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Thuja occidentalis
| Common name: |
American Arbor-Vitae |
Family: |
Cupressaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
11, 43, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| Known Hazards: |
An essential oil from the leaves is poisonous if taken in large doses[7, 65]. This plant should not be used by pregnant women[165]. |
| Range: |
Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Georgia, west to Illinois and Minnesota. |
| Habitat: |
Swamps and cool rocky banks of streams[43], forming dense almost impenetrable forests[82, 165]. Also found on rocky soils[226]. Plants are usually found on neutral to alkaline limestone soils[226]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Cedrus lycea[H]
T. occidentalis f. fastigiata[G]
T. occidentalis f. malonyana[G]
T. occidentalis var. fastigiata[G]
T. occidentalis var. nigra[G]
T. occidentalis var. pyramidalis[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| A'Fus [E], American Arbor Vitae [H], Arbor Vitae [H], Arbor-Vitae [E], Arborvitae [E], Arborvitae,American [E], Bati Mazizi [E], Cedar,White [E], Eastern Arborvitae [P,H,B], False White Cedar [H], Hackmatack [H], Mazi Aghaji [E], Mazu [E], Northern White-Cedar [E], Northern White-cedar [FEIS,DEN1], Po [E], Tree Of Life [H], Umur Aghaji [E], Western Arbor Vitae [H], Yellow Cedar [H], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
occidentalis = of the west
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Pinales. Cypress family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China
Cuba Germany(Badan) Hungary Iraq Kurdistan Turkey Us Us(Appalachia) Us(Penobscot) Ussr
|
Physical Characteristics
An evergreen tree growing to 15m by 5m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 2. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The scented flowers are monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and are pollinated by Wind.
We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist or wet soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Canopy.Edible Uses
Stem
Tea.
Pith of young shoots - cooked[105]. It can be added to soups[177].
Pleasantly sweet, the pith was used as the basis of the soup according to one
report[183].
Inner bark - cooked. It is only used in times of emergency or scarcity[213].
The inner bark can be dried and ground into a powder, then used with wheat or
other cereals in making bread, biscuits etc.
The leafy branchlets are used as a tea substitute[159, 177, 257] but are
probably best avoided by pregnant women[165]. An aromatic flavour[183].
Another report says that the foliage and bark are used, the resulting tea is
a good source of vitamin C[226].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Alterative
Anthelmintic Antiinflammatory Antiseptic Aromatic Astringent Diaphoretic Diuretic Emmenagogue Homeopathy Rubefacient.
American arbor-vitae was much used by many native North American Indian
tribes as a medicine to treat fevers, coughs, headaches, swollen hands and
rheumatic problems[254, 257]. The plant has an established antiviral activity
and is most commonly used in modern herbalism to treat warts and polyps,
being prescribed both internally and externally for these conditions[254].
The plant can be used to induce menstruation and so should not be prescribed
for pregnant women[238].
The recently dried leafy young twigs are alterative, anthelmintic,
anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic
and emmenagogue[4, 7, 21, 165]. The plant is being used internally in the
treatment of cancer[238], especially cancer of the uterus[254]. A tea made
from the leaves is used in the treatment for bronchitis and other respiratory
problems, colds, headaches and as a cough syrup[222, 254]. The plants
diuretic properties make it useful in treating acute cystitis and bed-wetting
in children[254]. The leaves are used in steam baths in the treatment of
rheumatism, arthritis, colds etc[222]. Externally, the leaves are used as a
wash for swollen feet and burns[222]. Extracts of the leaves can be painted
on painful joints or muscles as a counter0irritant, improving local blood
supply and thus facilitating the removal of toxins, easing pain and
stiffness[254]. A tincture of the leaves has been used in the treatment of
warts, piles, bed sores and fungal infections[222]. The leaves and young
twigs can be harvested as required and used fresh or dried[238].
'Oil of white cedar', obtained from the leaves, is an essential oil that is
antiseptic, expectorant and rubefacient[213, 222]. It is used internally to
promote menstruation and relieve rheumatism[213]. This volatile oil is toxic
and poisoning from overdoses has occurred[213], it should only be used under
the supervision of a qualified practitioner and should not be prescribed for
pregnant women[238]. The oil also stimulates the heart and causes convulsions
in high doses[213].
