Clanwilliam Cedar
CR

Clanwilliam Cedar

Widdringtonia cedarbergensis

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Clanwilliam Cedar faces severe threats from increasingly frequent and intense wildfires that prevent natural regeneration, as seedlings cannot survive the shortened fire cycles. Climate change exacerbates this vulnerability by creating hotter, drier conditions that increase fire frequency and intensity. Invasive alien plant species compete for limited water resources in this arid mountain environment, while historical logging and habitat fragmentation have reduced the population to critically small, isolated stands.

Threat summary

Habitat

Endemic to the Cederberg Mountains of South Africa's Western Cape, this ancient conifer grows exclusively on rocky sandstone slopes and cliff faces at elevations between 1,000-2,000 meters. It thrives in the Mediterranean-climate fynbos vegetation, adapted to nutrient-poor soils and the region's characteristic winter rainfall patterns.

Shrubland· majorRocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Habitat & natural process restorationEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in CUPRESSACEAE

EN

Golden Vietnamese Cypress

Xanthocyparis vietnamensis

Declining
VU

Coffin Tree

Taiwania cryptomerioides

Stable
EN

Calocedrus rupestris

Declining
VU

West Indies Juniper

Juniperus barbadensis

Declining

Threatened in South Africa

VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Black-Spotted Blue

Orachrysops mijburghi

Unknown
Cape GannetEN

Cape Gannet

Morus capensis

Declining
Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Clanwilliam Cedar classified as Critically Endangered?
Clanwilliam Cedar is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Clanwilliam Cedar faces severe threats from increasingly frequent and intense wildfires that prevent natural regeneration, as seedlings cannot survive the shortened fire cycles. Climate change exacerbates this vulnerability by creating hotter, drier conditions that increase fire frequency and intensity. Invasive alien plant species compete for limited water resources in this arid mountain environment, while historical logging and habitat fragmentation have reduced the population to critically small, isolated stands.
Where does Clanwilliam Cedar live?
Clanwilliam Cedar occurs in South Africa. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Clanwilliam Cedar?
The main threats to Clanwilliam Cedar are 5.4, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.