Encyclopedia of Stanford Trees, Shrubs, and Vines

Thuja occidentalis. AMERICAN ARBORVITAE. Eastern North America
CUPRESSACEAE (Cypress family)

The leaves, which have a pleasant scent when crushed, are in the form of Cupressaceae small overlapping scales hugging branchlets arranged in flat sprays disposed more or less horizontally. Numerous horticultural varieties are available, including variegated, golden, and dwarf forms. The cones are about ½ inch long. The commercially important lumber is traded as northern white cedar. American arborvitae has been known as white cedar, a name that is also applied to incense cedar, Port Orford cedar, California juniper, and other trees. There is a specimen on the Campus Drive East side of Phi Kappa Psi.

Illustration: McMinn, Howard E. and Evelyn Maino. 1951. An illustrated manual of Pacific coast trees; with lists of trees recommended for various uses on the Pacific coast by H. W. Shepherd. 2d ed. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press.

Thuja occidentalis | Thuja orientalis | Thuja plicata

Illustrations (links open new windows): cone comparisons

Name derivation, genus | species Greek name thuia for a type of juniper | western

Botanical name index | Common name index | Family
Trees.Stanford.edu home