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EXPLORE > PLANTS > GYMNOSPERMS
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
The Port Orford cedar is a large evergreen tree occurring in a limited area of southern Oregon and northern California. Mature specimens can reach up to 200 feet (61 m) in height with trunks up to 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter. The leaves have a feathery contour and a scaly texture. They are bluish-green on top with white markings underneath. Oils contained within the wood are a natural insect repellent and the tree also is highly fire-resistant.
Because of its size and the quality of its wood, the Port Orford cedar has been regularly harvested by people for centuries. Native Americans used the branches with their feathery foliage as brooms and the trunks to construct lodges. The wood is used in the modern manufacture of household items, including doors, window blinds and furniture. The tree is also used as an ornamental species in urban areas.
This species is also known as white cedar, Oregon-cedar, ginger-pine and Lawson cypress.
Distribution
The Port Orford cedar has a very limited distribution and is found only in Oregon and California. Its northernmost boundary is around Coos Bay and its southern boundary near the Sacramento River Canyon. It can grow at a variety of elevations, starting at sea level up to 4,900 feet (1,500 m). In Oregon it is particularly common in and around the Klamath Mountains where it is often found on the edges of freshwater marshes and riparian areas, growing alongside other conifers.
Conservation Status
Beginning in the 1950s, stands of Port Orford cedar have been attacked by a fungus called Phytophthora lateralis which destroys the roots. Because of disease, its limited range and threats to its propagation by logging and climate change, the Port Orford cedar is designated as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana
The Port Orford cedar is a large evergreen tree occurring in a limited area of southern Oregon and northern California. Mature specimens can reach up to 200 feet (61 m) in height with trunks up to 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter. The leaves have a feathery contour and a scaly texture. They are bluish-green on top with white markings underneath. Oils contained within the wood are a natural insect repellent and the tree also is highly fire-resistant.
Because of its size and the quality of its wood, the Port Orford cedar has been regularly harvested by people for centuries. Native Americans used the branches with their feathery foliage as brooms and the trunks to construct lodges. The wood is used in the modern manufacture of household items, including doors, window blinds and furniture. The tree is also used as an ornamental species in urban areas.
This species is also known as white cedar, Oregon-cedar, ginger-pine and Lawson cypress.
Distribution
The Port Orford cedar has a very limited distribution and is found only in Oregon and California. Its northernmost boundary is around Coos Bay and its southern boundary near the Sacramento River Canyon. It can grow at a variety of elevations, starting at sea level up to 4,900 feet (1,500 m). In Oregon it is particularly common in and around the Klamath Mountains where it is often found on the edges of freshwater marshes and riparian areas, growing alongside other conifers.
Conservation Status
Beginning in the 1950s, stands of Port Orford cedar have been attacked by a fungus called Phytophthora lateralis which destroys the roots. Because of disease, its limited range and threats to its propagation by logging and climate change, the Port Orford cedar is designated as “near threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
