Wildlife Value ... of the pencil industry for over a century until supplies became exhausted and the industry switched to more plentiful western cedars. Most cedar cultivars are also noted for their moderate to fast growth rates. Thuja plicata, commonly called western red cedar or Pacific red cedar, giant arborvitae or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America. Western red cedar is a widespread and popular tree in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Bright glossy green leaves above, slightly grey beneath, and aromatic when crushed. Fast growing evergreen conifer with cinnamon-red shredding bark and spreading branches. It has been introduced to other parts of the world and is a useful as well as an interesting plant. It is not a true cedar of the genus Cedrus Growth/Year* = Average growth per year in first 10-20 years, click here for more details. Av. Western Red Cedar . Appreciate the age of the tree. It is one of the fastest growing cedars. Western red cedar, an ornamental and timber evergreen conifer of the cypress family (Cupressaceae), native to the Pacific coast of North America. Michael Dirr, in his "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants," classifies a medium growth rate as 13 to 24 inches per year, and a fast growth rate as 25 inches or more. The Western Red Cedar is very commonly found in the wild in the northwestern United States and Canada. KEYWORDS: redcedar, yellow-cedar, site index, height growth, diameter growth, size-density the growth, properties and uses of western red cedar. Distribution: The range of western red-cedar is essentially in two segments: a … A dense shelter, specimen, or timber tree. Horticultural varieties with color and growth form differences have been developed (atrovirens, fastigiata, pendula). Growth Characteristics: Slow-growing. Foliage is glossy, green and scale-like and is aromatic. In cultivation, it can be effectively used as a hedge or screen. The eastern red cedar has a moderate growth rate, according to the University of Connecticut. The bark is reddish brown and sheds. It responds very well to shearing and easily creates a large privacy hedge. ... Growth rate: Slow. Fertile, moisture-retentive soil in half to full sun. Av. Foliage is glossy, green and scale-like and is aromatic. Data was analyzed for over 50,000 trees on more Data was analyzed for over 50,000 trees on more than 3,000 plots throughout the range of both species. Thus, growth rates slow considerably after the first 30 years of a … Western Red Cedar is also found in British Colombia, Alberta and Alaska. Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) KINGDOM Plantae PHYLUM Coniferophyta CLASS Pinopsida ORDER Pinales FAMILY Cupressaceae Western Redcedar is another of the dominant trees in westside forests of the Pacific Northwest. Tree Age Calculator. Mature trees aged 50 and older are usually 40 to 50 feet tall though they may reach 120 feet. Pure stands of second-growth western red cedar rarely developed after the old-growth coniferous forests in west­ ern Washington were logged.