The Lebanese cedar is a famous Middle Eastern tree that is mentioned many times in the Bible. Extraordinary properties this tree determined the character of one of ancient civilizations Mediterranean - Phoenician. And the Phoenicians, in turn, had a decisive influence on the development of the entire ancient world.
Lebanese cedar grows in the mountains at an altitude of at least 800 meters. It withstands winter cold, but is very sensitive to man-made air pollution. The most important thing in him is his longevity and gigantic size... Its age, under favorable conditions, reaches 2000 years, its height is 50 meters (16-storey building), the trunk diameter is up to 3 meters. The cedar, planted today instead of a felled relict tree, will grow to a solid size only after 500-1000 years. Therefore, in Lebanon, all these priceless trees are countless.
Lebanese cedar. Wikipedia
Territory of present Lebanon - northeast coast Mediterranean Sea- in ancient times, it went to a small Semitic people - the Phoenicians. Here the mountains come close to the sea, there are no fertile valleys for growing cereals. But on these mountains, the Phoenicians found trees that are extremely suitable for building ships - Lebanese cedars.
Lebanese cedar grove. Wikipedia
Their lightweight, durable, resinous reddish brown timber has become the ideal building material for Phoenician ships.
Lebanese cedar. Wood. Wikipedia
The gigantic size of these trees made it possible to make solid keel beams, stems, boards for boards, masts. And the fragrant resinous wood was not sharpened by bugs, did not corrode salty sea water.
Phoenician ship. Relief on the sarcophagus from Sidon. Wikipedia
The Phoenicians were brave sailors and skilled artisans. They were engaged fishing, dyeing fabrics in royal purple and international trade. Of particular note is the long voyages of the Phoenicians for rare metal tin. They brought him from Spain and even from England. But copper was nearby - in Cyprus. Copper - Cuprum in Latin - got its name from the name of the island of Cyprus. It was from these tin and copper that the Phoenicians smelted bronze. It was in Phenicia that the craft of coppersmiths flourished - masters in the manufacture of bronze products. And Phoenician merchants distributed these products throughout the Mediterranean. Solomon himself ordered a copper master from the Phoenician king Hiram. And he fulfilled the royal order for the Jerusalem Temple. The amount of smelted copper and the size of some products are still amazing today. For example, the weight of the "sea of copper" - a huge bronze bowl for washing the high priests - according to the most conservative estimates reached 120 tons, since it was cast together with the bulls. This bowl contained 66 cubic meters of water (3000 baht). It is specially indicated that it was cast in the Jericho area into the mud of the Dead Sea. This soil is really great for making molds.
A copper bowl with water for ablution of the priests of the First Temple (no holes). Edition "Dani Sfarim" Treasures of the First Temple. Rav Menachem Makover. Drawing by Daniel Luis.
For the needs of international trade, the Phoenicians needed a simple writing (as opposed to hieroglyphic and wedge-shaped) - and a literal recording of consonants appeared - oldest alphabet... It was not sacred texts that were recorded, state laws or odes to kings, but trade documents, so vowel sounds could be omitted. The main thing is to record the quantity and value of the goods correctly, legibly and quickly. Almost everyone could learn the letter alphabet. From the Phoenicians, the alphabet spread throughout the civilized world.
Phoenician alphabet. Wikipedia
But the Phoenicians did not share the secrets of navigation with anyone. Only they alone knew how to swim in the endless expanses of the Mediterranean Sea. Their influence, power and wealth have multiplied incredibly. They took center stage in Mediterranean civilization, linking east and west together. Their capital - the city of Tire - located on the island, was impregnable. And they traded the Lebanese cedar very successfully, valued it very highly, sold it and delivered it to different countries... Even in Egypt, a pharaoh's funerary boat was found, made of Lebanese cedar.
The Phoenicians colonized the Mediterranean coast, settling on promontories, islands and peninsulas. They founded Carthage in North Africa, Cadiz and Cartagena in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, Acre and Jaffa on the shores of the Land of Israel, inhabited Sardinia and Malta.
