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Big City, Big Trees

5. Daffodil Hill

Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)

Native Habitat: Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Cedar of Lebanon

Three generations of Cedrus libani cones. Photo: Dr. Jinshuang Ma.

The most frequently mentioned tree in the Bible, cedar of Lebanon was used profusely for construction by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, and Phoenicians. As a result of its continued popularity, this tree is now extremely rare in the wild—particularly in Lebanon, where the tree adorns the national flag. Cedar of Lebanon is an incredibly longlived species: Specimens have been found that are over 2,500 years old.


Notable Neighbors: