Chamaecyparis thyoides Atlantic White Cedar
General
This species tends to grow in acidic peat swamps, mostly on raised microsites. It is a winter food source for many animals, including white-tailed deer. It looks somewhat similar to northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), but tends to grow in more acidic sites and the foliage isn’t as flattened. Charcoal from this species was used to make gunpowder in the Revolutionary War.
Plant Description
Small to medium evergreen shrub with scaly leaves. Fibrous, peeling bark. Cones are globular and up to ½” in diameter. Leaves and wood are aromatic.
Height (ft)
20-60
Spread (ft)
30-40
Soil moisture
Wet, including periodic flooding
Soil types
Acidic peat soils and coarse to medium mineral soils
Wetland indicator
OBL
Shade tolerance
Full Sun-Part Shade
Bloom color
Green
Bloom period
Spring
Fall conspicuous
No
Anaerobic tolerance
High
Drought tolerance
None
Salinity tolerance
None
Mono/dioecious
Monoecious
Distribution
Along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States, from Southern Maine to Southern Mississippi.
Additional information
Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP). 2015. North American Plant Atlas. (http://bonap.net/napa). Chapel Hill, N.C. [maps generated from Kartesz, J.T. 2015. Floristic Synthesis of North America, Version 1.0. Biota of North America Program (BONAP). (in press) LINK
Brooks, Henry and Dame, Lorin L. Handbook of the Trees of New England. Ginn & Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 1901. LINK
Fergus, Charles. Trees of New England: A Natural History. Morris Book Publishing, LLC. Guilford, Connecticut. 2005. LINK
Grimm, William Carey. The Illustrated Book of Trees. Revised by John Kartesz. Stackpole Books, Pennsylvania. 2002. LINK
Peattie, Donald Culross. A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America. Bonanza Books, New York. 1948. LINK
Sternberg, Guy and Wilson, Jim. Native Trees for North American Landscapes: from the Atlantic to the Rockies. Timber Press, Oregon. 2004. LINK
USDA, NRCS. 2021. PLANTS Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/, 08/20/2021). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA. LINK