The prophet Ezekiel writes about this enterprising people.
“And say to Tyr, who has settled on the ledges in the sea, who trades with the peoples on many islands: thus says the Lord God: Tyr! you say: "I am the perfection of beauty!" Your limits are in the heart of the seas; thy builders have made thy beauty perfect: they made all thy platforms out of Senir cypresses; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make masts for you ... Judah and the land of Israel traded with you; they paid for your goods with Minnif wheat and sweets, and honey, and wood oil, and balsam "(Ezekiel 27: 3-5, 17)
The mention of the magnificent cedar forests located on the slopes of the mountains was first mentioned in the epic of the ancient Sumerians a thousand years before the Bible. Once upon a time, cedar forests covered a large part of the Lebanese mountains, and its timber has been one of the main export items of the Phoenicians for thousands of years. Egyptian pharaohs, Sumerian and Assyrian kings, Persian and Jewish kings equipped expeditions for the cedar. This resinous tree, used in antiquity, including for the manufacture of incense, went to the construction of temples of the gods and palaces of powerful rulers, sarcophagi of the Egyptian pharaohs.
The value of the cedar as a building material was explained by the fact that its wood is not sharpened by bugs and is resistant to moisture. The famous city on the water, Venice, was built on stilts of Lebanese cedar. The Phoenicians themselves built strong and reliable ships from cedar, on which enterprising merchants delivered their goods to the most remote corners of the Mediterranean and even made sea voyages along the coast of Africa.
The Lebanese cedar belongs to the category of long-livers. The age of individual trees reaches 2000 years.
122 kilometers from Beirut is the Cedars Ski Resort (Le Cedre), located at an altitude of more than two thousand meters. It is located in an amazingly beautiful place, where a mountain slope forms a magnificent natural amphitheater. This place is becoming more and more popular due to the fact that there is one of the famous Lebanese cedar groves preserved in the mountains of Lebanon. Divine Cedar Forest, located in Lebanon in the Zgartha region of the North Lebanon province. Together with the Wadi Kadisha valley is the object World heritage UNESCO. The tourist season doesn't stop here all year round... In winter, there are perfectly equipped trails from 2100 to 85 meters, as well as trails for children and beginners. In summer, vacationers enjoy the coolness of these places, go mountain biking and hang gliding.
In 1876, 102 hectares of relic forest were surrounded by a high stone wall to protect young cedar seedlings from mountain goats... Wall construction financed British Queen Victoria. Visiting this zone is possible only after strict rules reserve, but even this does not prevent you from enjoying the fabulously clean air filled with a bitter-resinous aroma and the chirping of birds.
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- Botanical description
- Valuable properties and applications
- Ornamental varieties
The Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani) is one of the few representatives of the same genus belonging to the pine family. Repeated mentions of this gigantic tree are found in the Bible, as well as in historical documents from the period of Ancient Egypt and Greece. The sight of this evergreen coniferous plant belongs to the relict. Currently, there are only 4 breeds left on the planet out of several dozen that existed before, but their numbers are rapidly decreasing.
Botanical description
In the conditions of their natural habitat, individual specimens of the Lebanese cedar grow up to 50 m, and the diameter of the trunks reaches almost 2.5 m. Most of the trees are 25-30 m high. The bark is thick, dark gray in color. The crown of young cedars is conical, characteristic of pine trees. Starting from the age of 15, the branches are located almost horizontally, in floors. The shape of the top flattens and expands, taking on the appearance of a giant umbrella. Lebanese cedar needles are tetrahedral, bluish-green or bluish, collected in bunches of 20-30 pieces. The length of the needles is about 4 cm. The needles are gradually renewed every 2 years. The air around the trees is saturated with phytoncides, which are harmful to fungi and harmful insects.
