{{gwi:448401}}
As you can see it is a huge tree and not a shrub. What you needed was a holly or some dwarf evergreen like bakeri spruce. Cutting the tops off of trees makes for a really ugly landscape an trees like this will just sprout a new leader or maybe even two in it's place rapidly grow back to where it was.

Ditto to Quirkyquercus. You can't really stop it from growing. It can reach 30-40m tall, eventually. When it gets too large, you'll have to either live with it or replace it.

Resin

PS spellcheck: deodara

Note also that in zone 6, a severe winter will do the replacement job for you by killing it. Very unpredictable when this will happen, though.

Resin

I was thinking the same thing but forgot to mention that about the hardiness.
It doesn't even have to be a severe winter. I was at a tree farm in Western NC (6b) and they lost all the deodar cedars or they all had injury. Can't remember which.

I don't know about anyone else but the thought of cutting a beautiful big Deodar Cedar is sacrilege to me!

While the Southern Living Garden Book does say that an annual pruning will keep a deodar to a spreading high shrub, I am not sure this is the best thing to do. As soon as you stop, for any reason, giving it an annual pruning - in the mid to late spring, cutting back the new growth - it will again try to grow up to tree height. Pruning anything at a 20' height is a difficult task, and probably left to professionals, with the correct safety equipment. If you want to hold it to less than 20', it's still a goodly height for anything over 8', and you will have the problem of getting into the center of the plant as it grows wider and wider. Speaking personally, even in my 20's, I was never very happy to stand on a ladder while wielding loppers, nor any mechanical tool such as hedge trimmers or saws, electric or gas, and now I don't even want to contemplate it!

Since C. deodar is listed as hardy to zone 7, and has a history of struggling in 6b, you may not have too long to enjoy it anyway. If your front yard is VERY sheltered, it might make it.

As you can gather from the comments, you probably should move it or give the tree to someone else - try Craigslist for a free give-away site, or give it to a friend, relative or neighbor with the room for it to grow - and put another tree in its place. I'm sorry to tell you this, since I am sure you liked the looks of the tree in the nursery. Next time, ask direct questions while in the nursery - how tall does it get, can it be pruned, etc. - and then come home and either look the tree(s) up, or ask here for details on growth patterns. For both it helps to have the species, and the cultivar, name, so more precise answers can be given. If you aren't familiar with the "scientific" names it's not that hard, and allows for people from everywhere to know exactly what plant you are speaking of. For the Deodar, it would be Cedrus deodar and a cultivar (a selected variation) would be Cedrus deodar 'Shalimar'. Not to malign the nursery where you bought it, but I am not sure you got the best possible advice from them. Too often, nursery workers aren't as knowledgeable as they should be - although there are also some VERY good ones out there.

If your tree is the 'Descanso Dwarf' selection, then it is supposed to grow to 15 feet in 20 years, and should do OK for you, although judging from the present height, it sounds like another cultivar, that will grow tall. Almost all the other deodar selections are as tall as the species - fast growing to 80' with a 40' spread, except for 'Prostrata', which grows very low.

There are a number of evergreen species and cultivars that will grow to 15-20' and stop, so little or no pruning would be required. I think one of them would be better than a deodar for you.

I don't mean to be critical, but why in the world would you plant a tree that wants to grow 40-60' tall (or more) and expect to maintain it at half that height? Topping a tree to reduce or restrict size is never a good solution - not only does it destroy the natural, and the case of the deodar, exceedingly graceful growth habit of the tree in question but it very often shortens the lifespan, allowing the entry of various disease pathogens and insect pests. It is far better to select a tree or shrub that is expected to grow to the height/spread desired without excessive pruning or topping to keep size in check.

Fortunately, because of the hardness issue with this tree, I doubt severe pruning or topping will be necessary to limit size. Winter cold will sooner or later take care of the problem.

OK Panic over! I just called the nursery I got it from. they said this version is a dwarf version, it will only get 10 feet tall. thank goodness! I was freaking out a bit. I love the tree, birds were already in it this morning.

