Cedar

Cedar Bonsai

The Cedar (Cedrus spp.), encompassing varieties like the Deodar Cedar and Atlas Cedar, makes a powerful and elegant bonsai with its dense needles and often dramatic, gnarled structure, but its care is considered Intermediate to Difficult. Cedars are vigorous growers that demand full, all-day sun to maintain compact foliage; insufficient light causes significant stretching. The primary challenge lies in pruning and wiring, as the wood is stiff and brittle, especially when mature, making aggressive bending risky. Furthermore, its fast-growing nature requires constant vigilance with shoot pruning (pinching) to achieve fine ramification, and it needs a mandatory cold dormancy period while requiring pot protection from severe freezing.