Trees of the Adirondacks:
Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

Trees of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedars have flat sprays of dense foliage with scale-like leaves arranged in tight rows along the twigs. Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) on the Jenkins Mountain Trail at the Paul Smith's College VIC (17 May 2015).

Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) is a coniferous evergreen tree with scale-like leaves. In the Adirondack Mountains, it is most abundant in wetlands and along lake shores.

Northern White Cedar is a member of the Cupressaceae family. This family also includes several other plants found in the Adirondack region, including Creeping Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis), Ground Juniper (Juniperus communis), and Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana).

Northern White Cedar is the only member of the Thuja genus found in New York State.

• The name Thuja is said to be derived from the Greek Thuia, which is the name of a Greek juniper. The species name (occidentalis) means "western," differentiating this plant from old world plants.
• Other names for this plant include Eastern White Cedar, Eastern Thuja, Arborvitae, Arbor Vitae, American Arborvitae, and Eastern Arborvitae. Arborvitae means Tree of Life, which is a reference to the story that the vitamin C in a tea made from the foliage from this tree helped Jacques Cartier and his crew recover from scurvy in the 16th century. Northern White Cedar has also been called Swamp Cedar or Swamp-Cedar, referring to this tree's ability to thrive in wetlands.

Identification of Northern White Cedar

Trees of the Adirondacks: The bark of Northern White Cedar separates from the trunk in vertical strips, with the newly-exposed bark underneath brownish or reddish brown. Northern White Cedar on the Heart Lake Trail (15 August 2018).

Northern White Cedar is a small to medium-sized tree. In our region, it usually grows to about 30 feet high and up to two feet in diameter. It is very slow-growing. According to Michael Kudish, who kept records of Adirondack flora in the Paul Smiths area starting in the mid-1960s, this tree shows an average increase of 12 inches in diameter per century.

The Northern White Cedar's branches are retained nearly to the ground. The crown is pyramidal in form and densely compact. The trunk is sometimes divided into two or more secondary trunks.

The bark of the Northern White Cedar is pale brown, stringy and fibrous in appearance, sometimes shredding. On young trees, the bark on the trunk is reddish brown to gray, showing thin, narrow vertical strips.

As the tree matures, the bark on the trunk becomes gray, with newly exposed bark brownish or reddish brown. The vertical strips separate from the trunk at the ends and are often oriented in a slight spiral around the trunk of the tree.

Trees of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedar's branchlets form a flat, fan-like spray. Northern White Cedar on the Heart Lake Trail (27 June 2017).

The main key to identifying Northern White Cedar is its leaf structure, which sets the tree apart from other conifers that occur in the Adirondack Park. Like other conifers found here (with the exception of the Tamarack), Northern White Cedar has evergreen leaves, but there resemblances end.

In contrast to the needles of other Adirondack conifers, Northern White Cedars have scale-like leaves arranged in tight rows along the twig, forming a flat spray. The leaves overlap and hide the twig surface. The leaves have a spicy fragrance when crushed.

Male and female flowers are tiny, cone-like bodies that are usually borne on separate twigs or branchlets. Female flowers are pinkish; they appear at the tips of the short terminal branchlets. Male flowers are yellowish and appear on branchlets near the base of the shoot.

Flower buds form during the fall. The flower buds expand in the following spring, with flowering occurring in late April and May.

Trees of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedar produces clusters of tiny cones. Northern White Cedar on the Heart Lake Trail (14 August 2017).

Northern White Cedar cones are egg-shaped. The pollinated conelets begin growing in late June. They ripen in late summer. The cones are ⅓ to ½ inch long. When immature, they are green or pinkish brown. The cones turn cinnamon brown at maturity.

The cone scales open in the fall to release seeds, which are light chestnut brown and flattened. The seeds are winged and about ¼ inch long. They are disseminated by the wind.

Cones appear on Northern White Cedar trees when the trees are as young as six years old, with the best seed production beginning at 75 years. Northern White Cedars reportedly bear good seed crops at intervals of two to five years.

Uses of Northern White Cedar

Northern White Cedar has a variety of human uses. The wood, which is light-weight and resistant to decay, is used to make products that come into contact with water and soil. The wood is used commercially for rustic fencing, cabin logs, poles, and shingles. The wood has also been used for paneling and boat-making. In addition, the tree is widely planted as an ornamental.

Although a tea prepared from Northern White Cedar twigs and bark was said to have saved the crew of explorer Jacques Cartier from scurvy in 1536, most sources warn against using products from this plant internally. Oil from Northern White Cedar foliage is said to be poisonous, particularly if taken in large doses.

In any event, Native American groups used Northern White Cedar for a wide variety of medical problems, including headaches, coughs, pneumonia, colds, fever, rheumatism, sprains, bruises, and sores. The Algonquin, for instance, took a decoction of branches for rheumatism. They used a poultice of powered wood for rashes and skin irritations. The branches were used in a steam bath for fevers, colds, and toothache. They also used an infusion of cones to treat babies with colic. 

Native American groups also used the tree for non-medicinal purposes. The Iroquois used bark pieces as a caulking material. Other groups used the wood to make spears, basket splints, toboggans, arrows, and canoe ribs, frames, and slats.

