WESTERN RED CEDAR.
(Thuja plicata)
This tree, in spite of its common name, is not a cedar in the correct
sense, for no true cedars (genus Cedrus) are native to the United
States. One will find true cedars, such as Cedrus deodara, used in
landscape plantings in many parts of the country but these are
introduced and do not naturally occur here. However, no apology needs to
be made for the western red cedar. It is a common, very beautiful and
distinctive tree in the forests of the park up to about 4000 feet.
It grows to a large size. Mature specimens are from 150-200
feet tall and from 3-8 feet in diameter while larger
individuals may occasionally be found. The trunks are conical,
being conspicuously buttressed (swelled) and fluted at the base. In the
deep forests the trunks are free of limbs for a considerable portion of
their length and one may readily observe the character of the
bark which is thin, shreddy and fibrous, and reddish to cinnamon
brown in color. The foliage is dark green, soft to the touch and
scale-like which gives a lacy, "fern-like" appearance to the gracefully
drooping branches. The cones, which are borne in abundance, are
oblong in outline, from 1/2-3/4 of an inch in length with the scales
joined at the base. They mature in the late summer and remain upon the
branches, after opening and shedding the seeds, until the following
year. The wood of this tree is very durable, straight grained,
has a characteristic pleasant "cedar" odor and varies from yellow to
brown in color. The tree attains a considerable age here and the
larger specimens are undoubtedly from 600 to 800 y ears old.
The western red cedar was of considerable importance to the Indians
of the northwestern coast. From the huge trunks they fashioned large
dugout canoes. Lodges were built of cedar slabs split from large logs
and, as the inner bark is strong and tough, it was used in the
manufacture of mats, baskets and similar articles. The early white
settlers in this region quickly became aware of the admirable qualities
of the wood of this tree. Many pioneer cabins were made of split cedar
timbers and roofed with cedar shakes. The wood was also widely used for
flooring, and rustic but serviceable furniture could be readily made
from it without benefit of specialized woodworking tools. Even today it
is one of our most important commercial forest trees.
This interesting tree may be found along the Pacific Coast in
southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and northern
California, while inland it occurs in eastern British Columbia and
Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana.
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WESTERN RED CEDAR (Thuja plicata). A-Twig, illustrating
character of the cones and foliage. Note oblong outline of the cones
and scale-like appearances of the foliage. (x1). B-Enlarged sketch of
mature, open cone (x4).
ALASKA CEDAR (Chamaecyparis
nootkatensis). C-Twig, illustrating character of cones and foliage.
D-Enlarged sketch of mature, open cone (x4).
-oOo-
Descriptions continued...
