The deodar cedar, Cedrus deodara, is Pakistan’s national tree.
Deodar is a large evergreen conifer native to the western Himalayas, including parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Tibet. Its name comes from Sanskrit devadāru, meaning “wood of the gods,” reflecting its cultural and religious importance.
The tree has long, drooping branch tips, bluish-green needle clusters, and cones that mature upright on the branches. It grows naturally on mountain slopes and is widely planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens.
Deodar wood has traditionally been valued for construction because it is durable and aromatic. It is sometimes called Himalayan cedar, although it belongs to the true cedar genus Cedrus rather than to unrelated trees that also use “cedar” in their common names.