9. Port Orford Cedar

Specimen Size: 85.1ft tall, 15.75in in diameter.

Location: East of the Coast Redwood near the short stretch of sidewalk to Rainier Vista.

Historical Background: Also called the Lawson Cypress, Port Orford Cedar wood is light and durable, and is used to construct coffins, as well as shrines and temples. The grain of the wood is straight, making it preferred for manufacturing arrow shafts. The wood was once used for constructing aircraft. It’s logs are exported to Japan at a price higher than any other North American conifers. Native Americans such as the Karuk people use the wood to construct houses, canoes, arrows, and clothing with its shredded bark. 

Non-Native

Native Range: Southwest Oregon and Northwest California

Identifying Features: While sometimes called a “cedar”, this species displays obvious differences when compared to the Deodar of earlier in the tour. This is because it is not a true cedar. For starters, the foliage is flat, with needles grouped in pairs, those lateral are keel shaped, those facing one another are smaller and pressed together. Each has a central transparent section, and stomata for between scales in white bands. While needles are somewhat similar to the Western redcedar and Sequoia seen later on this tour, differences may be observed. Lawson Cypress lacks the butterfly shaped bands of the western redcedar, and a more regular overlapping pattern than that of the Giant Sequoia.whose leaves overlap alternately around the twig. Bark is a reddish brown and quite thick and fibrous. Cones are blue green and round appearing in clusters and appear similar to Juniper cones.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form: Large evergreen with a wide base and spirelike pointed crown, regular in young trees but becoming less so with age. Can achieve heights of 70-200’ (21-61m) depending on age and environment, branches range from horizontal to drooping in nature.

2. Leaves: Grow opposite one another in 4 rows in an overlapping pattern with lateral leaves in a keel shape and facing pairs pressed together at base. They are a dull green above and lighter beneath, although the underside is difficult to see given the growing pattern. Stomata from between leaf scales in thin white lines especially on underside of leaf, a clear identification feature.

3. Bark: Reddish brown and fibrous, furrowing into scaly ridges flecked with gray, similar to that of the Incense cedar of California. 

4. Reproductive Bodies: Cones are very minute in size, 10mm in diameter, and grow in clusters. Initially they are blueish green but with age they turn a reddish brown. They are sided with 8 to 10 blunt scales with 2-4 seeds under each. Scales have short center spikes. Male cones terminate on the weakest branches.