﻿Trees of New York State 103 



PINACEAE 



Thuja occidentalis L. 



Arbor Vitae, White Cedar 



Habit — A tree at maturity attaining a height of 30-50 feet with a trunk 

 diameter of 1-2 feet, under optimum conditions sometimes becoming 70 

 feet tall. Crown dense, pyramidal, rather wide-based, often extending 

 nearly to the ground. Trunk usually short, often lobed and buttressed, 

 sometimes twisted, commonly dividing into several upright secondary 

 stems. Lateral branches short, horizontal, often declined, with short 

 pendulous laterals arranged in a horizontal plane. The laterals at length 

 die and are east off with the leaves. 



Leaves — Opposite, yellowish green ; on the thrifty shoots they are scale-like, 

 closely imbricated, ovate to lanceolate, pointed at the apex, glandular 

 on the back, aromatic when crushed, Vr;~% of an inch long; on the 

 deciduous laterals they are much smaller, of two kinds in alternating 

 pairs, those on the side of the twig strongly keeled, those on the face 

 flat and usually glandular, giving the twigs a flattened appearance. 



Flowers — Appearing in April and May, monoecious, borne in cones on 

 different Isranches. Staminate cones terminal, solitarj^, about 1/16 of 

 an inch long, ovoid to globose, consisting of 4-6 stamens, yellow at 

 maturity. Ovulate cones terminal, solitary, similar in size, ovoid, con- 

 sisting of 4—6 pairs of thin scales, pinkish at pollination. Ovules borne 

 in pairs. 



Fruit — -An oblong, erect, green cone, %-^/^ of an inch long, consisting of 

 6-12 obtuse scales, attaining full size by the middle of the summer, turn- 

 ing pale cinnamon-brown and opening in the autumn, persisting during 

 the following winter. Cone-scales thin, dull, coriaceous, oblong, blunt- 

 pointed, the outer usually sterile. Seeds light brown, about % of an 

 inch long, nearly encircled by the broad wing. 



V/inter characters — Branchlets arranged in flat, fan-shaped sprays, yellow- 

 ish green, flattened, at first completely covered by the decussate, over- 

 lapping leaves. During the second season, the laterals turn bro\\Ti and 

 fall -with the leaves. The bark of the primary branches eventually becomes 

 dark orange-brown and is marked by lateral branch-scars. Buds minute, 

 without scales, protected by the appressed scale-like leaves. Mature bark 

 light reddish brown, thin, fibrous, consisting of narrow anastomosing 

 ridges separated by shallow fissures. 



Habitat — Prefers low swampy sites such as stream sources, borders of ponds, 

 streams and lakes, where it often forms almost impenetrable, pure stands 

 or grows in company with Spruce and Balsam. Found on higher ground 

 in the southern part of its range. Thrives on limestone outcroppings. 



Range — Nova Scotia westward to Manitoba in Canada, in the United States 

 from Maine through the border states to Minnesota, south in the moun- 

 tains to Georgia and Tennesseee. Zones A, B, C, and D. 



Uses — Wood light, soft, brittle, aromatic, coarse-grained, light yello-wish 

 brown, darkening with exposure, with thin, nearly white sapwood. 

 Extremely durable in contact with, the soil. Largely utilized for fence 

 posts, poles, and shingles. Arbor vitae is widely used as a hedge plant 

 and otherwise ornamentally where varieties of abnormal habit have been 

 developed. 