I wont cut the top I promise! :)

thanks for all your help!

If you know how to prune true cedars can be easily and attractively maintained at small sizes. They even lend themselves to shearing into close formal hedges. However, yours - as mentioned already - is now too big to be easily maintained, you have to be able to reach all of it every time it is worked on.

Hardiness varies, maybe it will be killed while you are still living there and maybe not. Some ARE a bit tender, many were burnt a bit here in USDA 8 by the 1990 winter (temperatures below 10F most places).

What is the cultivar name of this "dwarf" Deodar cedar that will supposedly stay under 10 ft. tall? Isn't it 12 ft. tall already? A true dwarf cultivar would take a long time to grow 12 ft. tall, if you have not had yours for decades or did not buy it big (for a substantial purchase price, charged to cover many years of growth in a nursery) then it really being a small-growing selection seems pretty unlikely.

I dont know, I will call them and find out..

I will find out monday. I will keep you informed. They said they will change it for something else. Maybe i will just get a smaller tree.

I think the tallest tree I want, and I told this to them, is 30 feet tall tops! I hate when you go to a nursery and they sell you the wrong thing.

Was this a small private nursery or the garden center in a large home improvement chain? I'm just curious. No right or wrong answer.

Keep in mind that trees do not stop growing taller until they die. Very tallest trees may die back at the extreme top and then grown back up again, repeatedly, or decline in vigor and grow very slowly (at the same time becoming less visually attractive, even noticeably sparse), but they do not reach a predictable height and then stop completely. If you get another tree, the height claimed for it will be a guess at how tall it might be after so many years.

It was a small private Nursery. I thik I will take it back and get a Crepe Myrtle Tree or A holly tree of some sort.

It just goes to show that being a small nursery doesn't mean anyone is going to know anything about what they're selling any more than the big box stores.

I suggest Vanderwolf's pyramid (limber pine)
or maybe Baker's Blue Spruce

Neither of those conifers is dwarf either.

what conifers are Dwarf??? I am returning this deodora tomorrow! I cant believe they sold this to me. I am so annoyed with this place.

They are "semi-dwarf". Maxing out around 20-25 feet which is what OP wants. And maybe in 200 years will grow slowly to a larger size.

Please give me a name or two.

thank you.

Depending on the eventual height and width you want, there are a bunch of various species/cultivars. All the ones I am listing below should stay below 30'; some are faster-growing, and some are more columnar than others, so look them up in a reliable book or on-line list. If you don't have it, the Southern Living Garden Book is a good one to have, for all plants.

For conifers, there are, in no particular order and NOT an exhaustive list: Thuja/Arborvitae 'Emerald Green'/'Emerald Beauty'/'Smaragd'; Chamaecyparis obtusa or pisifera, Hinoki or Sawara False Cypress, 'Gracilis', 'Filifera' 'Filifera Aurea', as well as C. thyoides, White Cedar 'Andelyensis'; Cryptomeria japonica 'Lobbii', 'Yoshino'; Cupressus arizonica 'Blue Pyramid', 'Carolina Sapphire'; Juniperus chinensis 'Hetzii', J. c. 'Kaizuka'/ 'Torulosa', 'Blue Point' or 'Spartan', J. scopulorum 'Blue Heaven', 'Pathfinder' or 'Wichita Blue'; Pinus cembroides, Mexican Pinon pine; Thuja occidentalis 'Brandon' ''Douglasii Pyramidalis', 'Nigra' or 'Yellow Ribbon'; T. orientalis 'Beverleyensis'; T. plicata 'Clemson #2' or 'Spring Grove'.

For non-conifers, some flowering, some fruiting, you can chose among/between various viburnums, camellias, rhododendrons, 'Little Gem' magnolia, Clumping bamboos, loropetalums, pyracanthas, gardenias, hollies, yew or wax myrtle, to name a few.

