Thuja occidentalis seed
LATIN NAME: THUJA OCCIDENTALIS
COMMON NAME: Northern White-cedar, Eastern Arborvitae, American Arborvitae
The northern white-cedar is a hardy and noble conifer of the northern forests, its flat, aromatic, evergreen sprays a familiar presence across the north, where it grows in moist forests, swamps and along rocky cliffs. It forms a conical crown of dense, flattened, scale-like foliage that turns bronze in winter, and its small, upright, woody cones ripen through the year. In the swamps and on the cliffs of its native range, some trees live for many centuries, and the oldest individuals are counted among the most ancient trees of the north. Native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeastern United States, it has been planted across the temperate world as an ornamental and hedging conifer, valued for its aromatic foliage, its hardiness and its enduring wood, which has been used for fence posts, shingles and small boats.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The northern white-cedar has a genuine and growing place in ecological, forestry and horticultural research. Ecologists study its role in the northern forest and swamp communities, its value as food and shelter for wildlife, and its remarkable longevity, since the cliff-dwelling and swamp cedars of the north are among the oldest trees of the continent. Forestry and wood scientists examine its light, durable, aromatic timber, which has a long history of use for fence posts, shingles and small boats, and its durability has drawn attention in the wood and heritage press. Horticulturists study its many cultivated varieties, which range from tall, pyramidal trees to compact, rounded shrubs, and its use in hedging and windbreaks. For a conifer of such hardiness and such history, the northern white-cedar has a rich and growing body of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the northern white-cedar is a generous conifer of the northern forests. Its aromatic sprays give shelter, and it is a valued food and cover for the deer and other wildlife of the north, while some of its trees are among the oldest on the continent. Economically, its durable, aromatic wood is valued for fence posts, shingles and small boats, and the tree is a hardy ornamental and hedging conifer grown across the temperate world. For a grower it is an easy and hardy conifer, and for a gardener it brings aromatic, evergreen sprays and a noble northern presence.
To grow the Northern White-cedar from seed, to bring the northern white-cedar on, soak the small seeds in water overnight, chill them in damp compost for two months, then press them onto the surface of a tray of seed compost and cover them with only a whisper of fine soil.
soak the small seeds in water overnight, chill them in damp compost for two months, then press them onto the surface of a tray of seed compost, and keep the young cedars with only a whisper of fine soil over them.
LATIN NAME: Thuja occidentalis
COMMON NAME: Northern White-cedar, Eastern Arborvitae, American Arborvitae
The northern white-cedar is a hardy and noble conifer of the northern forests, and its flat, aromatic, evergreen sprays have been a familiar sight across the north for a very long time. It grows as a small to medium-sized, evergreen coniferous tree, reaching up to twenty metres, with a conical crown of dense, flattened sprays of scale-like, aromatic, green foliage, which turns bronze in the winter, followed by the small, upright, woody cones. It is native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeastern United States, and it is a tree of the moist forests and the swamps of the north, while it has been planted as an ornamental and a hedging conifer across the temperate world.
The northern white-cedar belongs to the cypress family, Cupressaceae, and it is a coniferous tree native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeastern United States. It is known as the northern white-cedar, the eastern white-cedar or the arborvitae, and it is grown for its aromatic, evergreen sprays and its hardiness.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The northern white-cedar has a genuine and growing place in both ecological and forestry research. It has been studied in ecology, since it is a tree of the northern forests and the swamps, and researchers have examined its growth, its role in the forest community and its great age, since the northern white-cedars of the cliffs and the swamps are among the oldest trees of the north, while its value to the wildlife, which browse its foliage and shelter in its groves, has been examined. The conifer has also been studied in forestry and in wood science, since its light, durable, aromatic wood has been valued, and researchers have examined its timber and its uses, while the wood has been used for the making of the fence posts, the shingles and the small boats, and the tree has drawn attention in the international wood and heritage press for the durability of its wood. The species has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a hardy ornamental and hedging conifer, and its many varieties have been examined. For a conifer of such hardiness and such history, the northern white-cedar has a rich and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the northern white-cedar is a generous conifer of the northern forests. Its aromatic sprays give shelter, and it is a valued food and shelter for the wildlife of the north, while it is a noble presence in the forests and the swamps, and some of its trees are among the oldest in the north.
Its economic value is real. Its light, durable, aromatic wood has been valued for the fence posts, the shingles and the small boats, and the durability of its wood has drawn attention in the international wood and heritage press, while the tree is also a hardy ornamental and hedging conifer, grown across the temperate world. For a grower, the northern white-cedar is an easy and hardy conifer, and for a gardener it brings aromatic, evergreen sprays and a noble northern presence. The seeds need a spell of cold — keep them in the fridge in damp compost for a month, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost, and theyll sprout steadily, growing on into a hardy, aromatic conifer.
Scientific Name: Thuja occidentalis Name: American Arborvitae plant height: 20-40 feet light requirements: full sun to part shade soil & water preferences: grows well in well-drained soil. Scarification: Soak in water for 24hrs stratification: cold stratify for 60 days germination: sow seeds 1/8″ deep in soil, tamp the soil & mulch the seed bed. Requires light for germination