Does Western red cedar have cones?

Western Red Cedar – Thuja plicata Cones: The tiny cones sit on top of the branch and look like tiny rose buds. Bark: The redish-brown bark is stringy. Uses: The wood of Western red cedar is light and soft. It has a pungent, pleasing smell and an attractive red-brown color.

Do western red cedars have cones or flowers?

15. The western red cedar is a conifer and therefore reproduces by cones. The female ones are known as seed cones and the male ones as pollen cones. Both types of cones develop on the same tree and are woody in appearance when mature.

Do cedar trees produce cones?

One of the easiest ways to identify a cedar is by checking out its cones. All members of the genus Cedrus produce upright, barrel-shaped cones. Male cones are smaller and don’t stay on the tree for very long. Female cones, on the other hand, are quite large and stay on the tree until the seeds are ripe.

What is the difference between Western red cedar and eastern red cedar?

The Eastern Red Cedar is much shorter overall than the Western Red Cedar, typically being between 16 to 66 feet tall (5 to 20 m) with a trunk between 12 to 39 inches (30 to 100 cm) in diameter. The Western Red Cedar is also quite long-lived, with some members of the species living more than 900 years.

Is western red cedar really cedar?

Western red cedar is the Provincial tree of British Columbia, and has extensive applications for the indigenous First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. The western red cedar is not actually a cedar (Cedrus), but belongs in the Cupressaceae family, along with cypresses.

Is Red Cedar really cedar?

Eastern red cedar is actually a member of the juniper family, and along with its evergreen leaves, it offers sustenance and habitat for a variety of wildlife. With the leaves gone off trees, all the characteristics of our evergreen trees really come out.

How do I identify western red cedar?

Identification of the western red cedar is by scale-like green leaves that form flat sprays. The aromatic leaves emit a pineapple scent when crushed. Small, slender cones grow on the western red cedar tree, and it has brown bark with fissures running the length of the trunk.

Do cedar trees drop cones?

Red cedars begin to produce seed-bearing cones between the ages of 10 and 20 years, but they reach their peak production between 70 and 80 years. Once they begin growing viable seed cones, red cedars typically produce seed-bearing cones every two to three years.

What does a cedar tree cone look like?

Their cones are small (about 1/4-inch long) with a blue or purplish color that turns reddish-brown in the fall. Needles are thin, pointed and blue-green, and foliage is scaly and fan shaped.

What is better white cedar or red cedar?

The main differences between white cedar and red cedar are in terms of durability and strength. Red cedar is slightly stronger than white cedar fence. It’s less prone to knotting. White cedar fencing lasts longer than red cedar fencing.

What is better white or red cedar?

There is always a debate as to whether white cedar is as good as, or even better, than western red cedar as a building material. White cedar is slightly stronger than red cedar, almost as resistant to rot and decay, and has a beautiful finish. It is far more expensive.

How are yellow cedar cones different from redcedar cones?

Mature yellow-cedar cones look like a round, woody piece of popcorn, rather than the upward pointing and more obviously-scaled redcedar cones. There are 4-6 scales on each cone, while western redcedars have 8-12. Click here for a long and detailed consideration of the two species’ similarities and differences beyond identification.

How does a western red cedar tree reproduce?

The western red cedar is a conifer and therefore reproduces by cones. The female ones are known as seed cones and the male ones as pollen cones. 16. The seed cones are much bigger than the pollen ones.

Where do pollen cones grow on a red cedar tree?

These cones grow on the upper branches of the tree, farther from the trunk than the male cones. The pollen cones on western red cedars grow most heavily on the branches of the tree that are exposed to direct sunlight. Seed-bearing cones grow on lateral spray branches, typically near the middle of the branch.

Where to find red cedar in the northwest?

Where it grows: Western Red Cedar grows in moist areas throughout the Northwest between sea level and 5000 feet. In some locations, it grows higher, for example, around the rim of Crater Lake. Uses: The wood of Western Red Cedar is light and soft. It has a pungent, pleasing smell and an attractive red-brown color.