Cedrus deodara – cones

The male cones of Cedrus deodara are shedding their pollen. The trees are wind pollinated and the prevailing westerly winds we experience send the pollen grains a great distance to the east of the parent tree in the air currents. The monoecious male and female cones are both produced on the same tree.

The images show how the quantity of wind blown pollen has marked the “tide line” of a puddle after heavy rain and it subsequently draining.

Growing into magnificent trees they are native to the Himalayas. It is the national tree of Pakistan from where specimens growing at Dawyck were collected. Growing in the North West Frontier Province in pure Deodar forest on the sides of the Kalam Swat valley at 2743m.

Other collections were made in India where the trees often dominated the steep dry slopes of the Himachal Pradesh.

Cedrus deodara – pollen ‘tide line’

Cedrus deodara – cones