Cedar trees are a type of coniferous tree native to the western Himalayas and Mediterranean, though they can be found throughout most of the world.
About the Cedar Tree
The Cedar tree is native to the western Himalayas and the Mediterranean, though it can be found everywhere. Conditions are ideal for cedar trees to flourish.
Cedars are coniferous and evergreen, with cedar trees that prefer higher altitudes in nature. Mountain environments provide the ideal climate for trees of the Pinaceae family, though they can be made to grow almost anywhere.
The colors of cedar trees might vary from light to much darker green. Cedars are the subject of considerable debate. The term “true cedar” describes only four types of cedar tree parts of the Cedru family – libani, atlantica, cedar, and brevifolia.
Many other types of cedar trees are still called cedars but that do not fall into the category of traditional (or so-called “true” cedars).
Cedars, true or not, are happy to grow almost anywhere. That makes the cedar tree one of the most popular trees you can add to a garden.
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Different Types of Cedar Trees Around the World
1. Atlantic white cedar: Chamaecyparis thyoides
The Atlantic white cedar, also known as the white cypress, is native to the Atlantic coast of North America. It’s one of the largest trees, with the potential to reach up to 80 feet tall.
Atlantic white cedars are sometimes also referred to as swamp cedars due to their preference for swampy, wetland areas. They are also occasionally referred to as junipers.
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2. Bermuda cedar: Juniperus bermudiana
Bermuda cedar is a type of juniper tree native to its eponymous area. Forests of this cedar used to cover the entire length of Bermuda’s coasts.
It is considered one of the most important plants in the area. Plenty of documented cases show early humans being reliant on Bermuda cedar for their survival in a harsh climate.
Today, only about 25,000 cedar trees are left in Bermuda. The Bermuda cedar is considered critically endangered and occurs only in this part of the world.
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3. Chilean cedar: Austrocedrus chilensis
The Chilean cedar is native to the Andes and is sometimes also known by its local name: cordilleran cypress.
The rare Chilean cedar tree grows only in southern Chile and northern Argentina and is considered a protected species.
Chilean cedar is known as one of the densest types of cedar. It is also particularly fast-growing and reaches its top heights far more quickly than other types of cedar.
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4. Clanwilliam cedar: Widdringtonia cedarbergensis
The Clanwilliam cedar is a highly threatened species and is only found in the Western Cape’s unique mountain range area.
This specific cedar tree is used to cover the area, but only a few live in nature today. Early deforestation by settlers contributed to today’s problem of very few natural Clanwilliam cedar trees being left.
Conservation projects aim to increase the number of Clanwilliam cedar trees before this unique cedar is lost to history.
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5. Eastern red cedar: Juniperus virginiana
The Eastern Red Cedar is common and native to eastern North America. It is also one of the perfect examples of a tree that is not a “true cedar” but a juniper tree—and technically, still a type of cedar or cypress tree.
Eastern red cedar trees grow up to 40 feet at their ideal length. They are known as red cedar due to the reddish coloration of the bark.
Eastern red cedar is one of the best trees to plant in a garden – and it’s true no matter which climate you live in. Red cedar trees grow happily anywhere and are native to more than 30 states.
Eastern red cedar trees have many different uses, including as coverage and for timers and industry, where they are useful as fast-growing trees are preferred for their strength.
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6. Eastern white cedar: Thuja occidentalis
The Eastern white cedar is native to eastern North America and goes by several other names, including the Northern white cedar or arborvitae. It is one of the most common conifer trees, preferred by landscapers and gardeners for its ornamental qualities.
Eastern white cedar trees can live for up to 200 years and can grow up to 30 feet in total length. They are fast-growing and achieve heights of up to 24” growth per year in ideal conditions.
Due to their size, a row of Eastern white cedars will require a lot of planning to imagine how they will grow 100 years into the future!
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7. Calocedrus: Cryptomeria japonica
Clocedrus is a type of cedar tree found in North America and East Asia, but it can be adapted to grow anywhere else in the world.
It also goes by some other names, including the incense cedar – sometimes spelled as incense-cedar.
It is one of the fastest-growing types of cedar trees from around the world.
While it’s not considered one of the world’s four true cedars, this cedar is one of the preferred options for landscapers and gardeners.
