Blue Atlas Cedar
Cedrus atlantica
Learn about the Blue Atlas Cedar including when and why it was planted, how to identify it, and where to find it on campus.
Tree Facts
Family: Pinaceae
Type
Evergreen
Size
Large (greater than 50 feet)
Traits
- Short, blunt, blue-green needles in clusters
- Oval cones 3-6 inches long
- Rough bark
- Susceptible to tip blight and root rot
Native Range
- Atlas and Riff Mountains of Morocco and Algeria
Story of the Tree
This cedar, just east of the Winged Victory Monument, was part of the original 1929 Olmsted Brothers tree plan.
The cedar trees welcome people to the West Campus flag circle, representing the center of democracy for the State of Washington. These enormous cedars support a broad crown of limbs over 50 feet wide.
These venerable trees – true cedars – are native in the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa and are close cousins to the cedar of Lebanon.
