N. Texas is a large area that spans from z8 down to z6. Lookup your zone at the link below and add to your Profile, that will help others respond.

Cedrus deodara is very sensitive to the cold. If you are in a borderline zone like z7 or less, this is most likely the result of last winter. My understanding is that even if they flush in the spring, they are not in the clear and often decline, typically from the top (most exposed) down, but this could vary depending on micro climates. Once the tree is in a weakened state there is always the increased potential for pests and disease to compound the issue as well, but I have no idea if either of those played a role here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Zones

I live in Fort Worth so that would be 8a based on the minimal temps I have seen.

FraTx.

What was your lowest temperature last Winter?

Anything 0 F. and below will compromise them. The one in the photo is dead. A typical way they die. Yours no doubt from to much cold exposure. I am removing a 30 ft. one today with the same symptoms as yours. We hit -10 F. last winter and it stayed very cold for about a month. Cedrus libani var. atlantica/deodara can't endure extended periods of very cold temps and last Winter was a killer.

The other one with the top dying ,no doubt, took a hit also. If the rest of it is green and showing no signs of browning out then the micro- climate it was growing in was it's protection. Should be OK but you never know. The jury is still out for this one.

Sorry about your loss.

If you decide to replace with another deodara find the cultivar Cedrus deodara 'Eisregen'. Very hardy and needles are blue green. New flush is powdery blue. Narrow in growth with a weeping tendency. When established about 18 inches a year in growth.

Dave

This post was edited by Davesconifers on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 11:34

I am actually surprised if weather caused this issue after learning you are in Fort Worth... I was expecting your location to be much further north, closer to Oklahoma.

Accordingly to the link below Fort Worth only hit a low of 12* and didn't really see sustained lows even in the teens... That just doesn't seem like enough to cause dieback, unless you experienced much colder temps and maybe wind chills or ice storms in your micro climate?

"In North Texas, exceptionally cold winters kill back branches on a deodar cedar, so it's best grown in wind-sheltered locales, especially around cities like Abilene or Wichita Falls. Around Dallas-Fort Worth and points to the south and east, deodar cedar may sustain less winter damage. Always plant deodar cedar in a full sun location in a soil that never becomes soggy."

Here is a link that might be useful: Fort Worth - Dec 2013 - April 2014 Weather History

This post was edited by SC77 on Wed, Aug 27, 14 at 11:18

i would say... you are down to personality.. yours.. not the trees ...

are you the science type.. who wants to watch whatever happen.. happen???

or are you the A+ personality .... and this thing will drive you insane.. and ruin every single minute you are in your garden ...

for me... if it were out on the back acres... it would be very interesting.. to watch ...

if it were out the front door.. i wouldnt have wasted the time to type up a post ...

i gave up the A+ stuff long ago ... especially in regard to the garden ... live or die tree... but dont piss me off ... or i will send you to oblivion ...

your tree isnt hungry .... fert wont help ... and its most likely too far gone for you to take any action.. other than removal ...

when you are done.. cut flush to the ground... and it should be dead ... unless this particular one can resprout from a stump.. not many can ... and if you want to replace it with something else.. just move the hole over a few feet .. i wouldnt dig it out ...

the ONLY reason to dig it out... would be if it was a potted tree at planting.. and you want to find out.. if its roots simply never grew out properly ... yes.. it can take that long for a tree with bad roots to die ... and it was probably complicated or pushed over the edge.. by winter.. or droughts.. etc ... but that would bring you back to be the science type.. and want to find out if there are discoverable issues ... [do keep in mind.. weather related death.. can take a year or two after the impact... we talk in tree years .. rather than what happened yesterd ay.. last week.. etc .... ]

i lost about a half dozen conifers due to last winter .... i went zen on it all ... i am now watching dead conifers.... first because i am the science type.. and second.. i am lazier than dirt... but then again.. on 5 acres.. none of them are out the front door.. nor where i see them all that often ...

some of our TX peeps can probably make replacement recommendations ...

good luck

ken

ps: my first clue ... way back 10 years ago... would have been that TX is not the Himalayas ... lol ... and i would not be surprised.. that sooner or later.. it didnt like TX ....

Last winter we never got below 10F, we just had many days below freezing. The winter may have caused the trees to be weakened.
The part I don't understand is the fact that on the "big" Himalaya cedar, the bottom third is doing great / growing and the top is fine as well. I have 2 more himalaya cedars (small ones) and they were not affected at all by the winter and look great. Himalaya cedars are less resistant to the cold when they are young, so go figure.

Cold tolerance varies fairly significantly within the species, as implied by mention of 'Eisregen'. During the 1990 winter in the Seattle area some long-established - as in skyline sized - Himalayan cedars were burnt, even though these same individuals would surely have been around 30 years previously when similar cold had last occurred.