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You are here: Home / Plant Profile

Thuja occidentalis L.
arborvitae



General Information
Symbol: THOC2
Group: Gymnosperm
Family: Cupressaceae
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree
Native Status: CAN   N
L48   N
Other Common Names: eastern white cedar
northern white cedar
Characteristics
Plant Guide (pdf) (doc)
Data Source and Documentation
About our new maps
Plants-NRCS Logos
green round image for nativity Native blue round image for introduced Introduced ocre round image for introduced and nativity Both white round image for no status Absent/Unreported
image for native, but no county data Native, No County Data image for introduced, but no county data Introduced, No County Data both introduced and native, but no county data Both, No County Data
Native Status:
lower 48 status L48    Alaska status AK    Hawaii status HI    Puerto Rico status PR    Virgin Islands status VI    Navassa Island NAV    Canada status CAN    Greenland status GL    Saint Pierre and Michelon status SPM    North America NA   

Images

click on a thumbnail to view an image, or see all the Thuja thumbnails at the Plants Gallery

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). Wareana. United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). Wareana. United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). Wareana. United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Herman, D.E., et al. 1996. North Dakota tree handbook. USDA NRCS ND State Soil Conservation Committee; NDSU Extension and Western Area Power Administration, Bismarck. Provided by ND State Soil Conservation Committee. Provided by USDA NRCS Bismarck PMC (NDPMC). Wareana. United States, ND. Usage Requirements.

Steve Hurst. Provided by ARS Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. United States, DC, Washington. Usage Requirements.

©Richard A. Howard. Provided by Smithsonian Institution, Richard A. Howard Photograph Collection. United States, MA, Weston. Usage Requirements.

W.D. Brush. Provided by National Agricultural Library. Originally from USDA Forest Service. United States, DC, Washington. Usage Requirements.

Provided by National Agricultural Library. Originally from USDA Forest Service. United States, MD. Usage Requirements.

Provided by National Agricultural Library. Originally from USDA Forest Service. United States, MD. Usage Requirements.

Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 1: 65. Provided by Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc. Usage Requirements.

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Synonyms

Symbol Scientific Name
THOCM3 Thuja occidentalis L. f. malonyana C.K. Schneid.
THOCF Thuja occidentalis L. var. fastigiata H. Jaeger
THOCN Thuja occidentalis L. var. nigra L.H. Bailey
THOCP3 Thuja occidentalis L. var. pyramidalis Zederb.

Classification

Click on a scientific name below to expand it in the PLANTS Classification Report.
Rank Scientific Name and Common Name
Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Coniferophyta – Conifers
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Cupressaceae – Cypress family
Genus Thuja L. – arborvitae
Species Thuja occidentalis L. – arborvitae

Subordinate Taxa

This plant has no children

Legal Status

Threatened and Endangered Information:
This plant is listed by the U.S. federal government or a state. Common names are from state and federal lists. Click on a place name to get a complete protected plant list for that location.
Connecticut
northern white cedar
Threatened
Illinois
arbor vitae
Threatened
Indiana
northern white cedar
Endangered
Kentucky
northern white-cedar
Threatened
Maryland
arbor-vitae
Threatened
Massachusetts
arborvitae
Endangered
New Jersey
arborvitae
Endangered
Tennessee
northern white cedar
Special Concern

Wetland Status

Interpreting Wetland Status

North America
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain FACW
Eastern Mountains and Piedmont FACW
Great Plains FACW
Midwest FACW
Northcentral & Northeast FACW

Wildlife

Food

Source Large Mammals Small Mammals Water Birds Terrestrial Birds
Martin Low Minor Minor Low

Cover

Source Large Mammals Small Mammals Water Birds Terrestrial Birds
Martin

Sources

Martin, A.C., H.S. Zim, and A.L. Nelson. 1951. American wildlife and plants: A guide to wildlife food habits. Dover Publications. New York.

Description of Values

Value Class Food Cover
High Average 25-50% of diet Regular source of cover
Low 5-10% of diet Infrequently used as cover
Minor 2-5% of diet Sparsely used as cover
Moderate Average 10-25% of diet Occasional source of cover

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