From their distant lands, the Cedars have brought us their imposing and majestic silhouettes, with their unmistakable landscape style. But with them also came an aromatic wood, appreciated by carpenters, a renowned essential oil, and beautiful stories.
A majestic tree
Standing in parks and botanical gardens, the Cedars impose themselves by their high stature, majestically spread out in tiers. They seem to have been there for centuries, even millennia. And yet the first of them, a Cedar of Lebanon, arrived a little less than 3 centuries ago, planted by Bernard de Jussieu in the Paris plant garden in 1734. Since then, they have been planted for their landscaping role, but also for their forestry role, given the quality of their wood.
There are 4 species of Cedars in the world. The Cedar of Lebanon, Cedrus libani, the Cedar of the Atlas, Cedrus atlantica, the Cedar of the Himalayas, Cedrus deodora, and the Cedar of Cyprus, Cedrus brevifolia.
Various origins
The Cedar of Lebanon, native to the country of which it is the emblem, but also to Asia Minor, has been appreciated for its remarkable qualities for thousands of years, and its exploitation since Antiquity has led to the decline of its vast original forests.
Arrived in France a little later, the Atlas Cedar comes from the mountains of North Africa. Planted for its ornamental qualities, tending towards the glaucous, but also for its wood and its rapid growth, it can be found as much in isolated areas as in large exploited forests.
The Himalayan Cedar, a tree from the mountains of Afghanistan, from the north-western Himalayas, requires a particular ecosystem, and is mainly found in botanical gardens, arboretums, parks...
Distant medicinal properties
The ancient names of the trees confuse the issue of their past medicinal uses. The word Cedar did not refer only to Cedrus trees in the past. Many junipers bore this name, including the Oxycedra juniper, which makes it difficult to find precise writings.
Currently, we use the essential oil from the Atlas Cedar, with antifungal, antiseptic, soothing properties... It also seems to be suitable for hair care, treatment of cellulite, could play a role in respiratory tract disorders .... As for all essential oils, precautions of use are necessary, dosages, dilutions, advice of professionals, must be followed.
Aromatic uses
Cedar wood, strongly aromatic, has a repulsive action on insects, in particular moths. Balls and even hangers made of Cedar wood limit the presence of these undesirable insects. This property is worth to him to be used as shoe tree, support in the shape of foot on which is arranged the shoes: in addition to the maintenance of the shape and the drying the wood of Cedar brings a pleasant perfume.
The resin, very caustic, aromatic, was used for the embalming of bodies.
Naval fleets made of cedar wood
Famous for shipbuilding, which has led to its overexploitation in Lebanon, Cedar wood has a pinkish beige color and a fine grain. Durable, it has a good mechanical resistance, but would be brittle and would not like shocks. It is used in carpentry and cabinet making. Its rot-proof character has made it the wood of choice for the manufacture of sarcophagi and crossbeams in mines.
The qualities of Cedar wood are directly related to its habitat. A too fast growth in a favorable environment will make him lose any interest of exploitation.
Some stories...
According to its origins, the Cedar represents greatness, wisdom and duration, but also purity, majesty, nobility, power, sometimes bordering on pride... More than a tree, it would be a divine being capable of predicting the weather. The Bible quotes it many times.
In the epic of Gilgamesh, the guardian of the Cedar forest, Humbaba, dies, and from then on the trees will not cease to be cut down...
The Cedar Wedding celebrates 49 years of marriage.
Cedars have a long history with humans. Ornamental trees, but also with multiple uses, resistant to human pollution, reseeding with vigor, they seem to be able to settle permanently in our landscapes.
