Lushootseed names:

Cedar Tree: x̌payʔac (hcch-piey-ats)

Cedar Bark: suk̓ʷəb (Sauk-uhb)

Cedar Root: st̕əx̌ʷšəd (st-ach-wo-shed)

Location: HUB Lawn North of the brick walkway and west of the Norway Spruce.

Summary: Of all the Pacific Northwest trees, the Western Redcedar is probably the most culturally important. In many Indigenous languages this species is referred to by names meaning “Tree of Life” and “Long Life Giver”, honorifics which are not lightly given. The importance of this species to the pre-colonization lives of the First Nations peoples of our region cannot be understated. The antifungal properties of Redcedar roots, bark, wood, and foliage make the species an ideal material for the creation of an incredible array of tools necessary for life. For thousands of years, tradition dictated that a baby was born into the world on a mat of Cedar bark. For the first years of life, they would be carried in a basket woven from Cedar roots. The bark is a traditional source of clothing, including hats to skirts to capes, since it is soft and repellant to insects and rot. Boxes formed of bent Cedar wood are the traditional storage capsule of the Northwest, and tinctures and salves of the foliage, roots, or bark are traditional method of treating fungal infections. The pliable roots and fibrous bark can be processed into ropes for weaving, fish nets, bird nets, and into tinder for fire-starting. Traditional homes and communal buildings of the region have also long been constructed of Redcedar, with large planks, usually harvested non-destructively, gracing the walls and roofs. Some of these Indigenous buildings constructed of cedar were known to reach monumental size in pre-colonial times, with one near present-day Vancouver reaching 650’ in length and 60’ in width. The trunks of the species also hold a place in native culture as the main traditional wood for the dugout canoes which are the original form of fast transportation in this region. Aside from its myriad uses, the tree is also beautiful, with deep red to orange fibrous bark and flattened overlapping needle sprays. These overlapping leaves create bright green braids with a butterfly-like pattern. The species continues to receive honors from Indigenous members of our community to this day, who serve as some of the main voices in favor of conserving this tree so that it may continue to have a place in the Pacific Northwest into the future.

The Western Redcedar is, unfortunately, in need of better human stewardship. For one thing, the species is specialized to live in wetter and cooler sites here in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, human-caused changes in climate brought on the burning of fossil fuels is rapidly warming Washington State, bringing hotter temperatures and drier summer months. These changes are causing widespread Western Redcedar dieback, especially in our cities. Some projections indicate that the climate of Seattle will be unsuitable for this incredible and beautiful species by as early as the 2060s. Additionally, there is the issue of unsustainable logging practices in our state. Rather than the generally non-destructive harvest practiced in precolonial times, western societies make timber of the whole being, and have now done so for nearly two centuries. Old-growth stands of this species where the individuals still grow to their full potential are now extremely rare. When given the change to grow, a Redcedar may achieve a height in excess of 200’ and a diameter of as much as 20’, while living to great old age in excess of 1,500 years. However, the sacred status of this tree is often ignored by Western cultures in favor of vast profits from high-quality lumber, and now most Washington forests are littered with massive stumps as a last reminder of the now seldom seen giants of this species. Because of the species’ antifungal properties, some of these stumps have been standing well over 100 years since the tree was cut, a testament to the durability and strength of the Tree of Life and a reminder of the giant forests of past days. 

Timber is a truly essential product for modern society, and logging is a necessary industry of extraction. Without it we as a species would be unable to shelter ourselves adequately. That said, there is no reason whatsoever that the last old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, those which have never seen the axe or chainsaw, should be subject to such a fate. There are plenty of existing forest lands which have already seen harvest where we may manage timber, while simultaneously preserving the last of the biggest and best specimens of trees like the Western Redcedar. People living in our region can help this amazing tree by growing them where space allows and the location is moist, and advocating for more sustainable forestry practices, both in our cities and in our timberlands. It is also important that developers and members of the public choose to purchase only timber and paper products which are certified as sustainable. This is also currently a highly charged issue in British Columbia, where significant stands of old-growth ancient Redcedar are still opened to logging.

Historical Background: Western red cedar is not actually a cedar but belongs to the Cupressaceae family along with cypresses. The name plicata derives from a greek word meaning “folded in plaits”, referring to the patterns in its leaves. Western red cedar has been called “the tree of life” because it provided so many medicinal and practical uses to the native peoples in the Pacific Northwest. This tree is used by numerous tribes in the Pacific Northwest due to its rot-resistant and easy to split wood. Some of its many uses include the constructing canoes, houses, totem poles, baskets, clothing garments, hunting tools, and musical instruments. The Kwakwaka'wakw and other tribes use Western redcedar as fuel for fires and also medicinally. 

Native

Native Range: Western North America

Identifying Features: The coniferous Western redcedar is not a true cedar (see the Deodar, Cedar of Lebanon, or the Atlas Cedar), so looks distinctly different from those other bearing the name cedar on this tour. It does display similarities to Incense cedar of California and Oregon and to the Alaska Yellow-cedar, both of which are also not true cedars. The Western Redcedar displays flattened evergreen needles which appear scale-like pressed closely together in a sweeping arrangement formed by the individual overlapping leaves (much like a flattened braid). They are a light to yellow green in color and turn brown and shed after 3-4 years. The bark of the Thuja plicata is fibrous and tears off in long strips, and can be grey to a deep reddish brown which gives the tree its name. Bark is distinguishable from the Incense cedar which is generally more scaly and slightly less fibrous. It may be distinguished from the Alaska cedar by its cones, which are tiny and green and egg shaped, opening to look like small hard brown rose buds (the Alaska Yellow Cedar has round blue green bumpy cones more like those of a Juniper which mature into brownish cones with mushroom shaped scales. Western Redcedars are incredibly antifungal in nature, adapted to grow in very wet portions of the PNW. Because of this their stumps will often persist for decades or even centuries and may commonly be seen in old clearcuts as the last remnants of the vast old growth which once covered much of the state. Unfortunately this quality also makes their wood highly prized and major specimens are more difficult to find today.

Identifying Features In Depth:

1. Form:  Large thick tree up to 200” (60m) tall and 23” (7m) in diameter, with bases often buttressed and a drooping leader at the top. Branches generally spread and droop slightly before turning upwards at the tip. The branches are flattened horizontally.

2. Leaves: Scale like and closely pressed to the branch, looking very much like a flattened braid, with 4 rows coming together and overlapping in a shingled arrangement. The pattern has been said to look somewhat like a butterfly. Leaves are evergreen and a yellowish to light green and persist on the tree for 3-4 years before browning and falling off.

3. Bark: Grey to a deep reddish brown, fibrous in long strips, aromatic in scent when pulled off.

4. Reproductive Bodies: Pollen cones are tiny and numerous and are reddish in color. The seed bearing cones have 8 to 12 minute scales and are green and egg shaped when immature, turning brown and woody with age. They face upwards and release tiny winged seeds while still upon the tree.