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Immediately after crossing the iron bridge we can see a beautiful Blue Atlas Cedar growing in the the triangle of grass (Cedrus atlantica f. glauca). This is a blue form of the Atlas Cedar which hails from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa and is one of the few trees from that region that grows really well in Britain. Like all true cedars (Cedrus species, which actually belong to the Pine family) it has small needle-like leaves with the older ones arranged in dense 'bunches' on short shoots. A covering of wax on the needles gives the foliage its blue-grey colour and also helps to prevent loss of water from the leaves in dry and windy conditions. The cones of this tree start small and green and ripen to a purple-brown colour. There are a number of Blue Atlas Cedars in the Park, including a taller one on the Pine lawn.
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This page last updated: 26/01/2005
