Tree of the day: Thuja plicata, Western red cedar, Chancellor's East
Thuja plicata is a species of evergreen needleleaf coniferous plants (in the Cupressaceae or Cypress family), native to Pacific north-west of North America.
Thuja plicata is a species of evergreen needleleaf coniferous plants (in the Cupressaceae or Cypress family), native to Pacific north-west of North America. It is a very large tree, of up to 70 metres, which can live to more than 1000 years. Large specimens tend to be conical in shape, with the trunk broadening at the base. Groups of it are a majestic sight.
The leaves of Thuja plicata are scale-like (meaning they look like thin cylinders whose surface is composed of small overlapping plates; in this they are typical of Cupressaceae). They are arranged in flat branching sprays in pairs on opposite sides of a twig. The tree bears groups of small egg-shaped cones with overlapping scales, initially green and becoming woody. Its bark is red-brown and fibrous with vertical grooves.
Thuja plicata is important in the native American cultures of its natural range, providing wood for articles such as canoes, houses and totem poles, fibre from its bark used for ropes, baskets and clothing, and as a symbol of strength. It prefers mild, rainy climates and grows well in this country, where it is planted as an ornamental tree, for shelter and for timber. It wood is not strong, but it is light, very rot-resistant and does not warp. It is commonly used for garden constructions, cladding, roof shingles and boats, and also pencils.
about this species
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This photo is one of 9403 photos of 877 trees in 334 species
This website is a virtual arboretum, created for interest, education and beauty. It exhibits some of the thousands of trees, of both native and exotic species, that grow in Whiteknights Park, the main campus of the University of Reading. Many of them have been planted since the university arrived in 1947, but some have been here since the 19th century or earlier, when Whiteknights was the gardens and parkland of large houses. More than a hundred of the trees are listed in The Tree Register, nine as British Isles champions (the largest or tallest of their species).
Please send any comments about this website to whiteknights-trees@reading.ac.uk.
The previous version of this website is here.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank: Rupert Taylor, Owen Johnson, Alastair Culham, Jonathan Mitchley, Jordan Bilsborrow, Marcus Wheeler, Benoît Vannière, Miguel Teixeira and Claire Hawkins for tree identifications; Brian Hunt and Trevor Smith for testing routes and contributing text; Dylan Parkes, Martin Watts, Emilija Rudzinskaite, Brian and Trevor for collaboration on the centenary project; Dan Hodson for useful code examples; Studio Lift for website style; Brian, Trevor and Nathanaël van Twillert for comments and suggestions on website user experience; Benoît, Marcus, Steve George, Mark Wrightham, Brian, Trevor, the Friends of the University of Reading, and other friends for their encouragement during the development of the website; the University and its grounds staff for maintaining Whiteknights Park.