Cones are cylindrical, barrel-shaped, brown, about 4-6 cm wide, elongated up to 12 cm in length. Inside, the fruits contain inedible resinous seeds about 15-18 mm in size, equipped with light wings. Cones are formed only at the age of 25 trees, fruiting occurs twice a year.
The life span of the Lebanese species is several thousand years. The cedar grows very slowly. The plant is unpretentious to the composition of soils, it tolerates sandy loam, clay and calcareous soils well. Does not like stagnant moisture, insensitive to prolonged drought. Prefers areas well lit by the sun. This type of cedar, despite its southern origin, is considered frost-resistant, as it can survive at temperatures down to -30 ° C. But cold period lasting several months is destructive for him. Sharp changes also affect the tree negatively.
Many botanists consider the Atlas, Turkish and Himalayan cedars to be varieties of Lebanese, since the differences between them are insignificant.
Valuable properties and applications
Wood of this type is soft, but durable, has a reddish tint, few resinous passages, is well oiled, emits a pleasant aroma. In ancient times, the massif, resistant to cracking, deformation and decay, was actively used for shipbuilding, and given the need of the powers for a large number ships, was almost completely transferred. Cedar wood is an excellent material for construction, turning and joinery works, furniture production.
Lebanese cedar's resin and oil Ancient egypt were part of the balms for treating the bodies of dead pharaohs, impregnating valuable papyri. The extract was obtained by heating logs of a tree on a fire. In Rome, the nobility used oil to make cosmetic wipes. Even cedar sawdust was appreciated, which was scattered on the floor to rid the premises of harmful insects and give the air a delicate aroma, and choked her clothes.
The Lebanese cedar is an endangered tree species. Only a few small groves have survived in the world. Its natural area of distribution includes the highlands of Asia Minor, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Syria and Cyprus. In cultural plantings, this species is used in southern Europe: in Italy and France. Lebanese cedar grows and Black Sea coast: in the Crimea, in the Caucasus. It took root in the Transcaucasian regions and Central Asia. On the territory of Crimea, the species grows in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden.
In Lebanon, this tree is a national state symbol, its silhouette adorns the flag, coat of arms, currency, awards and medals. The famous Divine Cedar Forest, protected by UNESCO, is located on the territory of this country.... This is a few limited plantations of about 102 hectares at an altitude of more than 2000 m above sea level. You can only visit these places with the permission of the authorities.
Ornamental varieties
Breeders have bred several compact varieties, suitable for growing in gardens and parks, based on the Lebanese cedar:
- Sargentii is a semi-dwarf tree with weeping shoots, grows very slowly, reaches a height of about 1 m by the age of 10, tolerates shaded areas well;
- Beacon Hill - has bright green needles, weeping branches, narrow-conical crown, dark golden bark, prefers areas well-lit by the sun;
- Glauca - the needles of the tree are grayish-blue, the shape of the crown is original, broken, weeping shoots;
- Nana - shrubby slow-growing form with a crown height of about 80–90 cm, dense needles, dark green, asymmetrical shoots, wide;
- Var stenocoma is a straight-stemmed, low tree up to 3 m, outwardly reminiscent of a young spruce: the crown is neat conical in shape with a sharp top, the shoots are directed upward, the needles are dark green.
Landing
It will not work to grow decorative Lebanese cedars from seeds, since they do not bear fruit. For planting, it is necessary to purchase seedlings from nurseries. But you can try to sprout a wild species from a nut. The seeds are placed in a moist loose substrate of leafy soil, pine needles and sand, deepening by 2 cm. The container is placed in a cool place. Sprouts from viable seeds appear after a few weeks. When the seedling reaches a height of 50 cm, it can be planted in open, well-drained soil. In the absence of harsh terrain frosty winters there is a chance to get a beautiful coniferous tree. It is not worth expecting that a giant will grow on the site. Far from familiar places Lebanese cedars are similar in size to ordinary pine. Mature trees do not exceed 12–15 m and live for about 50–80 years.
