Deodar Cedar care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara) wants full sun and a drink about every 10 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 9. It is safe to have around pets.
| scientific name | Cedrus deodara |
|---|---|
| family | Pinaceae |
| category | tree |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 10 |
| mature height cm | 2500 |
| min zone | 7 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| toxic to pets | false |
| toxic to humans | false |
| edible | false |
How often should I water Deodar Cedar?
Graceful, drooping; needs room.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: medium. Palatable to grazing animals: medium. Palatable to people: no.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is low. Its moisture use is low. Its drought tolerance is high. It wants at least about 20 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 80 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 6.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. It needs at least 160 frost-free days. Its salt tolerance is low. Its tolerance of chalky soil is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -15°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is long. It puts on most of its growth in spring. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 60.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 35 feet. Its roots go down at least 20 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: yes.
What it looks like
It blooms in late summer. The flowers are green. Conspicuous in flower: no. The foliage is dark green. The foliage texture is fine. In summer the canopy is dense in porosity. In winter it is dense in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is green. Fruit begins in spring. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits medium. The fruit persists on the plant: yes. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: yes. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List · 2026-09-02