Information on the Western Red Cedar Tree

Thuja placating, also known as Pacific red oak or giant red oak, giant cedars, or western red cedar, arborvitae or western red cedar, is a genus of Thuja, a deciduous aromatic tree in the cypress genus, native to western North America used in items such as vertical cedar cladding. It is not a genuine cedar of the genus Cedrus, however. Its scientific name, Plicata (or Polycarpus), is due to a duplication of its genus name in German, and it was originally considered a subspecies of this genus. It shares this same distinction with elm, madrone, witch hazel, and sumac, among others.

Thuja plicatina is a member of the family of cypress, which includes maples, elms, sweet gums, and other aromatic trees. Its bark contains numerous aromatic chemicals that are known to have insect repellent, antiseptic, and antifungal properties. It has been used for a variety of medicinal purposes, including for aphrodisiacs, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory purposes. Medicinal properties found in this tree have been known to extend far beyond those of cedars and other aromatic trees.

Western red cedar suppliers

This tree is one of the most popular species of shrubs throughout the United States. It is the most preferred tree for ornamental landscaping, mainly due to its versatility as a backdrop tree. It can be used indoors for privacy, in borders, along decks, walkways, driveways, and other outbuilding areas, while the larger branches make ideal barriers or screen sides of buildings such as in cedar slats. The tree canopy provides shading from the sun during the hot afternoon hours, and when the sun begins to go down, it will allow the evening sun to shine through to warm the foliage of the trees. Western red cedars are best planted in the same arrangement year after year, for the best results.

There are several subspecies of this tree. There are some with darker colored bark than the other varieties, making identification much more difficult. The full-sized cedars are known as the red cedars and are used for burnt cedar cladding. This tree is very fast growing and requires adequate space to grow, due to the size of its branches. It prefers a lot of room, with a considerable amount of direct sunlight on a regular basis. Different subspecies have different growth habits and are suited to different climate conditions.

Cedar cladding suppliers from western red

Some cedar cladding woods are native to Mexico, while others are grown in the Mediterranean region. Some of the Mediterranean cedars are also native to North Africa and Australia. The tree flowers during the spring, blooming for two to four weeks before the turn into green leaves. The blooming period is shorter for the western species. The trees are usually shade tolerant, but there are some cultivars that can survive well in full sun.

The most popular subspecies grown in the U.S. is the WRC, which is identified as Huron cornelian. These cedars are characterized by straight needles and dark green leaves. The WRC is the most widely planted of all the subspecies. Other popular subspecies are the red cedars with silver to black bark, Spanish cedars, purple-leaved cedars, and the dwarf cedars.

Other cladding types such as larch cladding

The wood of these trees is hard, with very little being left after harvesting. Oak wood is usually kiln dried to make hardwood. Kiln drying makes the wood slightly softer, but the trees themselves are quite hardy. They typically live for twenty to thirty years making them perfect for larch cladding.

There are several types of Western red cedars, including bald, bushy, lace topped, needle back, lean-to, knobbly, tree, and scaly. The trees vary in height and diameter. Some of these are grown as an ornamental tree, growing to a maximum height of eight feet; while others are grown primarily as a tree for their nuts.