Western Red Cedar

Species Name

Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata)

Seed Source

Western Montana

Character

Typical of others. Good grower, hardy and excellent foliage.

Soil

Sandy, clay or loam. Moist or dry climates or soil.

Growth

Needles: Opposite in four rows; 1.5 - 3 mm long; scalelike, sharp-pointed; side pair keeled, flat pair generally without gland-dot; shiny dark green, usually with whitish marks beneath.

Needle

Not applicable

Shade

Excellent

Aspect

Any

Description

A large tree with tapering trunk and a narrow, conical crown of short, spreading branches drooping at ends, growing to a height of 30 - 53 m and a diameter of 0.6 - 2.4 m; often larger. Bark: reddish-brown, thin, fibrous, and shreddy. Twigs: many-branched in horizontal plane, slightly flattened in fanlike sprays, jointed. Cones: 12 mm long; clustered and upright from short, curved stalk; elliptical, brown; with 10 - 12 paired, thin, leathery, sharp-pointed cone-scales; 6 usually bearing 2 - 3 seeds with 2 wings. Can live up to 450 years. Can be susceptible to deer browsing.

Despite similar common name, Western Red Cedar is from a different genera than its Eastern namesakes. Native to southern Alaska southeast through British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains, east to Montana. Natives of the Northwest Coast carved their famous totem poles from the trunk.