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8. Mexican white cedar: Cupressus lusitanica
Mexican white cedar trees are native to Mexico and Central America. They are sometimes also called cedar-of-Goa or cedro blanco—literally, white cedar.
While native to these areas, they have also been successfully brought to other parts of the world (e.g., Costa Rica), where conditions match their native habitat.
Where they grow in nature, Mexican white cedar trees prefer a high altitude. Again, they are adaptable enough to grow at lower heights, too.
The Mexican cypress/cedar tree can grow happily as a bonsai. Its adaptability is part of what makes this type of cedar popular everywhere.
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9. Mountain cedar: Juniperus ashei
The Mountain cedar is one of the cedar trees not apparent from its name at all: it’s not a true cedar tree, but instead a type of conifer – and no, it is not known to prefer mountain environments.
Mountain cedar trees are instead native to the central United States, preferring to grow in the harsh heat of Texas.
Sometimes, the mountain cedar tree is also called the Ashe juniper tree.
Mountain cedars grow at a rate of at least 24” per year, which makes them fast-growing, like the majority of cedar trees.
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10. New Zealand cedar: Libocedrus bidwillii
New Zealand cedar trees are native to New Zealand and are considered a near-threatened species of conifer tree due to their declining numbers in recent years.
The New Zealand cedar is fast-growing, but ecological damage and deforestation over time have contributed to its lessened numbers and near-threatened classification.
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11. Persian cedar: Cupressus sempervirens
Persian cedar trees are a type of cypress tree and were once considered plentiful where they originated. However, like many other types of cypress trees, their numbers are decreasing each year.
Persian cedar trees are famed for their growth speed and overall strength. Unfortunately, these ideal factors have also contributed to their eventual decline in number.
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12. Port Orford-cedar: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
The Port Oxford cedar is a type of cypress tree and not one of the four “true cedar” tree varieties. Port Oxford cedars are also sometimes called Lawson cypress trees and are native to certain parts of the United States (e.g., Oregon).
Port Oxford cedars are popular because they have some of the best qualities of the general cedarlike tree: strength and fast growth.
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13. Prickly cedar: Juniperus oxycedrus
The Sharp cedar is a specific, rarer type of cedar tree that occurs only in the Mediterranean region. It has a couple of qualities that set it apart from other types of juniper trees.
This is one of the only juniper trees with a defense mechanism: spines. Where other cedars do not protect themselves this way, the Sharp or Prickly cedar tree has evolved to include a sharp way of defense.
This type of cedar tree still shares the same characteristics as other juniper trees, including fast growth and a lifespan that is longer than that of any single human.
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14. Western red cedar: Thuja plicata
Western red cedar trees are found all along the Pacific Northwest, where they are considered a type of cypress tree (as opposed to one of the four true cedar trees by purists).
Western red cedar trees are similar to regular red cedar trees but grow happier in the Pacific Northwest area. Their color gives them the designation of “red” cedar.
Like other cedar trees, red cedars are highly adaptable and fast-growing. They also provide a habitat for other creatures—these cedar trees are essential but not as plentiful as they once were.
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15. Yellow cedar: Cupressus nootkatensis
Yellow cedar trees are native to Alaska and are also sometimes called Alaskan cedar trees. Though they are not one of the true four types of cedars, they are popular for gardeners and landscapers who need a reliable, cedar-like tree with quick growth.
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16. Spanish cedar
The Spanish cedar is one of the world’s true cedar trees, belonging to the genus Cedrela. It is native to Spain and, as of 2021, was on the endangered list.
The Spanish cedar tree is a perfect example of a cedar that exclusively prefers mountainous climates (and very high elevations) to grow.
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17. Australian red cedar: Toona ciliata
The Australian red cedar tree is native to Australia, but it shares many qualities with other types of red cedar trees, like the Eastern red cedar found in other parts of the world.
The Australian red cedar, like other types of red cedar trees, gets its name from the red coloration of its bark and wood.
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18. White cedar: Tabebuia heterophylla
White cedar trees are not one of the four true cedar trees, but they are still one of the most common varieties of cedars in gardens worldwide.
The white cedar gets its name from its white wood and bark, a combination that strongly contrasts with the darker red cedar found elsewhere. White cedar trees grow happily under most conditions and can even be adapted to grow as bonsai under the right circumstances.
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