Pacific yew - Taxus brevifolia

The Pacific yew tree (species: Taxus brevifolia) is common in the forests of the Northwestern United States. It also goes by the common names of "Western yew" or "Oregen yew". The images in this post come from trees that I found in northern Idaho Western red cedar forests. This tree species is somewhat unique in that it is an evergreen with a berry like seed cone. These are called "arils" and are about 8-12 mm in diameter. They have a round shape but have an opening on the bottom side (see image below)

The berry like seed containers mature to a red color and contain a single seed. The seeds are dispersed by birds who eat the aril and then deposit the seed in their excrement. The leaves of the Pacific yew tree are flat and needle-like similar to some fir trees. The leaflets are about 2-3 cm in length and have point on the ends. The leaves are also arranged horizontally on the branches.
One of the distinctive features of the Pacific yew is that neither its main trunk or branches are straight but rather tend to be somewhat curvy and irregular. In western forests these trees grow in the shade of much larger trees are also most likely impacted by deep snows in the winter.
The bark of the Pacific yew tree is light brown in color and exhibits a flaky texture that peels off in thin strips. The main trunks on these trees were about 8 inches in diameter.

The Pacific yew tree is one of the tree species used in the making of wood archery bows.

This tree is a relative of the European Yew.

Perkins Cedar Grove at Morris Creek

There is a magnificent grove of Western Red Cedar trees located near the Idaho town of Elk River and about eight miles from the "Giant Cedar" that I mentioned in my last post. As the sign below explains this grove is a "'climax community" where one tree species has come to dominate a local habitat. In this case it is the Western Red Cedars that have come out as the dominant species. There are several other small tree species that peacefully coexist with the cedars though. These are the Pacific yew and the Sitka alder.
To locate this Cedar grove go to the town of Elk River and visit the Elk River Lodge where they will gladly give you a small map with instructions on how to find the Giant Cedar and the Morris Creek grove.
One of the exciting things about this particular Cedar grove is that there is no evidence of it ever having been logged. Logged Western Red Cedar stumps can last for a very long time but in this location the only stumps I found were from trees that had broken off in storms. I also found some evidence of fire but the great trees seemed to have survived just fine.
The largest trees in the grove appear to be about 8 feet across at breast height. We saw at least a dozen of these as well as many more that were 5-7 feet in diameter.

Giant Cedar near Elk River Idaho

Near the small town of Elk River, Idaho is the largest tree in North America east of the Cascade -Sierra Crest. The tree is a Western Red Cedar that is 18 feet in diameter at breast hight and 177 feet tall. The sign near the tree identifies it as the "Giant Cedar" but I have also seen it called the "King Cedar". This tree is estimated to be about 3000 years old.
Part of the reason for this trees great size is the fact that it has a small stream that literally flows right under it. The ground around the tree is rather boggy which is probably why a deck like platform has been built leading up to and around the tree. The platform is several feet off the ground. One of the interesting things about this tree is that it has wheelchair access. The trail from the parking area is paved right up to where the platform starts.
The trail that leads to the Giant Cedar takes you by a number of other very large Western Red Cedar trees that from a small grove of surviving giants. There are a good dozen trees that range in girth from 4 to 8 feet. Laying right next to the Giant Cedar is a large nurse log of a tree that must have been similar in size to the Giant. There is a small new cedar tree growing right up out of the side of the nurse log.
Looking up into the branches of th Giant Cedar is an interesting view as can be seen in the image below. There are a lot of dead branches on the tree but it is still very much alive.
The image below help to show the immense size of this tree at its base. Remember that the platform is about 2 feet off the ground.
This tree is a bit difficult to find. We were aided by the kind folks at the Elk River Lodge in Elk River who gave us a small map with instructions on how to find the tree. The distance from Elk River to the Giant Cedar is about 10-11 miles on a well kept forest service road. There is also some great camping sites along the road that takes you up to the King Cedar.

Also nearby is the Perkins Cedar Grove at Morris Creek.

Check out the BIG STUMP of another giant Cedar tree of years gone by.

