Thuja, the tree of life

Scientific name: Thuja orientalis l. = Platycladus orientalis

Family: Cupressaceae Gimnospermas

Origin: China, Mongolia, Korea and Manchuria

The ecological trail visit begins with the Thuja, also known as “The Tree of Life”.

DESCRIPTION

A small evergreen shrub or tree, which reaches a maximum height of 12-15m.  The trunk's bark is reddish brown.  The outer branches are arranged in a vertical plane. 

The leaves are small, scaly, overlapping, and a bright green color. 

The masculine “flowers or cones” are small and yellow ovoids.  The feminine ones are bluish green ovoids.  They bloom in spring and the cones mature in the fall of that year.   The cones are ovoid, 1.3 to 2.5 cm long, with 6-8 uneven scales provided by a horn-shaped protuberance. 

USES AND INTERESTING FACTS

The name “The Tree of Life” surely comes from the healing properties attributed to its aromatic leaves.  The essence of the leaves and branches is used as an antibiotic, anti-fungus, and to remove warts. 

The resin is burned as incense in religious ceremonies.

The “Tree of Life” is cultivated as an ornamental plant and to form hedges.  Paradoxically, the wood from “The Tree of Life” is often used as raw material to manufacture coffins.