebanon survives in scattered mountain stands across Lebanon, western Syria, and the Taurus and Anti-Taurus ranges of southern Turkey, mostly between 1300 and 3000 metres. The largest remaining grove is the Cedars of God in Lebanon’s Bsharri valley.
How to recognise it
Mature trees have a distinctive flat, layered silhouette of horizontal branches forming broad plateaus high on a massive trunk. The dark green needles cluster in dense tufts of 30 to 40 on short shoots. Upright barrel-shaped cones sit on the upper branches and disintegrate at maturity to release winged seeds.
Uses
The fragrant, rot-resistant heartwood was prized across the ancient Near East. King Solomon imported Lebanon cedar for the First Temple in Jerusalem, the Phoenicians built their merchant fleets from it, and the Egyptians used cedar resin in mummification.
Conservation
Three thousand years of harvesting reduced the forests to fragments. The species is the national emblem of Lebanon and appears on the country’s flag, and reforestation programmes are slowly rebuilding the historic groves.
Find more trees by letter
Cedar of Lebanon starts with C and ends with N. Browse other trees along the same letter.
Trees that contain a letter from "Cedar of Lebanon":