Atlantic White Cedar

Chamaecyparis thyoides

The Atlantic White Cedar is a beautiful tree that grows near water. It has soft, thin leaves and can live for hundreds of years!

Habitat: Wetlands and swamps

Appearance

The Atlantic White Cedar is an evergreen tree with dense, scale-like leaves that are often bluish-green. Its slender, upright trunk is covered in distinctive reddish-brown, peeling bark, creating a shaggy texture. The overall crown is narrow and conical, giving it a tall, elegant appearance.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassPinopsidaOrderPinalesFamilyCupressaceaeGenusChamaecyparis

Atlantic White Cedar

Interesting facts

Ancient cedar logs preserved in bogs have been found to be over 5,000 years old!

Its wood smells wonderfully spicy and is used for shingles and even pencils!

Many rare insects and plants can only live in the unique habitats these trees create.

Native Americans used its strong, flexible bark to make ropes, baskets, and even canoes.

Special abilities

Atlantic White Cedar can thrive in acidic, waterlogged soils thanks to special roots that handle low oxygen, helping it survive where other trees can't.

Atlantic White Cedar has incredibly rot-resistant wood that helps it endure damp environments for centuries, making it a natural survivor.

Atlantic White Cedar can grow in dense, single-species stands that shape entire wetland ecosystems, creating unique habitats for many creatures.

Measurements & details

Height: 18-30 m
Canopy Spread: 3-6 m
Edible: No
Trunk Diameter: 30-150 cm
Lifespan: 100-600 years
Fruit Type: Small woody cones
Growth Rate: Medium
Leaf Type: Evergreen

Ecological connections

eats

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Browses on young cedar foliage

shelters

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

Nests in dead snags and cavities

shelters

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Uses dense stands for cover

depends on

Purple Pitcher Plant

Sarracenia purpurea

Thrives in same acidic bog habitat

Traits

Coniferous

Coniferous plants are typically evergreen, bearing needles or scales and reproductive cones.

Evergreen

Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.

Timber

Timber refers to wood that has been prepared for use in building and carpentry.

Longevous

This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.