I won't even begin to list all the possible plants that are deciduous!

Multiple conifers on that list that exceed 30 ft. Be sure to do your own research.

You said that about my suggestions too so how about not holding back and telling us at least a few that you don't agree with.

Bboy, I got the heights from the Southern Living Garden Book listings - it's what they had as listed for mature heights. I expect a few typos and mistakes in a reference manual as densely informative as that, but not that "Multiple conifers on that list that exceed 30 ft". I DO know that trees never really stop growing, but I would expect the mature heights to be within 5' of a listed height in a reputable book. I know the species on most of these does grow tall, but the cultivars I suggested WERE listed at 30' or less - most to 20' or so.

It may also be that the cultivars do grow taller in the PNW than here in the hotter, more humid South - are you speaking from personal experience with these cultivars? Since the OP is in Tennessee, I expect her experience with them will be different than yours, if that is the case.

i called the nursery this am, and they said it was a western deodora and will only get 40 feet tall. i dont believe them!! 40 feet how do they know it will stop growing at 40 feet?

OH MY goodness!!

http://www.zoo.org/factsheets/deodar_cedar/deodar_cedar.html

look how big it will get!

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.zoo.org/factsheets/deodar_cedar/deodar_cedar.html

'Lobbii' for instance is pretty much not dwarf at all, just of different branching habit than typical. Such things are not secrets. Crappy gardening books aren't rare either. Tennesseemom should check out suggestions already given herself and see if she might like any of them. There could be several that would be perfect. I don't live in that region, there is no point in me trying to come up with alternates.

Deodara cedar is not such a bad choice. It will be years before it is a problem (if ever) and they are beautiful. I would have recommended one of the hardiest cultivars. Shalimar or Kashmir. Nashville has a record cold temp of -17F. I have planted Shalimar and I still get a little nervous.

Keep in mind that there are cultivars of various shapes and colors (blue, gold, green) for most of these....

Chamaecyparis obtusa - Hinoki cypress. Has many beautiful cultivars that stay small and are a nice deep green.
Chamaecyparis thyoides - White cedar. I really like Glauca pendula.
Cryptomeria japonica - Japanese cedar. I think there is a cultivar called Ben Franklin that may work well for you.
Cupressus arizonica - Arizona cypress - probably will do well.
Juniperus - Junipers are tough plants. Just about any will do well. A couple struggle with the high heat and humidity
Pinus strobus - White pine has many smaller cultivars. They are fantastic pines.
Pinus bungeana - Lacebark pine does well. Look at 'rowe arboretum' They have great bark.
Picea abies - Norway spruce. Cultivar overload here. They will do very well.
Picea orientalis - Oriental spruce. Again lots of cultivars. They should do well also.
Thuja - Arborvitae most of these will do well. Look is similiar to Chamaecyparis but they are harder to kill. :)
Taxus - Yews will handle shade if that is an issue. Lots of dark green cultivars.
Tsuga - Hemlocks are very nice. Again shade tolerant. They look similiar to Cedrus deodara to me but not quite as blue. If you are in far east TN there may be a problem with an invasive pest. Also if you are in far west TN the heat may get to them a bit.

Jeff

Abies firma (Momi fir) is a nice looking tree. Some sites say it gets 30ft, but others say 65ft, who knows.

"Abies firma (Momi fir) is a nice looking tree. Some sites say it gets 30ft, but others say 65ft, who knows"

And others say 50 metres . . . NOT a small tree!

Here is a link that might be useful: Abies firma

One planted at Longwood Gardens, PA was 94 ft. tall sometime around 1981.

we have ours planted in CT, zone 8. we have an aureum cedrus deodora. It was so beautiful for years and this past winter it is getting very rusty in color. I think it is dying. we had temps down to about -5. I am so dissappointed because it is about 7 ft tall and my favorite. the nursery did not tell us it wasnt good in our location and i am not sure why they are even selling them here! It is still green in the center of the branches and i am not sure how to save it. Help!