Also known as Red, Western Red, Pacific Red, or Giant Cedar. | ||
needles |
cones |
seeds |
|
|
|
General
Description:
A tree 40-60 m tall with a narrow
conical crown and a tapering trunk 1-3 m in diameter and strongly buttressed
at the base; branchlets flattened, pendulous, forming flat, front-like sprays;
bark bright cinnamon-brown, divided
into broad, rounded ridges; leaves on leading shoots ovate, long-pointed, 6
mm long, glandular on the back, while on the lateral shoots they are 3 as long,
without glands or these very obscure; cones reflexed, about.
Distribution:
Southern Alaska along the coast, in the Cascade Mountains, to Humboldt County
California, east through British Columbia and northern Washington, to southeast
British Columbia, northern Idaho (mostly on the west slope of the mountains)
and northwest Montana.
Habitat:
Western Red Cedar is found only in areas with abundant rain or snow, high humidity,
and cool summers from sea level to 5000 feet elevation. At the higher elevations,
they appear more like shrubs than the tall stately trees found at lower elevations.
They grow best in river bottoms, swamps, moist ravines and gulches. Best growth
is found in deep, rich soils. Rarely found in pure stands, they are commonly
found with Coastal Redwood, Sitka Spruce, Western Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Lowland
Fir, and Western larch.
Other:
Western Red Cedar wood is aromatic, light, attractive and very resistant to
rot, thus is used for siding, shakes and shingles, posts, poles, doors, window
sashes, boats, greenhouse benches, canoes, totem poles, and lodges. It has few
if any diseases. The strong inner bark was used for making baskets.