Cedrus Deodara, Devdar - 0.5 kg Seeds

Cedrus deodara, the Deodar or Devdar, is a majestic evergreen conifer with a conical crown and gracefully drooping branch tips clothed in clusters of bluish-green needles. Revered in Indian tradition as the 'timber of the gods', it is the pride of the western Himalayan forests.

It yields one of India's most durable and aromatic construction timbers, used for building, railway sleepers, beams and joinery, and its oil has traditional medicinal value. The tree is also a celebrated ornamental and avenue species at Himalayan hill stations such as Shimla, Manali and Mussoorie. It is native to the western Himalaya, growing at roughly 1,500-3,000 m in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and requires a cool, temperate climate.

• Family: Pinaceae
• Native region: Western Himalaya
• Mature height: 40-50 m
• Growth rate: Slow to moderate

Deodar seed germinates best after a cool, moist chilling. Soak the winged seeds for a day, then cold-stratify them (in moist sand in a refrigerator) for 3-4 weeks before sowing about 1 cm deep in a well-drained, sandy tray kept in cool, shaded conditions. Germination takes roughly 21-30 days; grow the seedlings on slowly under part shade and transplant after the first season when sturdy.