Blue Atlas Cedar

The Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus Atlantica ‘Glauca’) is a medium- to large-sized ornamental evergreen tree. Its small distinctive blue-green needles that appear in clusters on its horizontal branches are presented in an open pyramidal form with a canopy very low to the ground. It is sparsely branched and fast growing when young but as it gets older its growth slows and starts to form a dense, conical canopy. This tree should be given plenty of space to grow without pruning as it naturally forms to an appealing shape and pruning the lowest branches makes it take on an almost deformed appearance.

The Blue Atlas Cedar is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco. It is a great choice as a stand alone lawn tree as its blue-green color and shapely appearance make it quite the spectacle. Very mature trees can become flat-topped and are quite magnificent. Mature trees are also drought resistant when grown in the right conditions (enough room for its roots to spread). It does best in full sun and does not have a preference to soil type but should be kept moderately moist until established.