New Poll about the world´s most valued tree species

I have posted a new poll in the right column about the world´s most valued tree species. In this new poll I left out some of the options from the previous poll and more importantly I added two new options that should have been included in the first poll. In case anyone is interested the initial results of the previous poll had the Olive tree with a slight lead over the rest and then a close tie between four other trees; Apple, Coffee, Oak and Cedar of Lebanon.

In this new poll I have included these five tree species and then added the Sacred fig/bodhi and the Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba).

I have based the selection of these seven trees on their historical popularity as well as their current popularity as illustrated by how much information there is about them on the internet. It stands to reason that the more information there is about any given tree on the internet the more highly valued it is by the general public. Take into consideration that my evaluation has been done in the English language and that in other languages there may be differences in which are the most valued trees. In fact I believe that the two tree species that I have added to this new poll are in fact much more valued in Asia then there are in other parts of the globe.

So, the seven options for this poll are...

Sacred Fig-Bodhi (Ficus religiosa)

Maidenhair (Ginkgo biloba)

Apple tree (Malus domestica)

Coffee tree (Caffea arabica)

Olive tree (Olea europaea)

Oak tree (Quercus robur)

Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)

What to you think is the most valued tree species in the world all factors included? Give us your opinion? -->

The Importance of Trees

There are many ways in which trees can be valuable to us and to the environment as a whole. Here are a few of them...

• Trees provide food for us to eat. There are species of trees that provide fruit, nuts, starch, Olive oil etc.
• Trees provide sweets for us to eat as well. Chocolate comes from the Cocoa tree. Maple syrup is from the Sugar maple tree.
  
• Trees are used to make juices such as Apple, Orange, Lemon etc.
  
• Trees are used to make hot drinks. Coffee and Cocoa trees are the most well known but others such as the Linden are used for herbal teas.
  
• Trees provide spices to flavor our food and drinks with such as Cinnamon or Cloves.
• Trees are used to make fragrances. Mahogany is used as a base note in a good number of perfumes. Bay leaf or Cypress are used in the middle notes while trees such as Eucalyptus or Lemon are used in the top notes.
• Trees are the source of essential oils. Sweet Orange, Cedarwood or Blue Gum are sources of important essential oils.
• Trees are the source of medicines. A few medicinal trees are the Benjamin, Camphor or Rauwolfia.
• Trees are used in toothpaste. Natural XYLITOL from Birch trees is used in Squigle toothpaste.
  
• Paper is made from trees. The pulp that paper is made from comes mostly from softwood trees such as Poplar, Pine, Larch etc. With this would be included cardboard, carton, etc.
  
• Trees are also the source of rubber. Although the Ficus Elastica is called the rubber tree most rubber is made from the sap (called Latex) of the Para Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).
• Trees are used to make soap. Olive, Argan, Coconut, Cocoa and Brazilnut oil are all used to make hand soaps. One of the earliest trees used in the making of soap was the Cassia tree.
• Trees are also used in cosmetics make things such as exfoliators, lotions or toners.
• Trees are used in tattooing. Henna from Lawsonia inermis has been used for body art for thousands of years.
• Trees are used in aromatherapy. The Bergamot orange (Citrus aurantium ssp. bergamia) or Lemon scented gum (Corymbia citriodora) trees are fine examples.
  
• Trees are used to make musical instruments. One of the secrets of the violin resides in the wood it is made of. Spruce and Maple are two of the key woods.
  
• Trees are used to make tools. Many different hardwoods such as Oak are used to make axe and spade handles.
  
• Trees are used for firewood and cooking charcoal. The harder the wood the longer and hotter it burns. Holm oak is a great example.
  
• Trees are used to make homes and shelters for people and animals. Wherever trees are readily available they have been used to make homes and shelters. In the northwest United States Western Redcedar or Ponderosa Pine are used as timber for construction.
  
• Trees are used to make liquor. In Spain the acorns of Oak trees are used to make Acorn liquor.
• Trees are used to make clothing. In primitive tribal societies in Papua New Guinea the bark of several tree species was pounded into a thin semi-flexible cloth and made into skits and capes. Large leaves are also used to cover certain body parts by tucking the leaves into a belt.
• Baskets can be made from trees. One example is small baskets made from pine needles.
  
• Trees are used to make furniture. Pine and Fir wood is favored by the Northern Europeans while Oak, Beech or Walnut is used in countries such as Germany and Switzerland.
  
