PNW Native
Western red-cedar, which is a cypress and not a true cedar (Cedrus vs. Thuja), can reach heights of up to 220 ft and is a large tree. Branches distinctively extend from the tree and droop in a shape resembling a ‘J’ and are horizontally flattened. Fragrant bark ranges from reddish-brown to grey and peels off in long vertical strips. Scale-like leaves are miniscule, yellow-green, opposite, and sheaths the twig underneath in an shingled arrangement that resembles a plait. After 3-4 years, leaves turn brown and shed. Seed cones are small, with 8-10 1 cm oblong scales arranged in a whorl. Prefers moist or wet habitats and shaded forests at low-medium elevations. Its range extends from S. Alaska through Oregon and portions of the Rocky Mountains. (1)
Western red-cedar saplings serve as important browse for black-tailed deer from British Columbia through the Olympic Peninsula. In the Northern Rockies, big game depend on redcedars as a winter food source. Bears in western Washington will strip the outer bark and eat the soft sapwood. Old-growth stands of red-cedar provide crucial habitat and cover for bears, raccoons, skunks and other species, and the cavities in the tree are also used by nesting birds such as Vaux's swifts, tree swallows, hairy woodpeckers, chestnut backed chickadees, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Grizzly bears are known to inhabit western red-cedar and western hemlock forests in the Selkirk Mountains. (3) Western redcedars often live to be up to 1000 years old and resist rot, drought, and disease, but have low-moderate fire resistance. Pure stands of western red-cedar form in wet environments such as the Hoh Rainforest or in moist forests that go centuries without forest fires, but individual red-cedars in a mixed forest are far more common. As long as the cedar’s roots remain wet, the tree can thrive in drier environments. Fallen branches and trunks can produce roots and stems that grow into new trees. Paleoecological records show western red-cedar became a dominant tree in the Northwest only between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. (2)
The significance of western red-cedar to the Northwest Coast Peoples cannot be overstated, in fact, red-cedar was so crucial to Northwest indigenous societies that they were referred to as “cedar people”, and the borders of the range of the cedar delineated the cultural boundaries of the Northwest Coast peoples. The tree provided materials for shelter, clothing, and transportation. The soft wood is easy to work with fire and stone and is both durable and aesthetic. Dugout canoes made from fallen cedar trees could be up to 60 ft long and facilitated war, trade, and whaling. Planks up to 30 ft long were split from live cedar trees using antler or yew wedges and used to construct longhouses. Most people lived in more modest houses, still constructed entirely from red-cedar. The soft inner bark was stripped and shredded and used as roofing, waterproof clothing and hats, menstrual pads, blankets, dishes, cradle lining, and other numerous uses. Bentwood boxes, made of a thin plank of wood then soaked, softened, and shaped, are a prized art form and status symbol amongst Coastal Peoples. (2) Bark was often interwoven with goat wool and/or goose down for softness. Soaked and processed roots are woven into coiled baskets and soaked and processed branches were twined into rope used for towing dead whales. Redcedar also had numerous medicinal and ceremonial uses, and many cultural practices are intrinsically linked to the sacredness of the tree. Plants were viewed as benevolent, providing relatives of humans that were not to be wasted or used thoughtlessly. The growth and flourishing of complexity in Northwest Coast societies and art is intrinsically linked to the time when Western red-cedar became a dominant species in coastal forests. (4)
Western red-cedar is a valuable commercial timber species, leading to the deforestation of much of the cultivated park-like old growth red-cedar stands that predominated many parts of the landscape before colonization. The heartwood of the tree is a rich red that weathers to a silver-grey and releases a delicious, strong cedary aroma. The tree is soft, but very decay-resistant and straight-grained, which makes it valuable for places with high-weather exposure such as shingles for roofs and the exterior of houses. Many other products are still made out of the tree, such as fence posts, clothing chests, boats, caskets, fish traps, and boxes. Western red-cedar leaf oil is used in shoe polish, perfumes, soaps, medicinal preparations, and the extracts are used in boiler water additives, and glue extenders. (3)