A tea of the inner bark is used to promote menstruation[213] and in the
treatment of consumption and coughs[222].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the leaves and twigs, gathered when the
tree is flowering[232]. It is used in the household as a treatment against
warts, but also has a range of other applications that should only be
prescribed by a competent homeopath[7, 232]. We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.
Other Uses
Broom
Essential Fibre Incense Repellent Tannin Wood.
Tolerant of regular trimming, though not into the old wood, it can be
grown as a hedge[226].
The fresh branches are used as besoms[4]. Their aromatic smell serves to
deodorize the house whilst sweeping[226].
The leaves have been kept in the clothes cupboard as a perfume, incense and
insect repellent[257]. The leaves and stems have been used as an
incense[257].
An essential oil is obtained from the leaves and branches, it is used in
perfumery and in medicines[46, 57, 61, 226]. It is poisonous if taken
internally[65]. This essential oil also has insect repellent properties[106].
The tough and stringy bark has been used to weave fibre bags[257].
The bark is a source of tannin[257].
Wood - light, soft, not strong, brittle, coarse grained, very durable,
easily worked, does not warp[61, 82, 171, 226, 235]. It weighs 20lb per cubic
foot[235]. Used especially where contact with water cannot be avoided, for
canoes, garden buildings, shingles, posts etc[11, 61, 82, 171, 226].
Cultivation details
Prefers a permanently moist soil[1], it is intolerant of dry soils[11].
A useful plant for very poorly-drained soils[185, 200]. The best stands in
America are on well-drained soils[11]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Succeeds in sandy soils[188] and on chalk[200].
A very hardy tree, tolerating very cold winters with temperatures down to
-46°
c[200, 238]. In cold weather the leaves turn brown, becoming green again
in the spring[226]. It is usually slow growing and short-lived in cultivation
in Britain and rarely looks thrifty[81, 185]. However, there are some good
specimens in western Britain[4, 14]. Some cultivars are more healthy, 'Lutea'
is growing very well in several places and 'Spiralis' is also growing
well[185]. Trees live 200 - 300 years in the wild[226].
Sometimes planted as a timber tree in C. Europe[50].
Plants cannot regenerate from old wood. Pruning is not normally necessary
for this species, any pruning that is carried out should be done with
care[238].
The wood and the foliage are strongly aromatic[226]. The crushed leaves have
a scent of apples[185].
Propagation
Seed - best sown when ripe in the autumn in a cold frame[113]. Stored
seed germinates best if given a short cold stratification[113]. It can be
sown in a cold frame in late winter. When they are large enough to handle,
prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the
greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent
positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
If growing large quantities of plants, the seed can be sown in an outdoor
seed bed in mid spring[78]. Grow the plants on for two years and then plant
them out into their permanent positions in late autumn or early spring.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, July/August in a shaded
frame. Forms roots by the end of September but it should be overwintered in a
frame[78].
Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, September in a cold
frame. Forms roots in the following summer. Plant out in autumn or
spring[78].
Scent
-
Stem: Crushed
- The wood and the foliage are strongly aromatic.
-
Leaves: Crushed
- The wood and the foliage are strongly aromatic. The crushed leaves have a scent of apples.
Cultivars
- 'Spiralis'
- This form, in general, grows better in Britain than the species[185].
- 'Lutea'
- This form, in general, grows better in Britain than the species[185].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [V] Images
from the Vascular Plant Image Gallery of the Texas A& M Bioinformatics Working Group.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HEC] Use, Folk Medicine, etc. from Handbook of Energy Crops by James Duke
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
- [DEN] Data _ Photos
(Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
- [FEIS] Data
(Uses, Ecology, Fire Effects) from the USDA Forestry Service Fire Effects Information System.
References for thuja occidentalis (a possible synonym).
References for the family Cupressaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[65] Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984 ISBN 0723408394
Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[81] Rushforth. K. Conifers. Christopher Helm 1987 ISBN 0-7470-2801-X
Deals with conifers that can be grown outdoors in Britain. Good notes on cultivation and a few bits about plant uses.
[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
[106] Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975 ISBN 0-87857-090-x
Interesting reading but short on detail.
[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[185] Mitchell. A. F. Conifers in the British Isles. HMSO 1975 ISBN 0-11-710012-9
A bit out of date (first published in 1972), but an excellent guide to how well the various species of conifers grow in Britain giving locations of trees.
[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.
[232] Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan. London. 1990 ISBN 0-333-55581-3
A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.
[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
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