• Trees are an important source of shade. Some Ficus species provide an almost total blockage of the sunlight while others such as the Persian Lilac or Blue Jacaranda provide a more pleasant shade.
  
• Trees are used to make rafts, canoes and other small boats. Birch bark was used by native Americans on their canoes. The bark was stretched over a wood frame that was sometimes made of cedar.
  
• Trees are used in hunting. Yew trees have long been used for making hunting bows. Trees have also been used bow hunters who stand in elevated platforms to wait for their prey to pass. Young trees have also been used to make traps.
  
• Trees are used to make fences. Apart from fence post in Europe some tree species such as Holm oak or Ash are planted long fence lines to support and form part of the fence as living fence posts.
  
• Trees are used to as ornamental trees to beautify gardens, avenues and parks. The London plane is the arch-typical urban tree while trees such as the common cypress have been used to make tree "sculptures".
  
• Trees are important because they clean the air we breath. Many people don´t realize that the substance that trees are mostly made of (the carbon) comes not from the ground but from the air. Trees convert CO2 into oxygen that we need to breath.
  
• Trees stabilize hillsides and keep top soil from being washed away.
• Trees scrub carbon from the air and help store it.
• Trees help keep river courses from eroding into banks.
• Trees provide food and shelter to many species of birds and animals.
• Trees have important roles in many religious belief systems. Buddha is associated with the Sacred Fig tree.
  
• Trees are important national, state and local symbols. The Oak of Guernica is a very important symbol for the Basque people for example.
  
• Trees are historical landmarks.
  
• Trees stabilize the environment.
• Trees are used to make paper for books, magazines and newspapers.
• Trees are used to make artifacts and carvings. Carvings of masks, figurines, animals, idols, etc are common in most native cultures.
  
• Trees are used to make shoes. In Northern Europe wooden shoes called "Clogs" are made from Willow, Poplar, Birch, Beech and Alderwood.
  
• Trees have been used to make airplanes. The famous "Spruce Goose" giant airplane that is now on display at the Evergreen Aviation and Space museum in Oregon is made almost entirely of wood.
• The ground shells of the Black Walnut tree are used as a polishing abrasive and as an additive in well-drilling mud.
• There are trees that improve soil quality and can be used as natural crop boosters two examples are Cajanus cajan or Gliricidia sepium.
  

Submit your vote for the world´s most valued tree species at the top of the right column.

Sculptured Cypress Trees - Retiro Park

In the "El Parterre" section of the "Parque del Buen Retiro" in Madrid Spain there are a series of sculptured trees that look like something out of a Dr. Sues book. I was not sure what species of tree they were but upon closer examination I found them to be Mediterranean Cypress trees (Cupressus sempervirens). This tree species is most often found with its columnar form but as you can see from these images it can be shapped into almost any form.
The "Parterre" section of the park is quite close to the Prado museum and has a classic French garden type layout with several other notable tree species. In the image below the large tree on the right, tht is a bit brown in color, is a Montezuma Cypress tree (Taxodium mucronatum). It is the most famous tree in the Retiro park and is believed to be close to 400 years old. The other two evergreen type trees to the left are are either Atlas or Himalayan Cedar trees.

Not to far from this part of the park is a crystal palace with a large pond that is the home to several Baldcypress trees (Taxodium distichum).

Mediterranean Cypress - Cupressus sempervirens

The Mediterranean Cypress tree (species: Cupressus sempervirens) is known by many common names which include; Common Cypress, Italian Cypress, Graveyard Cypress, Tuscan Cypress, Funeral Cypress, Pencil Pine or Spanish Cypress. The Latin name "sempervirens" can be divided into two parts "semper" - always or ever and "virens" - green. Thus the term can be translated as "evergreen".

Seed cones

The Mediterranean Cypress tree is similar to the "Cedar of Lebanon" in that there are references to it that reach as far back as the Greek mythologies. Cyparissus is a mythical figure who was a friend of the Greek god Apollo. According to the myth Cyparissus was transformed by Apollo into a Cypress tree so that he could forever mourn the death of a dear stag that he had slain. Notice the close resemblance between the name "Cyparissus" and the name of the genus "Cupressus".

