White Cedar Tree

A popular ornamental tree, the white cedar is widely cultivated for its rich glossy dense foliage and conical shape. Its scientific name is Melia azedarach, in the cypress family Cupressaceae. Other species in this family are the Eastern arborvitae and the Northern white cedar. The habitat of this tree includes wet forests and swamps of northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, with cultivation extended in Europe.

Facts about White Cedar

This is a medium-sized tree, growing about 12 to 15 meters, in a conical shape. It mainly stands upright, but as it matures the dense foliage bends slightly downward near the trunk. The foliage is so dense, that the trunk is hardly visible from a distance. They live long, the oldest ones found in Eastern North America and Canada is believed to be in excess of 1653 years old! There are some 400 year old's too found in the swamp areas, in its habitat in North America. The dense foliage is what makes this tree so unique and interesting. The leaves are flat, very tiny, scale-like, 3-5 mm long, not very green, with a tinge of yellow.

The red-brown bark is thin and smooth on young trees, and it begins to peel in narrow strips as it matures. The cones it bears are slender, with overlapping scales and in clusters. Once the seeds ripen in it and get dispersed, the cone still hangs on the branches. They can be propagated through seeds as well as cuttings, collect seeds early April. One will find lots of layered shoots on a white cedar, which can be cut and planted individually in soil. They grow in a wide variety of soil, but prefer shallow soil. They can tolerate short periods of both flood as well as droughts. They can grow in full sun as well as partial shade.

Uses of White Cedar

The white cedar is grown for ornamental landscape purposes, and because of its easy adaptability, can be found grown successfully in many home gardens too. Being strong and sturdy, it is used as a screen and hedge, for both privacy and wind break. As the wood is light, brittle and quite uniform in texture and form, it is commonly used for fencing, building posts, poles and shingles. And because it is resistant to rot, it is used as ribs and planks for canoes and any other structure exposed to water. The cones are used in many crafts and decorative idea around Christmas season.

The tree is a vital source of food for many animals, especially the deer who find the soft foliage very tasty to eat, they are quite capable of stripping a tree down. This has also lead to the problem of the white cedar destruction in habitats where the deer numbers are high. Birds and squirrels find the seeds very relishing too.

The white cedar essential oil is used for an array of products that include cosmetics and skin care product range like cleansers, soaps and shampoos to household commodities like disinfectants, insecticides, room refreshers, etc. The vitamin C content is as high as found in limes, and is believed to be the cure for scurvy.

The white cedar has more than a hundred cultivars, one can choose from that range in varied sizes to suit your purpose. A fine tree with so many uses, no wonder it is found in many homes!