Life Form:

Evergreen tree

Average Height:

20-40'

Bark Characteristics:

Red-brown bark exfoliates with age.

Cone Characteristics:

Seed cones are oval and brown with 8 seeds per a cone. .35-.5" long.

Foliage Characteristics:

Scale-like, aromatic, yellow-green to green foliage grows in flattened sprays.

Structure:

Conical to narrow-pyramidal

Range:

C and E Canada to NC and E USA

Habitat:

Upland seepage areas, old fields, limestone cliffs, boulder fields, lowland swamps, streambanks, lakeshores; 0-1300 meters

Description:

Northern white cedar is an aromatic tree that can withstand cold conditions. Oil from the leaves is used in perfumes and in medicine, and the leaves are rich in vitamin C. In fact, one of the other names for northern white cedar, arborvitae, is Latin for “tree of life.” This honorific was given to the tree in 1536 when members of the Huron tribe showed a French captain how to stop his crew from dying of scurvy by using the tree.

Northern white cedar is Threatened in Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Illinois, Endangered in Indiana, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, and of Special Concern in Tennessee.

Hardiness:

-50 - 10 F

Ethnobotanical Uses:

Oil from this tree is used in cleansers, disinfectants, hair preparations, insecticides, liniments, room sprays, and soaps. Ojibwa made a soup from the inner bark of young twigs.

Medicinal / Pharmaceutical:

Twigs used by some to make a tea to relieve constipation and headaches. Vitamin C rich foliage was used by some Native Americans and early European explorers to treat scurvy.

Provenance:

Uncertain

Topic:

Trees  Search this

Living Collections  Search this

Common Name:

American Arborvitae

Eastern Arborvitae

White Cedar

Group:

[vascular plants]

Class:

Equisetopsida

Subclass:

Pinidae

Order:

Cupressales

Family:

Cupressaceae

Genus:

Thuja

Species:

occidentalis

Accession Number:

2011-0399A

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Smithsonian Gardens Tree Collection

On Display:

Ripley Gardens

Data Source:

Smithsonian Gardens

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax7849ee712-7032-41c0-b9ba-0d40cf2cbfbe

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:ofeo-sg_2011-0399A