Cedrus deodara 'Snow Sprite' is a small, tight, irregularly mounding selection of Himalayan cedar. Each spring the plant puts on a dramatic show of ivory-white new growth which later turns creamy-yellow in summer. While a leader will develop with age, this conifer will remain relatively small and compact, especially when compared to the species. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 3 feet (1 m) tall and 2.5 feet (75 cm) wide an annual growth rate in most climates, of 3 to 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
William Goddard of Floravista Gardens, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada introduced this very distinctive plant in the late 1960s. He selected this cultivar as well as sister seedlings, 'Silver Mist' and 'White Imp' from the same seed batch. 'Snow Sprite' looks and performs best when grown in part shade, differing from many white conifers in that the white is actually more intense when given a little more shade.
