Thuya occidentalis
Eastern White Cedar, Swamp Cedar,
American Arborvitae
Cupressaceae
History and Origin
Eastern White Cedar is a conifer native to north-eastern North America that prefers humid limestone soils. It has the distinctive feature to bear miniature superimposed scales instead of needle. Interesting fact, small trees of a “bonsai” type aged over 800 hundreds years have been found in northern Quebec, notably on the lake edges, away from forests fires. Often, the center of the tree, that dies and therefore no longer presents the same resistance to decomposition, putrefies and creates, over time, a shelter for animals. Moreover, during the winter, Thuya plantations become home to the deer herds. Furthermore, the wood, scented, light, easy to split and rot resistant, is highly appreciated to build fences, shingles, docks, foundations, beams and other building elements requiring a resistance to decomposition. Ancient civilisations used it as a ceremonial incense, therapeutic remedy and structure material for the building of bark canoes. Traditionally, since cedar wood repels moths, it is used to manufacture “cedar chests”. This naming is of course a mistake, the real Cedar tree belonging to a whole different family.
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