Eastern White Cedar (Trees of Manitoba)

Eastern White Cedar

Thuja occidentalis

Traditional Indigenous Names ⁴

Cree: Místi Wápi Másikéskátik
Ojibwe: Giizhikaatig
Dakota: Khante chan

Summary from Wikipedia ⁵

Thuja occidentalis, also known as northern white-cedar or eastern arborvitae, is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is native to eastern Canada and much of the north, central and upper Northeastern United States, but widely cultivated as an ornamental plant. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, and the binomial name remains current.

Easy Identifiers ⁴

Eastern White Cedar are the only native Manitoban tree that has scale like leaves, this makes them easy to distinguish from other trees. Eastern White Cedar may be confused with some of its cultivars which may grow in urban areas as very skinny vertical bushes. Eastern White Cedar generally grow in a less uniform pattern, sometimes leaning or curving. An Eastern White Cedar in the forest may also have open areas and irregularities in the crown.

Form ⁴

A dense, compact evergreen tree with a cone-shaped crown, often occurring in clumps.

Bark ⁴

Thin, shreddy, with narrow elongated fibrous strips; reddish-to-pale brown.

Twigs ⁴

Alternate, slender, flattened, fan-shaped, covered with green sharp-pointed scales that become brown with age and shed in three to four years. Leaf buds are covered with leaves but cone buds slightly emerge at tips of some branches.

Leaves ⁴

Scale-like, paired, overlapping, short, 3 - 6 millimetres (1/8 - 1/4 inch), tight against the twigs, yellowish green in colour.

Flowers ⁴

May, solitary at tip of twig, yellow or pink, small and oval.

Fruit ⁴

An oblong erect cone about 12 millimetres (1/2 inch) long with 4-6 pairs of thin brown rounded cone scales.

Occurrence ⁴

Mostly in wet habitats in southeastern Manitoba but occasionally between Lake Winnipeg and Lake Winnipegosis as far north as Grand Rapids.

Fun facts ⁴

Eastern White Cedar can sometimes grow in clumps very close together, joined by their root system or stem. They can grow and survive in 'stressful' environments such as in cracks between rocks, making them a good tree to grow in and around the Canadian Shield. Both the heartwood and sapwood of Eastern White Cedar are resistant to decay from multiple environmental factors. For this reason, many people use their wood to make outdoor fixtures such as shingles or decks.
Easter White Cedar twigs can also be used in tea to help sooth headaches and constipation.

Sources and Credits

(c) Manitoba Forestry, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Manitoba Forestry
(c) Owen Clarkin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Owen Clarkin
(c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy
(c) Manitoba Forestry, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Adapted by Manitoba Forestry from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis

More Info

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