Western Red Cedar
- Species: Thuja plicata
- Family: Cupressaceae
- Origin: Europe
- Common Name: Western Red Cedar
- Mature Height: - .
As the name partly
suggests this large conifer comes from western North America. It was
introduced to Britain in 1853 by William Lobb when he was a collector
for Veitch Nurseries. This was an important tree for the local
indigenous people providing shelter, rope and clothing from the wood
and bark; as well as canoes, totem poles and utensils.
The timber is very durable and can withstand wet conditions so is
widely used in outdoor construction such as shingles for roofing and
cladding, for decking, for general construction and for making storage
boxes and garden seats.
It has been used for hedging for it can stand clipping and gives off a
pleasant fruity smell. It is too tall a tree for gardens.