Since ancient times, the cedar has delighted people with its natural power, beauty and healing power. It was called the tree-breadwinner, the riddle, the gift of the gods. Long overgrown cedar trees were considered sources of miraculous energy that soothes and enlightens thoughts, awakens the soul and directs feelings to all the beautiful that is on Earth. Over the course of several thousand years, during which people watched him, he not only did not lose its value, but multiplied it, which was confirmed by many scientific discoveries.
Cedar is one of those rare trees, all parts of which are used for food or medicinal purposes.
Cedar forests have such an intense phytoncidal force that one hectare of such a forest would be enough to purify the air in the whole city.
The ancient Sumerians revered the cedar as sacred tree and the most magnificent specimens were given names. Cedar wood served as a measure of exchange and was often valued more than gold. The Sumerian god Ea was considered the patron saint of the cedar, and no one could cut this tree down without the highest permission. These facts are confirmed by the clay tablets found during excavations, which date back to the 5th – 4th centuries. BC. On them was inscribed a description of what the cedar looks like.
The decoration of the tomb of the Egyptian king Tutankhamun is made of cedar wood. For 3 thousand years, it not only did not deteriorate, but even retained its delicate delicate smell. Due to its qualities, cedar resin was one of the components of mummifying mixtures, and cedar oil helped to preserve the priceless ancient Egyptian papyri to this day.
The ancients built their ships from cedar wood, and the wonderful gopher tree from which Noah built his ark is a cedar that grows in the valleys of Mesopotamia.
Description of the tree
The majestic cedar belongs to the genus of the Pine family. These are monoecious, evergreen trees up to 45 meters high, with a wide-pyramidal spreading crown. They are long-livers and grow up to 400-500 years. The dark gray bark on young trees is smooth, on old ones - with cracks and scales.
The needles are acicular, resinous, tough and prickly. Her color different types varies from dark green to blue-green and silver-gray. The needles are gathered in bunches. Cedar flowers, if you can call it spikelets, up to 5 cm long with numerous small stamens and anthers. Cedar blooms in autumn.
Cones grow on branches one by one, arranged vertically, like candles. They ripen in the second or third year and crumble during the winter, scattering seeds in the wind. Once in favorable conditions, they germinate after 20 days.
Cedar seeds don't look like nuts at all. They are small, with wings for better wind dispersal and inedible.
Cedar needs light, non-compacted and breathable soils. They are very sensitive to stagnant water. They prefer soils that are poor in lime. On mountain slopes made of limestone, they suffer from chlorosis and often die.
They feel better in open sunny places, but on richer soils they grow well in partial shade.
Growing area
The places where cedar grows everywhere are the southern and eastern regions of the Mediterranean coast. Trees prefer mountainous areas with cool summers and mild winters. They are also found in the foothills of the Himalayas, in North-West Africa, in Lebanon, where the cedar is one of the national symbols and is depicted on the national flag and coat of arms.
In Russia, cedar grows only on south coast Crimea, where it has successfully acclimatized and gives abundant self-seeding. In other regions, it is found only in botanical gardens and nurseries. And that tree, which is called the Siberian cedar, is actually a representative of the Pine genus and is correctly called the Siberian, European or Korean pine. With cedars, these varieties are united by one family. But everyone's favorite and extremely useful "pine nuts" gives exactly siberian pine.
Types of cedar
The genus of cedar has 4 types:
- Atlas - Cedrus atlantica;
- short-coniferous - Cedrus brevifolia. In some sources this species is referred to as a Lebanese subspecies;
- Himalayan - Cedrus deodara;
- Lebanese - Cedrus libani.
The structure of cedar and pine cones is in many ways similar, therefore for a long time the listed species were considered identical. But fresh Scientific research refuted these data, and now in the classification, both types are separated.
Atlas
Atlas cedar grows on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains in Algeria and Morocco. V natural environment occurs at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level. The tree is majestic, spreading. The largest specimens reach 50 m in height, and their trunk diameter is 1.5–2 m. The needles are collected in bunches and have a bluish-green tint. The wood is resinous and fragrant, smelling like sandalwood. The Atlas species tolerates frosts down to -20 ° C and copes well with drought.
