| Latin (group) name: Thuja |
| Latin (specific) name: Thuja Occidentalis (Linnaeus) |
| Average max height: 49' to 125' |
| Average diameter: 3' to 6' |
| Associated state: none |
| Category: American Woods The Softwoods - Conifers |
The Tree
Northern White-Cedar is a tree of medium size and of slow growth.The tree inhabits swamps and generally grows in such dense stands that its growth is greatly retarded. It is a favorite forage tree for the white-tailed deer in winter, when, because of deep snows, the deer are dependent for food to a great extent upon the foliage and young seedlings of this species.
Common Names in Use
- Northern White-Cedar (trade)
- American Arborvitae (N.Y., hort. and Eng.)
- Arborvitae (Me., Vt., Mass., R.I., Conn., N.Y., N.J., Pa., Del., Tenn., Va., W.Va., Ind., Ill., Wis., Mich., Minn., Ohio, Ontario)
- Atlantic Red Cedar (Calif,lit.)
- Cedar (Me., Vt., N.Y.)
- Eastern Arborvitae (trade)
- Michigan White Cedar (trade)
- New Brunswick Cedar (trade)
- Oo-soo-ha-tah “Feather-leaf” (Indians)
- Swamp Cedar (N.Y.)
- Vitae (Del.)
- White Cedar (Me., N.H., Vt., R.I., Mass., N.Y., NJ., Va., N.C., Wis., Mich., Minn., Ont., trade)
Growth Range
The natural growth range of Northern White-Cedar extends from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to southeastern Manitoba in Canada, south to Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana. Ohio, and in the mountains, to Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Wood
The heartwood of Northern White-Cedar is usually a very light-creamy-brown or very whitish-tan, and the thin sapwood is almost white. The color is generally so faint that the grain or figure of the wood is not very pronounced. It is very light in weight, soft, brittle, weak, coarse straight-grained, and uniform in texture. The wood has a tendency to separate between the annual growth rings. It has a pleasant aromatic odor which, however, is not as pronounced as in some other cedars. The wood shrinks little in drying, is easily worked, stays in place well and takes and holds paint very satisfactorily.
Uses
Because of its many knots and finishing qualities, Northern White-Cedar is being used more extensively in interior finish as “knotty Cedar.” It is a desirable species for poles and posts because of its durability in contact with the soil. This is now prolonged by treatment with wood preservatives. This wood is used in building construction, boats, canoes, tanks, shingles, wooden ware, containers of various kinds, sash, doors and other rnillwork.
File References
| ID | T | Name | Source | Actions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 295 | Thuja Occidentalis Linnaeus Thuja occidentalis trees on a rock ledge. Potawatomi State Park, near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, USA. Attribution: Brynn [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], from Wikimedia Commons Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Something_out_of_nothing_2.jpg |
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| 296 | Northern White Cedar Foliage Thuja occidentalis foliage, Wisconsin State Natural Area #13, Peninsula State Park, Door County, Wisconsin Attribution: Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thuja_occidentalis_foliage_Wisconsin.jpg |
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| 297 | Northern White Cedar Cones Thuja occidentalis, Cupressaceae, Eastern Arborvitae, Northern Whitecedar, cones. Karlsruhe, Germany. Attribution: H. Zell [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thuja_occidentalis_004.JPG |
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| 298 | Northern White Cedar Tree Bark Thuja occidentalis, Cupressaceae, Eastern Arborvitae, Northern Whitecedar, bark. Karlsruhe, Germany. Attribution: H. Zell [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thuja_occidentalis_002.JPG |
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| 299 | Northern White Cedar Range Map Range map of Thuja occidentalis Attribution: U.S. Geological Survey [Public domain or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thuja_occidentalis_range_map.png |