Wildlife Value of Northern White Cedar

Mammals of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedar provides both food and shelter for White-tailed Deer. White-tailed Deer near Craig Wood Golf Club (28 September 2018).

Northern White Cedar has significant value for wildlife. These trees provide food, shelter, and habitat for a wide variety of mammals and birds.

Adirondack mammals that make extensive use of Northern White Cedar include White-tailed Deer. New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation lists this plant as among the preferred or best-liked winter deer foods, based on thousands of observations in deer wintering areas over many years from all parts of the state. Northern White Cedar foliage is often over-browsed in areas where deer are abundant, resulting in deer browse lines about five feet from the ground, representing the deer's highest reach.

Twigs and foliage from Northern White Cedar reportedly constitute 10-25% of the White-tailed Deer's diet. The browse, which is high in calcium, is highly nutritious, with a composition of 28% carbohydrates and 14% crude fibers. Stands of Northern White Cedar also provide White-tailed Deer with shelter from wind and deep snow during severe winters.

Another Adirondack mammal that makes use of Northern White Cedar is the Snowshoe Hare, which feeds on the lower branches and in some cases is said to cause as much damage as that associated with deer. Most sources list Northern White Cedar as a favored browse for these hares, although one source contends that it provides only ½ to 2 percent of the hare's diet.

Other mammals that browse the foliage of Northern White Cedar include Porcupine, Red Squirrel, and American Beaver. Moose, however, are said to browse Northern White Cedar only when other food is scarce, although they may use the tree for thermal cover.

Northern White Cedar is a common tree species in the breeding habitat of a wide variety of birds, including:

Insectivorous birds often seen feeding in Northern White Cedar trees include Magnolia Warblers, Black-and-white Warblers, Pine Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, American Redstarts, Chipping Sparrows, White-throated Sparrows, and Hermit Thrush.

Birds of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedar seeds are an important food source for Pine Siskins. Pine Siskin at the Paul Smith's College VIC (7 May 2018).

In addition, Northern White Cedar provides nesting sites for a variety of birds, including Black-and-White Warbler, American Redstart, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cedar Waxwing, Yellow Warbler, Evening Grosbeak, Common Grackle, Eastern Kingbird, and Boreal Chickadee.

Northern White Cedar is particularly important for the Pine Siskin, for whom the seeds are a preferred source of food. According to the Martin/Zim/Nelson guide to wildlife food habits, the winged seeds of this tree constitute 10-25% of the Pine Siskin's diet in the Northeast.

Other birds make use of Northern White Cedar bark or foliage as nesting material. This includes the Swainson's Thrush, Red-tailed Hawk, and Canada Jay.

Distribution of Northern White Cedar

Trees of the Adirondacks: Northern White Cedar is found in all counties within the Adirondack Park Blue Line. Northern White Cedar on the Henry's Woods Loop Trail (3 August 2015).

Northern White Cedar trees are found in eastern North America. Their primary range is in the southern part of the eastern half of Canada, plus the adjacent northern areas in the US, including New England, the Great Lakes states, and New York State. Scattered stands are found southward along the Appalachian Mountains into North Carolina and Tennessee.

Northern White Cedar is listed as Threatened in Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, and Maryland; Endangered in Indiana, Massachusetts, and New Jersey; and of special concern in Tennessee.

In New York State, Northern White Cedar has been documented in most counties, with the exception of several in the southwestern and south central areas. It is found in all counties within the Adirondack Park Blue Line.  

Habitat of Northern White Cedar

Northern White Cedar is a shade-tolerant plant that can survive in a variety of soils and well to very poorly drained sites. In the Adirondack Mountains, it is most abundant in swamps, peaty bogs, and along streams and lake shores. In swamps it can form dense, almost impenetrable stands and can reach ages of 400 years or more.

In the Adirondack region, Northern White Cedars are found in a variety of ecological communities, including:

Northern White Cedar is the dominant tree in the Northern White Cedar Swamp. This is a conifer or mixed swamp found on organic soils in poorly drained depressions or along lakes and streams in the northern half of New York State.

Birds of the Adirondacks: Golden-crowned Kinglets are among the characteristic birds found in Northern White Cedar Swamps. Golden-crowned Kinglet on the Barnum Brook Trail (28 September 2018).

• In this community, Northern White Cedar makes up more than 30% of the canopy cover. It may form nearly pure stands or be mixed with Red Maple, Eastern Hemlock, Balsam Fir, Tamarack, Yellow Birch, Eastern White Pine, Red Spruce, or Black Spruce.
• Characteristic wildflowers found on hummocks in Northern White Cedar Swamps include Goldthread, Starflower, Bunchberry, Canada Mayflower, Clintonia, Creeping Snowberry, and Partridgeberry.
• In the hollows between hummocks you might find Cinnamon Fern and Royal Fern.
• Characteristic birds in Northern White Cedar Swamps include Northern Waterthrush, Winter Wren, White-throated Sparrow, and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Northern White Cedar can be found along most of the trails covered here. This tree is particularly abundant along trails that traverse swampy or wetland areas or provide access to lake shores.  

Adirondack Tree List

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Trees of the Adirondack Mountains