Family: Cupressaceae
eastern arborvitae, northern white-cedar
Paul Drobot
Kenneth J. Sytsma
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium (UWSP)
Etymology: Thuja: ancient name of some resin-bearing evergreen
Plants: perennial, 40'-50' tall, evergreen tree
Leaves: mostly scale-like 1/16-1/8" in 4 rows flattened from sides
Fruits: 1/2" long cones mostly bell-shaped
Habitat: dry to wet; swamps, limestone
Conservation Status: Native
Plants: perennial, 40'-50' tall, evergreen tree
Leaves: mostly scale-like 1/16-1/8" in 4 rows flattened from sides
Fruits: 1/2" long cones mostly bell-shaped
Habitat: dry to wet; swamps, limestone
Conservation Status: Native
Mesic to wet forests with sugar maple-yellow birch-white spruce-balsam fir, tamarack, black ash, mixed conifers, sugar maple-hemlock, sugar maple-beech, tamarack-black spruce, elm-silver maple-ash-basswood-yellow birch. Sometimes forming pure or nearly pure stands in northern wet-mesic forests (sometimes called cedar swamps) or on the dolomite cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment in Door Co. Also in boggy areas around lakeshores, steep slopes above rivers, alkaline sedge meadows, wooded dunes of Lake Michigan, fields, limestone cliffs and ledges, cobble and bedrock beaches of Door Co., clay bluffs, bases of talus slopes, brush swamps.
Curtis (1959) discussed the importance of cedar swamps as wintering grounds for white-tailed deer. Deer seek out the swamps due to their shallower snow and as a source of winter browse. Unfortunately, the overabundance of deer has now led to low regeneration of white cedar, young plants being quickly eaten up before they can grow large. Many areas of white cedar exhibit signs of over-browsing, where all the trees are leafless until a height above that which the deer can reach; these plants look as if they have been pruned intentionally by humans. White cedar is found almost entirely north of the Tension Zone, extending southward along Lake Michigan. There is some debate if plants on the lake bluffs of Milwaukee are native or escaped. Many cultivars of white cedar have been developed and it is a ubiquitous landscape plant. It has escaped in a few areas south of its native range on small cliffs near homes, along railroads, on roadcuts, and in prairies and fens.
Curtis (1959) discussed the importance of cedar swamps as wintering grounds for white-tailed deer. Deer seek out the swamps due to their shallower snow and as a source of winter browse. Unfortunately, the overabundance of deer has now led to low regeneration of white cedar, young plants being quickly eaten up before they can grow large. Many areas of white cedar exhibit signs of over-browsing, where all the trees are leafless until a height above that which the deer can reach; these plants look as if they have been pruned intentionally by humans. White cedar is found almost entirely north of the Tension Zone, extending southward along Lake Michigan. There is some debate if plants on the lake bluffs of Milwaukee are native or escaped. Many cultivars of white cedar have been developed and it is a ubiquitous landscape plant. It has escaped in a few areas south of its native range on small cliffs near homes, along railroads, on roadcuts, and in prairies and fens.
Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 9, Wetland Indicator = FACW Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine: Information and Photos USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USGS - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: Gymnosperms: Photos, descriptions, information USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Virginia Tech Dept. of Forestry, College of Natural Resources: detailed description and photographs Purple Sage - Ethnobotanical Information: Detailed usage, preparation, and other helpful information Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada" Landscape Plants of the Upper Midwest; UW-Extension: Interactive guide providing information on cultivation including: soil, zone, growth rate, landscape uses, pruning, light requirements; with photos and Latin name pronounciation
Kenneth J. Sytsma
Paul Drobot
Darrin Kimbler
Kenneth J. Sytsma
Paul Drobot
Matthew L. Wagner
Kenneth J. Sytsma
Emmet J. Judziewicz
Dorothy J. Lott
Paul Drobot
Hugh H. Iltis
Botancial Illustration
Know Your Trees
