Atlas Cedar

The Atlas Cedar (Glauca), also called “Blue Cedar” is native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco. A majority of the modern sources treat it as a distinct species, Cedrus atlantica, but some sources consider it a subspecies of Lebanon Cedar (C.libani subsp. atlantica). When fully grown, the Atlas Cedar is a large coniferous evergreen tree, very similar to the other varieties of Lebanon Cedar. It is a hardy plant usually found in English parks. Fittingly, George Harrison references the species in his song "Beware of Darkness". The Atlas Cedar was selected for The Black Square because of its similarity to the Lebanon Cedar. Its adaptability facilitated the planting being surrounded by paved surface (different from the Lebanon Cedar).