Blue Atlas Cedar is a striking and unique coniferous evergreen tree. It has become very popular in Oklahoma City in the past three decades for use on residential and commercial landscapes. On commercial projects it is usually planted in a large lawn area where it has the opportunity to grow and mature as it should. This means it will gradually change from a loosely pyramidal form to a more flat-topped form with long horizontal branches. It can also, albeit slowly, grow to its mature height of 40-60 feet.
In residential gardens it is all too often used as a temporarily dramatic vertical blue statement that quickly overgrows its site and must be removed or drastically pruned. The worst case scenarios use it as an accent for a chimney… where it is often planted within 6 feet of the chimney and home.
Proper placement of this majestic conifer would site it in a large space with deep, well-drained, acidic soil and full sun exposure. It should also be understood that zone 6 is definitely the northern limit of its hardiness range… and that some degree of protection from drying summer and winter winds is to its advantage.

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