Thuja Plicata
Scientific Name – Thuja plicata
Western Red Cedar are common along the western coast of North America stretching from Alaska to California. Western Red Cedars are most often found in parks or gardens in the UK and Ireland while they have also occasionally been used as a forest crop.
Bark is a purple shade of red – brown with wide ridges that peels in strips. The bark is thick but rather soft. All but the most mature trees have a conical growth pattern with an upright leader while trees broaden with age, especially at the base if large branches are retained. The oldest trees may have an open crown resulting from the die back of large branches. Trees may reach heights of 25m after 30 years. The timber of this tree is aromatic and reddish brown, turning a silvery grey as it weathers.
