Plant A Living Yule Tree In Your Garden

One of the most lasting gifts in the world, either for yourself or a friend, is a living Christmas tree. This type of a present will symbolize the Christmas spirit for many years to come, adding beauty and dignity to practically every kind of landscape.

Living Christmas trees that are bought now may be decorated indoors for the holiday season this year. Alter New Year's Day, the tree may be transplanted to its permanent position in the garden. This is a relatively simple task, the only difficulty being to obtain a type of tree that will lit into your surroundings.

For many years the deodar cedar (cedrus deodara) has been recognized as the more or less official outdoor Christmas tree. While one of the most dignified plants available, its size unfortunately restricts it to landscapes of rather large size. Although a native of the Himalayas, the deodar cedar thrives throughout the Long Beach area. It possesses an amazing lateral Spread, the lower limbs stretching out for many feet almost parallel with the ground. Because of this relatively uncommon type of growth the deodar cedar is best planted more or less in an isolated spot.

The deodar is a conifer, one of the tallest, and at maturity may attain a height of 100 feet or more. The foliage, which has the appearance of being soft, may prove needle-like if touched abruptly. When planted in the lawn area, where it performs beautifully, the deodar will give your landscape a truly dramatic effect. It withstands a fair amount of abuse, fairly heavy winds apparently doing little damage.

Another interesting cedar is the Blue Atlas, also known as variety Atlantica glauca. Its silvery-blue foliage gives the tree a distinctive appearance. Although a slow grower, the Blue Atlas cedar eventually may reach a height of 100 feet.

The true cedar is the Cedar of Lebanon, often called cedrus libani. The cones are quite long, usually measuring about four inches in length. Like the other cedars this variety is relatively free of diseases and plant pests.

A possible substitute for one of the cedars as a living Christmas tree is the giant sequoia. This is the well-known "big tree" of the High Sierras. The trees grow slowly and for perhaps 10 or 15 years will not prove too large for the averagesized garden. These trees thrive throughout Southern California except in arid or desert-like regions.

Libocedrus decurrens, an incense cedar, native to California, is perhaps the best bet where living Christmas trees must be accommodated in a small area. The foliage is aromatic and the tree has a compact, pyramidal shape. It is an evergreen, somewhat formal in appearance.