White Cedar

Latin Name: Thuja occidentalis

Facts about White Cedar:

• Height: 10 to 20m tall, Trunk: 0.4m diameter

• Location: Southeast parts of Canada

• Moisture: Prefers moist soil

• Sun Exposure: Tolerates some shade

• Soil: Grows in variety of soils and does not tolerate road salt

• Looks Like:

  • Small, hardy, slow-growing tree—usually lives for about 200 years

  • Found in swampy areas, where rock underneath is limestone

  • Cones in clumps of 5 or 6 pairs

  • Bark is thin and shiny when young, separating into flat, narrow strips as it grows older

  • Leaves are small and scaly

Biodiversity Benefits:

• During the winter, white-tailed deer eat the twigs on the white cedar.

Historical Use:

• White cedar is an important tree in Ojibwe culture, where it is considered a gift to humanity due to uses including crafts, construction and medicine.

• The foliage is rich in vitamin C , and considered to be a cure for scurvy.

• The essential oil within the plants can be used for cleansers, disinfectants, insecticides and soaps. The twigs have been used to make teas to relieve constipation and headaches.

• Northern white cedar is commonly used in construction, for fencing, posts, lumber, poles, shingles, etc. It is also used for the structural elements, such as ribs and planking, of canoes.