Native Plants
Plant Database
Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.
Atlantic White Cedar
Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)
Synonym(s): Chamaecyparis henryae, Chamaecyparis thyoides var. henryae, Cupressus thyoides, Cupressus thyoides ssp. henryae
USDA Symbol: CHTH2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Evergreen, aromatic tree with narrow, pointed, spirelike crown and slender, horizontal branches. Atlantic white-cedar is a columnar, evergreen tree, 40-75 ft. high, (often taller in the wild), with short, ascending branches and blue-green, scale-like leaves on twigs spreading in a fan-like manner. At maturity, the trunk is devoid of branches for 3/4 of its length. Bark is ashy-gray to reddish-brown.
Ancient logs buried in swamps have been mined and found to be well preserved and suitable for lumber. Pioneers prized the durable wood for log cabins, including floors and shingles. During the Revolutionary War, the wood produced charcoal for gunpowder. One fine forest is preserved at Green Bank State Forest in southern New Jersey. As an ornamental, this species is the hardiest of its genus northward.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Cone
Size Notes: Up to about 75 feet tall.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Bluish
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: GreenBloom Time: Mar , Apr , May
Distribution
USA: AL , CT , DE , FL , GA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , PA , RI , SC , VANative Distribution: Coastal Plain from s. ME to FL & MS
Native Habitat: Swamps & bogs, chiefly on coastal plain but extending inland to scattered localities
Growing Conditions
Water Use: LowLight Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: None
Soil Description: Moist, sandy soil.
Conditions Comments: This species thrives in a cool, moist atmosphere where it is protected from drying winds. It is relatively free of serious disease or insect problems and not susceptible to apple-cedar rust. It does not compete with hardwood species.
Propagation
Description: Seed germination is usually low, due in part to poor seed quality, and also to embryo dormancy. Softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings are the principal means of propagation.Seed Collection: Cones mature in Sept. and Oct. at the end of the first growing season. Each cone scale bears from 1-5 winged seeds.
Seed Treatment: Warm-moist stratify for 30 days then stratify 30 more days at 40 degrees. A cool-moist stratification alone may improve germination also.
Commercially Avail: yes
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | OBL | OBL | OBL |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Crosby Arboretum - Picayune, MS
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Additional resources
USDA: Find Chamaecyparis thyoides in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Chamaecyparis thyoides in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Chamaecyparis thyoides
Metadata
Record Modified: 2015-11-16Research By: TWC Staff