In African countries, cedar wood is used as a fuel. The oil has good antiseptic properties and is widely used for cosmetic purposes.
Atlas cedar like cultivated plant grown in southern Europe, in the mountainous regions of the Caucasus and in Asian countries.
Which is commonly grown as a garden or indoor plant, is an atlas cedar.
Himalayan
Himalayan cedar grows in eastern and south East Asia, in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. In the mountains, it occurs at an altitude of 3500 m. In height and trunk girth, the Himalayan species is not inferior to the Atlas one, in contrast to it, it has a wider crown. The branches of an adult tree are parallel to the ground. The wood is distinguished by its strength and strong aroma; it is light yellow with a reddish-brown heart. The needles are rather soft, light, with a gray-gray tint.
Cones ripen for more than a year, then crumble. The seeds are small, inedible, resinous. The Himalayan species tolerates shading better than others, although in natural conditions occupies the upper tier of the forest. Some specimens live up to 1000 years.
The Himalayan cedar grows rapidly and is widely used in landscaping parks in southeastern Europe and in the Crimea.
Lebanese
The Lebanese cedar is not inferior to others in terms of the height and thickness of the trunk. The crown of young trees is conical; over the years, it acquires a more flattened shape. The needles are blue-gray-green, live 2 years, collected in bunches.
At the age of 25-28, the tree begins to bear fruit. Cones form every two years.
This variety is characterized by slow growth, tolerates short-term frosts down to -30 ° C. Prefers well-lit areas, mild drought, can grow on poor soils, but does not tolerate excessive moisture.
Lebanese cedar is prized for its light, soft yet durable red wood.
Types of cedar pine
Despite the fact that according to the latest scientific data, Canadian, Korean and Siberian species are only close relatives to a real cedar, the names that are familiar to everyone have remained among the people. The Canadian cedar belongs to the Thuja genus of the Cypress family.
Korean cedar pine
Korean, or Manchu cedar - conifer tree from the pine genus, distributed in eastern Asia, in China, Korea, Japan and in Russia Far East... A tall, powerful tree has a dense conical crown and shallow roots. The needles are gray-green, long, growing in bunches of 5 pieces.
Cones ripen within a year and a half and crumble in autumn or early winter. Each cone contains many nuts. The Korean species bears fruit every few years.
Siberian cedar pine
Siberian cedar, or Siberian pine - evergreen tree, in size only slightly inferior to its famous relative. She lives up to 500-700 years, is distinguished by a dense, often multi-peaked crown with thick branches. The needles are soft, long, with a bluish bloom. The tree grows a powerful root system, and on light sandy soils develops anchor roots that penetrate great depth... Compared to shade-tolerant cedars, with short period vegetation.
The plant has male and female cones. They mature within a year and a half and fall off in early autumn. Each cone contains up to 150 nuts. Up to 12 kg of pine nuts are obtained from one tree. Siberian cedar begins to bear fruit late, on average at the age of 50-60.
Squirrels-nutcrackers and chipmunks participate in the settlement of the tree, which carry the seeds over long distances.
The subtleties of growing cedar from a nut
Russian gardeners grow Siberian cedar pine, calling it cedar out of habit. No one would refuse to have a fluffy Siberian beauty with fragrant needles and healing nuts on their site, and for modest possessions there are undersized varieties that do not take up much space. We will learn how to grow a cedar by purchasing a seedling in a nursery.
When choosing a place, it should be borne in mind that with age, the tree's need for sunlight only grows, so you should choose places without shading. If possible, buy cedar seedlings with a closed root system. Instances take root best of all, root system which did not have time to dry, so it is advisable to choose a seedling that has just been dug up. The earth ball must be at least half a meter in diameter and packed in a damp burlap and a plastic bag.
