The eastern white cedar was first identified back in the 16th century when French explorer Jacques Cartier learned from the Native Americans that scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, could be cured by boiling the winter leaves and bark of a native evergreen tree they called “arborvitae”. The arborvitae then became more widely known by the French as “l’arbre de vie,” or “tree of life.”
By the 1530’s the arborvitae was introduced into France from Canada, and by 1753 Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus gave the tree its official Latin name: Thuja occidentalis. Thuja, stemming from the classical Latin word “thya” or “thyia” meaning arborvitae or tree of life, was the genus name given to represent a group of evergreen trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. Occidentalis, meaning west, was the specific epithet given to represent the direction of Canada, where the tree was first discovered, from Sweden. Today, the meaning behind the nickname “tree of life” extends well past the cedar’s ability to cure scurvy. It also represents the tree’s tendency to resist rot and live a very, very long life- sometimes up to 800 years!
Although its lifespan is quite impressive, the eastern white cedar has some pretty interesting physical features too! It is a very durable, evergreen conifer that is narrowly conical to broadly pyramidal in shape. Its lower branches hold their foliage as the tree ages and its upper branches are more vertical, forming a dense cone shape near the top. The flattened foliage, which resembles scales or fan-like sprays, is bright green throughout the spring and summer and often turns a yellowish-green to brownish-green in the late fall and winter. When crushed, it has a pleasant, spicy odour to it. Some even call it nature’s perfume!
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Tiny yellowish male and pinkish female flowers appear on the same tree in early spring. By late summer, the female flowers develop into oblong, reddish-brown seed cones that persist on the tree throughout the winter and provide food for a number of small birds and mammals. The thick, fibrous bark is reddish-grey in colour and separated into multiple ridges.
Because of its wonderful traits, the eastern white cedar makes an excellent backyard tree; however, due to the significant variation among the species today (there are now more than 100 cultivars), it can be difficult to decide which species to plant and what purpose that tree will serve in your yard. As always, LEAF suggests planting the NATIVE species, Thuja occidentalis, which is very urban tolerant and will reach a mature height of about 20 feet and width of about 7 feet. This native tree may come single or multi-stem and can be planted as a hedgerow, a wind/snow break, a property border, a privacy screen or as a single specimen tree.
One thing to remember if you do decide to plant eastern white cedars as a hedgerow, wind/snow break, border or screen, is to plant them about 6-7 feet apart to give them space to grow. These trees will get quite large and planting them any closer than this is not recommended because the roots will compete for resources (water and nutrients) and air flow will be reduced, eventually impacting overall growth. Remember, plant for the future!
That being said, the eastern white cedar is a very versatile tree and it could be the perfect addition to your backyard! Sign up for our Backyard Tree Planting Program today to book a consultation with one of our arborists.
The Backyard Tree Planting Program is supported by Ontario Power Generation, York Region, City of Markham, City of Toronto, Town of Ajax, Durham Region, Toronto and Region Conservation, and Toronto Hydro.
Brenna Anstett is LEAF’s Field Operations Coordinator.