Polen cones at the terminal ends of the scale like leaves.

As can be deduced from several of the common names of this tree species the "Graveyard" or "Funeral" Cypress is closely associated with cemeteries and mourning. This can possibly be traced back to the Greek myth of Apollo and Cyparissus but the truth of the matter is that many cemeteries in Southern Europe are graced with these trees. The Cypress and the Yew are by far the most common trees in Mediterranean cemetaries.

Scale like leaves

The Mediterranean Cypress has been cultivated as an ornamental tree for thousands of years. It was the Romans who began to spread the cultivation of this tree throughout the Roman empire. It was prized for its columnar shape (although this tree species is not always straight and thin). It is also the source of strong durable wood that was used by the Phoenicians and Cretans used the wood for building ships and by the Egyptians who used it to make sarcophagi.

Cypress oil has a woody, slightly spicy and refreshing masculine smell. The oil is colorless to very pale yellow in color and watery in viscosity.

The Island of Cypress derives its name from this tree and according to at least one legend the Cross the Jesus was crucified on was made of the wood of the Mediterranean Cypress.

Bark of a mature Cypress tree

This tree species is also used in the cultivation of Bonsai trees.

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Bonsai Garden Secrets

"Bonsai Gardening Secrets" is an easy to understand quick-start guide that'll show you how to create stunningly beautiful Bonsai trees

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Best woods for bow making

Yew (Taxus Baccata) The "Longbows" used historically in Europe were made from the wood of this tree species. The wood of the Yew tree is both strong and flexible.

"Yew forests were once common in France and Germany. The wood of the English Yew was used for bows by Celtic and Teutonic warriors, a practice which eventually led to the demise of the great Yew forests of Western Europe. In Teutonic areas the Yew had important symbolic significance."

Pacific (Oregon) yew (Taxus brevifolia) Today the "Oregon Yew" is the Yew tree species of choice for bows made from Yew wood.

Osage orange, Hedge Apple or "Bodark" (Maclura pomifera) A highly prized wood for bow making although its high price might put it out of the price range of some.

Lemonwood also called Degame (Calycophyllum candidissimum) is a quality wood from South America that is used as an economic alternative to Osage or Yew.

Pignut Hickory or White wood - (species: Carya glabra)


Black locust - (Robinia pseudoacacia)
"Black locust is a good bow wood. It performs as good as any wood at smaller widths except for Osage. It also can have a tendency to crystallize on the belly where it is over worked. Any bow made from Black Locust will have to be tillered very well. Any faults in tillering could result in crystals forming."

Black walnut - (Juglans nigra L.)
Black Walnut is used for its beauty as a wood. The striking contrast between the heart wood and the sap wood makes for a great two toned effect.

Other trees used for bows include...

• Southern red cedar, 
• mulberry, ironwood, 
• apple, 
• sassafras,
• slippery elm, 
• white ash, 
• juniper

Tree Art (by trees)

Palm Nuts

Maple Leaves

Horse Chestnut bark

Atlas Cedar pollen cones

When it comes to art why not let trees speak for themselves. Every tree species is a work of art in and of itself. Why not take the time to stop and contemplate the beauty of creation.

Port Orford Cedar - Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

The Port Orford "Cedar" tree (species - Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a coniferous evergreen tree native to Northern California and Southern Oregon. In the picture above it is the cypress looking tree in the center. Other common names for this tree include Lawson cypress, Oregon Cedar, White Cedar and Ginger Pine. This tree is not realy a true cedar but rather belongs to one of the species families that are called by the name Cypress.
The image above is of the female "flower" or cone of the Port Orford Cedar and the image below is the male flower.
You can see from the image below that the male and female flowers grow on the same branch but are on distinct branchlets. The leaves are scale like.
The seeds (in my hand at the top of the image below) are small and have a sort of "flying saurcer" shape.

