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| Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula') |
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| USDA Zones 6A-8B (Including Florida & California) |
Use this beautiful evergreen as a specimen planting where it will not be crowded and has plenty of room to spread. Depending on the structure of your tree it can reach a height of 10-15 feet and a width of 8-10 feet across and would be difficult to transplant once established. As your tree matures its cascading branches will drape down to the ground giving your tree grace and charm.
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| Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca Pendula') |
Generally the trunk of a Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar can be trained as a spiral, grown horizontally or in a more upright form; therefore, they can be purchased at a variety of heights and shapes and will stay around the height at which they were trained. To prune the tree wait until late October-early November (mid-Fall) to clip off any weak or bent branches which are resting on the ground to an inch or two above the soil. The branches look best when cascading to the ground but it is recommended to perform this routine pruning in order to prevent any fungal disease that may result from the branches resting on soil. Branches that reach out beyond a desired point can also be pruned back to give fullness and strength to the structure of the tree. Other than that Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar do not require much pruning.
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| Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar takes on its own unique shape . |
Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar is not prone to any particular pests or diseases. Another plus is that they are also deer resistant! They do benefit from an early spring feeding and should be protected from strong winter winds. If you have clay soil break up the soil and add gypsum, which will help to improve drainage, or if the clay is very compact use a post-hole digger to dig down and add gravel to help water flow. When planting, allow this specimen plenty of room to grow so that it can reach its full potential.
If you are looking for something different, this specimen tree will highlight your landscape and bring you many years of enjoyment. Its silvery-blue needles and beautiful weeping habit make it an excellent addition as a focal point in the garden…an attribute that will only improve as your tree matures in age.
If you are looking for something different, this specimen tree will highlight your landscape and bring you many years of enjoyment. Its silvery-blue needles and beautiful weeping habit make it an excellent addition as a focal point in the garden…an attribute that will only improve as your tree matures in age.
Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.
14 comments:
I truly admire this plant and am sorry that we are just too cold here in Wisconsin for them... these photos are wonderful! Larry
Its a very beautiful plant but I don't know if its available in my part of world or not but I definitely give it a try and search for it. Very inspiring post.
rabia
Thank you for visiting and for your comments. In colder portions of the world you might like to try Colorado Blue Spruce (hardy to Zone 2) for the same blue color. There is also a weeping form of this plant.
Greetings from Southern California :-)
I added myself to follow your blog. You are more than welcome to visit mine and become a follower if you want to.
God Bless You, ~Ron
I purchased a home that has a 30 foot wide weeping atlas blue cedar. It is a beautiful tree that has grown to overshadow the beauty of the house. The previous owners had no idea of the treasure they had growing in their front yard.
Is there anyone I can consult for information on selling this tree so that it may be placed in an environment more fitting.
That sounds like a magnificient tree. I would suggest contacting local nurserys or growers to see if anyone has interest in it. For a tree that size a tree spade would probably be necessary to move it which can be costly. If the grower or nursery has a customer who would be interested in the tree then it may be worth the digging/moving expense. Probably the best bet would be to keep asking around as you are here and maybe there will be someone with interest. You could also try contacting any local builders of new homes looking to landscape them.
Hi Lee, I just purchased a spiral shaped weeping blue atlas cedar. I am happy with the height and width. Are you confident that the tree will remain close to its current size? 10 to 15' wide is far too big for my small lot. If there is a chance that it can reach that width, I will want to return it promptly. Thanks, Bird
Hi Bird-
The Upright Spiral Blue Atlas tend to stay slimmer but the tree will send lateral branches outward that can get quite extensive. The key is to maintain the width by pruning the lateral branches to keep them tighter to the tree. It is a beautiful specimen of a tree. You will probably grow to love its unusual shape-each one unique in its own way.
Lee
I'm so happy I found this website - I had a W.B.A.C. planted next to my house (an end-unit row-house in DC) about 22 years ago and it's approaching 18 feet in height. I never trained it to spiral or pruned it to keep it short; it has just towered upward in its own twisty way and appears to be quite healthy. My issue is this: the tree is about six feet away from the house and there is a sunny space between the house and the tree which would be perfect for another of my favorite shrubs (Fothergilla). The tree trunk near the base is about a foot in diameter and the hole for the shrub would be about three feet away, but I'm very concerned about having to cut tree roots to dig a hole for the Fothergilla. I would buy just a one-gallon-sized shrub to minimize the impact but I'm still worried - what are the odds of damaging my gorgeous weeping Blue Atlas Cedar? Thanks!
Your Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar sounds like a magnificent tree and probably has an extensive root system. Generally tree roots extend to the outreach of the branches. If you have concerns about digging near your mature tree I would suggest avoiding it. You can still get you Fothergilla but plant it in a spot where it can grow. I believe they grow to about four feet. To fill the gap between your tree and the house perhaps you can add a nice boulder as an accent and the tree branches can weep over which could add a nice touch. Hope this helps.
~ Lee
Thank you for your advice on prunning but I am still somewhat unsure. I have a spiral Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar that I had trained to a certain height. The leading branch is now extending down to the ground. Do I trim that off? If I do that will it start sprouting more branches there? Or do I start to train that leading branch? It is starting to not look so artistic and is heading into another bush. Kimberly
Hi Kimberly,
Generally speaking the leader branches that extend to the ground give the tree more interest, especially as they start to fill out. Without actually seeing the tree the best advice I could give you is to do some selective pruning and train the branch to go in a direction away from the other shrubs. You did mention that the tree is no longer looking as "artistic" so go with your instinct and prune a little at a time-nothing drastic. Hope this helps.
~ Lee
Thanks. How would I post a picture? Maybe then I could get some artistic feedback. One thing I was thinking was to use it to start another serpentine or spiral going up in the space. That would keep it out of the roses going around the gazebo.
Kimberly
You can e-mail me a photo. I think your idea of creating another serpentine is a good one!
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