Yellow-cedar

Leaves

Form

• Needles evergreen, scale-like, small
• Unpleasant resinous odour when crushed
• In alternating pairs so as to be in 4 rows along the twig
• Upper and lower leaves somewhat flattened, with a resin gland
• Lateral leaves somewhat folded, blunt-pointed and appressed, or sharp-pointed with tips divergent
• Pressed against and covering the twig
• Leaves on vigorous shoots elongated, lance-shaped, with slender pointed tips
• Successive pairs similar
• Appressed but widely spaced, exposing the round stem

Length

• Scale-like leaves to 3 mm
• Lance-shaped leaves on vigorous shoots to 6 mm

Colour

• Dull bluish-green

Buds

Form

• Bud-like structures at the tip of some short shoots are immature cones
• Form in summer, evident all winter

Twigs

Form

• Tough, very flexible, slender
• In cross-section, shoots with scale leaves are 4-sided, slightly flattened
• Vigorous shoots with lance-shaped leaves are round
• Multibranched shoot complex frond-like, flattened, pendulous
• New side shoots arise alternately in 2 ranks from the axils of the folded leaves
• Branching pattern may be repeated once or twice in the course of a growing season

Colour

• Progressively changing from green to reddish-brown
• Scale leaves dull green above and below

Seed cones (immature)

Form

• Conelets berry-like, soft

Length

• About 4 mm

Colour

• Green

Timing

• Mature during 2nd season

Pollen cones

Form

• Ovoid to globular
  

Length

• 2–3 mm

Colour

• Greenish-yellow

Structure

• On same tree as seed cones, often on same branch

Timing

• Pollen shed in early spring

Seed cones (mature)

Form

• Globular, stalked, hard

Width

• 8–12 mm

Colour

• Whitish-green with a purple tinge

Structure

• 4–6 scales, thick, with a prominent erect triangular projection
• Umbrella-shaped, with adhering edges when immature

Timing

• Separating and releasing the seeds when mature

Seeds

Form

• Flattened, winged, 2 per fertile scale

Seedlings

Form

• 2 cotyledons raised above the surface
• Followed by several whorls of needle-like juvenile leaves
• Gradually changing to scale leaves

Bark

Form

• Thin, scaly when young
• Separating into narrow intersecting ridges with age

Colour

• Greyish-brown

Wood

Texture

• Light, hard, strong, even-textured
• Mild characteristic odour
• No resin ducts
• Sapwood not clearly distinct from heartwood

Colour

• Pale yellow

Morphology

• Close-grained

Uses

• Boatbuilding, greenhouse construction
• Other purposes where resistance to decay is advantageous
• Also for carving, patternmaking, hobby work, and canoe paddles

Size

Height

• To 25 m

Diameter

• To 90 cm, occasionally much larger

Tree form

Forest-grown

Trunk

• Tapered, often with a broadly buttressed and fluted base

Crown

• Sharply conical
• Branches spreading, drooping, bearing loosely hanging branchlets
• Leading shoot slender, flexible, curved

Root system

• Varies from shallow to deep

Habitat

Site

• Requires plenty of moisture
• Becomes small and shrubby above 1500 m

Light tolerance

• Shade-tolerant

Associated species

• Usually grows singly or in small clumps mixed with other conifers

Range

A western species, occurring mainly near the Pacific Coast