"Today nearly all harvested Port-Orford-cedar is exported to Japan. Port-Orford-cedar is very similar to hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa) wood, which is used in traditional Japanese house and temple construction. On federal timber sales, Japanese trading companies sometimes purchase stumpage on bid after examining individual trees. The wood is regarded so highly as a hinoki substitute that trees are felled with great care; sometimes cables are used to control the fall." from http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/chalaw/all.html

"The wood is light and durable, and particularly highly valued in east Asia, with large amounts being exported to Japan where it is in high demand for making coffins. Due to the straightness of its grain, it is also one of the preferred woods for the manufacture of arrow shafts". - The Rampant Gardener

Western Hemlock - Tsuga heterophylla

The Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) is the State tree species of Washington State. Being originally from Eastern Washington I have to admit that I was surprised to discover that the Western Hemlock was our state tree. I would have guessed that the Western Red Ceder or the Ponderosa Pine would have been much better choices. As it turns out my feeling was not unjustified. The following quote is from official Washington State government website...

http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/statesymbols/

“In 1946, an Oregon newspaper teased Washington for not having a state tree. The Portland Oregonian picked out the western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla for us, but Washington newspapers decided to choose their own and selected the popular western red cedar. State Representative George Adams of Mason County pleaded with the Legislature to adopt the western hemlock. The hemlock, he said, would become "the backbone of this state's forest industry." Adams' bill passed the Legislature and was signed into law in 1947.”

One of the distinctive features of the Western Hemlock is its "floppy" top and branches. One way to pick out the Hemlocks in the forest is to look for the trees that have the top sort of flopped over to one side as if they were too limp to stand up straight at the top. Also in the image above you can see how the end of the branch is somewhat limp.

The "needle-like" leaves of the Western Hemlock are somewhat flat and do not occur in bunches like a lot of other evergreens. They are about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch long.

These pictures are not actually from a tree in Washington State but rather from a tree in Stanley Park in Vancouver B.C. that was conveniently labeled with the little plate below.

The Quote "Root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark" comes from "The Tragedy of Macbeth" scene one spoken by the Third Witch. It is a bit strange that this quote is used in connection with the Western Hemlock because the "Hemlock" that is referred to in the quote is not a tree and has no resemblance what so ever to this tree. Rather it is a poisonous perennial herbaceous flowering plant with the species name Conium maculatum. It looks like somebody did not do their homework right.

The cones of the Western Hemlock are quite small (less than an inch long) which makes them a favorite for use in arts and crafts as well as for potpourri.


A similar tree is the Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) that is the state tree of Pennsylvania.

50 American State Trees Trivia

Did you know that there are only 39 state tree species that compromise the 50 official state trees? This is due to the fact that some of the official state trees species are shared by more than one state.

The Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) is the state tree of no less than FOUR states! New York, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin all have the Sugar Maple as their state tree.

In addition there are three more tree species that are each claimed by three different states.

- Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee have the Tulip Poplar as their state tree.
- Connecticut, Illinois and Maryland have the White Oak as their state tree.
- Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia have the Flowering Dogwood as their state tree.

Five more trees are shared claimed by two different states

- Colorado and Utah have the Blue Spruce as their state tree.
- North Dakota, Massachusettshave the American Elm as their state tree.
- Florida, South Carolina have the Cabbage Palmetto as their state tree.
- Kansas,Nebraska have the Eastern Cottonwood as their state tree.
- Maine, Michigan have the Eastern White Pine as their state tree.

Mississippi has the Southern Magnolia as its state tree and Louisiana as the State Flower.

Three states have two official state trees.

- California (Giant Sequoia and Coastal Redwood)

- Nevada (Singleleaf Pinyon and Bristlecone Pine)

- New Jersey (Red Oak is the official tree and Flowering Dogwood is the memorial tree)

19 States have Evergreen conifers as their state trees

-10 are Pine trees
-4 are Spruce trees
-2 are Hemlocks
-1 is Redwood
-1 is a Douglas Fir
-1 is a Cypress

6 States have Oak trees

5 States have Maple trees

2 States have Cottonwoods

2 States have palm trees

Only one State has a fruit tree as the state tree (Texas - Pecan)

No state has the Western Red Cedar as its official state tree

There are no true firs (genus Abies) among the state trees (Douglas Fir is not a true fir)

All 39 official state tree species...

