Comments on: Himalayan Cedar: Cedrus deodara ‘Karl Fuchs’

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 18:11:37 +0000

I live in colorado on the front range north of Denver. I planted a six foot Karl Fuchs four years ago in my backyard. So far it has endured not only -23 f but also the driest winter on record. It came through a hailstorm that hit last spring with close to baseball sized hail. It is now fourteen feet tall and going strong. It is in full sun but gets some protection from NW winter winds. I would say no winter burn here where green giant arborvitae gets south burn and grows out of it this gets none. I would say it transplants better from a container than from b&b. It is an amazing plant. My neighbor has a 3″ autumn blaze maple planted just south of it and the cedar is outgrowing it vertically.

By: Ernest Carter

Ernest Carter — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:20:51 +0000

The deodars I have planted are in the as much sun as they can get. I have copious amounts of shade from the oak maple canopy and this limited where I could grow a cedar. They appear to like to cook in summer as long as possible. So install the tree in as much light as you can and do not worry about exposure, these trees are native to the windswept slopes of the high, cold and dry Himalayas. To be absolutely honest the less i mess with these plants the better they look. good luck!

By: Administrator

Administrator — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:39:30 +0000

Thanks for the comment, nice to know it will do well.

I didn’t plant mine close to the house, but I did plant it in the shelter of a large spruce, I do worry about them competing for room.

What kind of sun exposure do you have for yours?

I’m in Lansing by the way.

By: Ernest Carter

Ernest Carter — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:04:29 +0000

Your cedar will grow quite well in zone five. I live in central Michigan and have no less than 15 of these trees planted on a two acre lot, the oldest now ten years old. We experienced at least minus twenty twice in that time period and none of these trees has had any damage. My cedars are growing fast and soon I will, with regret I will have to cut the oldest one down, now thirty feet tall. This is because listening to all the misinformation on their ability to take the cold winter I planted the tree to close to the house believing they need a lot of protection, THEY DO NOT.

By: Karl in Baltimore

Karl in Baltimore — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:25:01 +0000

Many shrubs pruned into trees can be planted in large pots.

By: Karl in Baltimore

Karl in Baltimore — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:23:27 +0000

Check with the city (Department of Parks). Many times they have city friendly plants available – some will even give you the tree for free. For a fee they will usually dig up the concrete and even plant it for you if streetside or necessary. Once it is planted it is usually up to you to water and maintain the tree. A warning: because of the adverse conditions in the city (higher temperatures, people and pet abuse, road salt, bumped by vehicles, concrete confines etc.) trees are usually semi short lived. An option is to take a small tree or prune a shrub into a tree form. In Baltimore a Crape Myrtle is good for this – not sure what zone you are in or how big your backyard is – this all makes a difference. You can also look for city garden clubs on-line often they are very helpful.

By: Gardening Tip

Gardening Tip — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:13:24 +0000

I used to live in an area full of these trees, I definitely miss it now living more in the city. I am considering planting one in my backyard, any planting suggestions?

By: Joseph Tychonievich

Joseph Tychonievich — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:53:28 +0000

Wow… it is gorgeous. I love cedars, but I didn’t think any where zone 5 hardy! I’ll be interested to see how yours does.