Western redcedar

Short Description

The western redcedar is an evergreen conifer. It grows up to 40 metres high and has a narrow, conical crown.

The small, scale-like leaves lie on top of each other like roof tiles and are pressed flat against the twig. The upper side of the leaves is a bright green. On the underside they have triangular, silver-grey patches.

The bark is dark reddish brown to purple and broadly grooved. With age it becomes greyish and peels off in plates.

The male flower cones are very small and pale yellow. They sit at the ends of the twigs. The female flower cones are about one centimetre in size and egg-shaped. They are green in spring and yellow in summer. They grow on the stronger branches.

The mature cones are egg-shaped, brown and can sit upright, protruding or hanging on the twig. The cone scales have a small thorn at the tip.

In the city

Western redcedar is often planted as a solitary tree in parks and gardens in cities. In cemeteries, for example, it is often used as a hedge plant. It is shade tolerant and frost tolerant.