American Elm (2) Massachusetts, North Dakota

American Holly Delaware

Bald Cypress Louisiana

Blue Paloverde Arizona

Blue Spruce(2) Colorado, Utah

Bristlecone Pine Nevada

Cabbage Palmetto (2) Florida , South Carolina

Douglas Fir Oregon

Eastern Cottonwood (2) Kansas,Nebraska

Eastern Hemlock Pennsylvania

Eastern Redbud Oklahoma

Eastern White Pine (2) Maine, Michigan

Flowering Dogwood (3) Missouri, New Jersey, Virginia

Giant Sequoia California

Kukui Hawaii

Live Oak Georgia

Loblolly Pine Arkansas

Longleaf Pine North Carolina

Northern Red Oak New Jersey

Oak tree Iowa

Ohio Buckeye Ohio

Paper Birch New Hampshire

Pecan Texas

Pinyon Pine New Mexico

Plains Cottonwood Wyoming

Ponderosa Pine Montana

Redwood California

Red Maple Rhode Island

Red Pine Minnesota

Singleleaf Pinyon Nevada

Sitka Spruce Alaska

Southern Longleaf Pine Alabama

Southern Magnolia Mississippi

Sugar Maple (4) New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Tulip Poplar (3) Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee

Western Hemlock Washington

Western White Pine Idaho

White Oak (3) Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland

White Spruce South Dakota


Non-State territories official trees...

District of Columbia - scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea)

Puerto Rico - Ceiba or Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

Guam – Ifil (Intsia bijuga)

Bonus: Did you know that the United States has a National Tree? The Oak tree (no species specified) is the national tree.

The Greatest Trees in the World

This is a list of the 12 most magnificent and famous tree species in the world and their greatest specimens. I have also posted an expanded version of this post on my Ten Thousand Trees Blog that has pictures of each tree.

Largest tree by Volume - Giant Sequoia

• General Sherman tree
  
• Sequoiadendron giganteum
• Volume of trunk 52,500 cu. ft. (1,486.6 cu.m.)
• runner-up General Grant tree
  

Tallest tree - Coastal Redwood

• Hyperion tree
• Sequoia sempervirens
• height 379 feet (115.5 meters)
• runner-up the Stratosphere Giant

Largest Spread - Bengal Fig

• Great Banyan at Calcutta
• Ficus Benghalensis-L
• spread - 3.7 acres (1.5 hectares) with 2880 prop roots
• runner-up Sai-ngam banyan tree in Thailand

Oldest Individual tree - Bristlecone Pine

• Methuselah tree
• Pinus longaeva
• age 4,840 years
• (the Jomon Sugi tree has been reported to be older (7,200 years) but more conservative estimates date it at 2,200 years old)

Largest Girth - Montezuma Cypress

• Árbol del Tule (Oaxaca, Mexico)
• Taxodium mucronatum
• 11.62 meters in diameter
  
• circumference of 36.2 m

Greatest Baobab - Adansonia digitata

• Sunland Baobab
• Adansonia digitata
• circumference of 46,8m (a Baobab´s girth expands and contracts depending on how much water it is holding . . . it is assumed that this measurement reflects the girth at its point of greatest expansion)
• runner-up - Chapman´s Baobab

Tallest Flowering Tree - Mountain Ash

• Icarus Dream (Andromeda, Tasmania)
• Eucalyptus regnans
• Height 97 metres (318 feet)
• Alternate tree - Trident Tree (96.5 meters)

Largest and oldest clonal colony - Quacking Aspen

• Pando tree (Utah, USA)
• Populus tremuloides
• 107 acres (43 hectares) and approx 47,000 stems
• (Clonal colonies are groupings of "trees" (in reality stems) that are all part of a single living organism)

Most Revered tree - Sacred Fig (Bo, Bodhi, Pipal)

• Sri Maha Bodhi (Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka)
• Ficus religiosa
• Propagated from the Bodhi tree
• A descendant of the tree under which Buddha is thought to have received his enlightenment.

Most Resistant tree - Mesquite

• The Tree of Life (Bahrain)
• Located out in the desert 1.2 miles (two kilometers) from the Jebel Dukhan
• Source of water unknown
  

Most Important in History - Cedar of Lebanon

• Cedars of Lebanon
• Cedrus libani
  
• Mentioned in many ancient texts such as the Bible and the Koran
• Important to many ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Arabs etc.

