Western red cedar is the largest tree in the cypress family, a magnificent conifer native to the cool, moist forests of the Pacific Northwest from southern Alaska to northern California and the northern Rockies. In its native habitat, this ancient giant reaches 100 to 200 feet tall and lives 400 to 1,000+ years, but the Virescens cultivar grows as a more manageable shrub reaching 20 to 50 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, hardy in zones 5-7. It features graceful horizontal branching with scale-like foliage and thrives in cool, moist climates where it can serve as a striking hedge or rain garden specimen.
Partial Sun
Moderate
5-7
600in H x 144in W
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High
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This Pacific Northwest native possesses remarkable longevity and stature; specimens in their native forest habitat live over a millennium, lending any garden a sense of timeless presence. The horizontal branching pattern and soft, scale-like foliage create an elegant, refined silhouette that distinguishes it from other conifers. Its ability to thrive in wet sites and clay soils, combined with tolerance for black walnut, opens gardening possibilities in challenging locations where many ornamentals struggle.
Western red cedar serves as an excellent hedging plant and a functional choice for rain gardens, where its tolerance for moist to clay soils allows it to thrive in areas prone to standing water and runoff. Its moderate maintenance requirements and ability to grow in full sun to partial shade make it a reliable structural element in temperate landscape design.
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“Thuja plicata is native to the cool, moist forest areas and bottomlands spanning from southern Alaska along the Pacific coast to northern California and in the northern Rockies from British Columbia to Montana. Indigenous peoples and early settlers of the Pacific Northwest have long valued this species for its durable, aromatic wood and longevity. The Virescens selection represents the gardening world's effort to bring this forest giant into residential landscapes, offering a cultivar scaled to human yards while retaining the character and resilience of the species.”