Thuja plicata

Western redcedar is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree native to the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada.

The foliage forms flat sprays with scale-like leaves in opposite pairs, with successive pairs at 90 degrees to each other. The small cones dangle off the ends of the branches.

Western redcedar is a large tree, reaching 100-200 feet tall and 9′ or more trunk diameter at maturity. The largest known Western redcedar grows near the northwest shore of Lake Quinault near Aberdeen, Washington. It is over 170 feet tall and nearly 20 feet in diameter.

Western redcedar is among the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, often found growing with Douglas-fir and Western hemlock in lush forests, as well as in forested swamps and along streambanks. The tree is shade-tolerant, and able to reproduce under dense shade.

In the American horticultural trade, it is sometimes called Giant Arborvitae. The name Western redcedar is also sometimes split into three words as ‘Western Red Cedar’ (though this can be confusing, as it is not a true cedar).

Native American Uses

Western redcedar is one of the most culturally significant trees for Native American people of the Pacific Northwest. Its wood, bark, and branches have dozens of practical uses, ranging from tools and housing to cloth and ceremonial implements. Nearly every part of traditional indigenous culture uses redcedar in some fashion, and some northwest coast tribes even refer to themselves as “people of the redcedar,” so central it is to their identity and way of life.

Quercus garryana

Oregon white oak, also known as Garry oak or Oregon oak, is a drought tolerant tree that grows slowly to around 65-80 ft. The leaves are deciduous, 3-6″ long and 2-5″ broad, with 7-9 deep lobes on each side. The flowers are catkins, the fruit a small acorn about 1″ long, with shallow, scaly cups.

In the Willamette Valley, oaks are common habitat for mistletoe Phoradendron flavescens and gall wasps Cynips maculipennis. Gall wasps have a unique survival strategy: they secrete chemicals that interfere with the oak’s normal growth hormones, which causes small, abnormal growths on the underside of leaves wherever eggs are laid. The gall grows around the developing gall wasp larvae and provides them food and shelter. Galls normally do not harm oaks, though heavy infestations can stress trees. The Garry oak is also the only known food for Bucculatrix zophopasta caterpillars.

History and uses

Before the European settlers came into the Willamette Valley, the oaks were mostly open-grown individual trees due to the burning practices of the native Calapuya people. Now, wildfires are almost unknown in the Willamette Valley. Since the settlers did not continue this practice, the intervening land was soon covered with seedling oaks (called “scrub oaks” by the settlers) which grew vertically and formed a closed canopy. Remnants of the old open-grown oaks are still found in these closed oak stands.

Although the wood has a beautiful grain, it is difficult to season without warping and therefore the Garry Oak has not historically been regarded as having any commercial value and is frequently destroyed as land is cleared for development. However, Garry Oaks and their ecosystems are the focus of conservation efforts, including in communities such as Oak Bay, British Columbia, which is named after the tree, and Corvallis, Oregon. Moreover, recently the wood, which is similar to that of other white oaks, has been used experimentally in Oregon for creating casks in which to age wine.

Oregon white oak ranges from southern California to extreme southwestern British Columbia, particularly southeastern Vancouver Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands. It grows from sea level to 210 m altitude in the northern part of its range, and at 300-1800 m in the south of the range in California. The tree is named after Nicholas Garry, deputy governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, 1822-35.