How to properly plant a cedar pine seedling
Before planting, it is necessary to dig up the entire area of the garden in which it is planned to plant the seedlings. Planting pits prepare a little more than an earthen ball. The distance between the pits should be at least 8 m. Young cedars are planted in light soils immediately, and sand and peat are added to heavier soils.
A little soil is poured at the bottom of the pit and a seedling is placed, spreading the roots. The root collar should not be below ground level. If this still happened, the seedling is taken out and a little more earth is added. Then a peg is dug in next to the tree and the hole is covered with earth, slightly compacting it. The planting hole is watered abundantly, the earth in the near-trunk circle is mulched with coniferous litter, sawdust or crushed bark.
Within two weeks, while the seedling takes root, it is watered after 2-3 days, if there is no rain.
We grow a cedar from a nut
If it was not possible to find a seedling in the nursery, and ripe pine nuts in a vase suggest a certain idea, feel free to choose the largest with a whole shell - we will try to grow a cedar from seeds at home. The process of sprouting nuts is not entirely simple, but very exciting:
- the seeds are placed in water and kept for 3 days, periodically replacing it;
- floating nuts are removed, and the rest are kept for several hours in a dark pink solution of potassium permanganate;
- disinfected seeds are placed in a moist substrate and stratified for at least 3 months;
- then the nuts are soaked again in potassium permanganate for a day and dried;
- sow in a closed ground (greenhouse or film shelter) in prepared soil, which contains 20 parts of peat, 2 parts of ash and 1 part of superphosphate to a depth of 2-3 cm;
- before the emergence of shoots, the grooves are watered.
In greenhouses, seedlings are grown for 2 years. After that, the shelter is removed. 6–8 year old trees are ready for transplanting to a permanent place.
Caring for a young Siberian cedar consists in mulching the trunk circle, surface loosening in the absence of mulch and applying potash fertilizer three times per season. To do this, 20 g of potassium sulfate is bred in a bucket of water and watered each tree.
Two varieties are popular with gardeners cedar pine- "Recordist" and "Icarus". Both are highly decorative, compact in size, relatively unpretentious and bear fruit abundantly.
The cedar, which was grown from a nut, will soon turn out to be one of the most beloved trees on the site. And when he grows up, and in his shade you can rest, he will give you many pleasant minutes, bringing coolness and refreshing the air with a delicate resinous aroma.
Formation of a cedar at a summer cottage - video
Botanical name: Lebanese cedar (lat.Cedrus libani) to the oligotypic genus Rtlh (lat.Cedrus) of the Pine family (lat.Pinaceae), class Conifers (lat.Pinopsida).
Distribution area
Lebanese cedar is a native of Lebanon, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean basin, as well as Asia Minor (Anatolia).Botanical description
An evergreen coniferous tree that can reach 35-40 m in height with a massive monopodial stem in the form of a pillar up to 2.5 m in diameter. Rough, scaly bark, dark gray or dark brown in color, through which deep horizontal cracks run. Lebanese cedar grows rapidly until the age of 45 to 50 years, and then slows down noticeably. The shoots have clearly expressed dimorphism.Needle leaves, arranged in a spiral and concentrated on the proximal ends of long shoots, and in clusters of 15-35 on short shoots. The needles are 5 to 35 mm long and 1 to 1.5 mm wide, rhombic in cross-section ranging from light green to green with gray stomatal stripes on four sides.
Cedar is a monoecious tree. Flowers are collected in inflorescences. Male inflorescences appear in early September, and female ones at the end of September. Male cones are located at the ends of short shoots 4-5 cm long, ranging in color from pale green to light brown. Female seed cones also grow at the ends of short shoots. Young seed cones are oblong, resinous, sessile, pale green in color with scales arranged in a spiral. Female cones ripen 17-18 months after pollination. They are 8-12 cm long and 3-6 cm wide.
Seeds are ovoid, 10-14 mm long and 4-6 mm wide, with attached light brown wedge-shaped wing 20-30 mm long and 15-18 mm wide.
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