Chamaecyparis thyoides
Common name: 
White Cedar
Atlantic Whitecedar
Whitecedar Falsecypress
Pronunciation: 
kam-e-SIP-a-ris thi-OI-dez
Family: 
Cupressaceae
Type: 
Conifer
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Conifer, evergreen tree, 40-50(80)ft [12-15(25)m] tall, conical when young, spire-like when old and often bare on the lower half.  Bark is reddish brown and has flat ridges.  Leaves of the juvenile form are awl-like, flat, and 6-8 mm long; adult leaves are scale-like, about 2 mm long, in pairs, lateral leaves only slightly larger than facial leaves, closely appressed, spreading outward on vigorous shoots, bluish green or light green, without white markings, conspicuous resinous glands; very aromatic when crushed (some say ginger-scented); foliage may turn violet-red or brownish-red in winter.  Flowers of each sex found on the same tree (monoecious), male flowers very small, red to yellow; female flowers small and green; appear in spring.  Cones often clustered on small twigs, globose, but may be asymmetric, about 6 mm across, bluish-purple, finally brown.
  • Sun  best in moist, sandy soil
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Native to swampy areas along the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida and Alabama and Mississippi.   Selected dense and/or dwarf selections offered in nurseries.  Two such cultivars are, 'Ericoides' and 'Red Star'; they are similar and sometime mislabeled.
  • thyoides: resembling Thuja
Click image to enlarge
  • in native habitat

    in native habitat

  • plant habit and trunk, bark

    plant habit and trunk, bark

  • plant habit, in a landscape

    plant habit, in a landscape

  • leaves

    leaves