Greatest "Living Fossil" tree - Dragon tree

• El Drago Milenario (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)
  
• Dracaena draco
• over 1000 years old

More trees of renown...
Garden of Gethsemane Olive trees
Fortingall Yew
Tane Mahuta
Te Matua Ngahere
Angel Oak Tree
Grandidier's Baobab
Giant Java Willow
Meiji Shrine Wishing tree
Alishan Sacred Tree II - Taiwan
900 year old Pine tree in Italy
Tree climbed by one million people!

Complete index of trees profiled

The following is a list of all the trees that I have profiled to date. I update this post each time I add a new tree so don´t give too much credence to the date. I have listed the trees by their common names in alphabetical order and each name is also a link to the post about that tree species. Each post consists of a series of images that will help identify the tree as well as some observations that I have made about the tree and the location where the pictures were taken.

African Tulip tree
Aleppo pine
Atlas Cedar
Australian silver-oak
Avocado tree
Banyan trees
Blue Jacaranda
Bottlebrush tree
Boxelder Maple
Bunya Bunya
Bush Kurrajong
Canary Island Palm
Canary Island Pine
Carob tree
Cedar of Lebanon
Ceiba pubiflora
Cherry Blossoms
Chinese fan palm
Coastal Redwood
Cockspur Coral tree
Common Horse Chestnut
Cork Oak
Council tree (Ficus Altissima)
Date Palm
Dragon´s blood tree
Edible Fig (Ficus Carica)
Empress of China
Eucalyptus torquata
European Yew
European redbud
False Aralia
Ficus benjamina
Fiddle leaf fig
Field Elm
Flame tree leaves
Giant Sequoia
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo Petrified Forest
Himalayan Cedar
Holm Oak
Hong Kong Orchid tree
Huge Cedar Stump
Illawara Flame tree
Indian Bean tree
Kafferboom Coral tree
Lacebark Kurrajong
Lilac
Little Kurrajong
Legend of the Ceibo
Madagascar palm
Malabar Chestnut
Mexican Blue Palm
Monkey puzzle tree
Montpellier Maple
Norfolk Island Pine
Norfolk vs. Cook Pine
Olive tree
Pecan tree
Pedunculate oak
Persian lilac
Persian Silk tree
Pine nuts
Pomegranate
Ponderosa Pine
Ponytail Palm
Portuguese Oak
Purple Orchid tree
Rosewood - Tipuana tipu
Rubber tree
Sacred Chestnut
Sacred Fig
Southern Magnolia
Saucer magnolia
Schefflera Arboricola
Silk Floss Tree
Snowflake aralia
Spanish Fir
Strawberry tree
Sweet Chestnut
Umbrella tree
Walnut
Weeping Bottlebrush tree
Weeping Willow
Western Redcedar
Where does cork come from?
White popinac tree
White Bird of Paradise
White Silk Floss tree
Yakusugi Cedar

Here are a few other sites where I have posted more images and information about trees...
Palm Tree Species
Bonsai Species
Evergreen Species
Ten Thousand Trees

Himalayan Cedar tree - Cedrus deodara

I found this Himalayan Cedar tree (Cedrus deodara) this morning in the "El Retiro" park of Madrid, Spain. The Retiro park is similar to the "Central Park" of New York City and is a paradise for arbourist and tree lovers. The Spanish name "Retiro" means retreat, so named because it is where many of Madrid´s local residents go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This morning was no exception, the park was full of people doing all sorts of activities as well as just relaxing.

The Himalayan Cedar is one of the true cedars and is a close relative to the Cedar of Lebanon and the Atlas Cedar. It can be distinguished from these other two by the length of its leaves (up to 2 inches long) and by the number of leaves on reach "rosette" (12-15).
Another distinguishing feature of the Himalayan Cedar is that the new branches tend to hang down in a sort of "weeping tree" manner. In the images below you can see the new leaves that are growing at the center of each rosette.

This particular cedar is quite big, with the trunk measuring about 3-4 feet in diameter at the base. I estimate the hight at about 100 feet. In the top image above you can see the distinct shape of these cedars.
The image below is not too clear but does show the bark pattern of this tree species.

The cones of this tree are very similar to those of the Cedar of Lebanon
The image below is of another tree I found in the Retiro park that was even taller than the one above.