Oregon State University
Alphabetical List of Tree Common Names Alphabetical List of Tree Scientific Names Identification Key Mystery Tree

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western redcedar (Thuja plicata)

(click on each photo to enlarge image)
  • More Info: If you would like a little more information on the group of native trees that comprise the false cedars, click here.

  • Needles: Scale-like and appressed to twig. Green above with a white butterfly pattern below (look closely at the second photo).

  • Fruit: Small, woody cones about 1/2" long; grow upright on twig. Shaped like tiny rose buds or the bowl of a smoker's pipe.

  • Bark: Thin, reddish-brown, and stringy. Had many uses for the Northwest Indians.

  • Distribution: Grows in areas of abundant precipitation, high humidity, and cool summers. Grows from sea level to 4000 ft. (1200 m) west of the crest of the Cascades, but to 7000 ft. (2150 m) in the Rocky Mountains.


For more information about this species, see "Trees to Know in Oregon".


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