Click on the images help you identify a northern white cedar.
Form
A compact, pyramidal tree measuring 50 to 60 feet tall with a diameter of 24 to 36 inches. The trunk is often twisted, strongly tapered and frequently divided into two or more direct stems. Branches are short and nearly horizontal. Sometimes forms almost impenetrable thickets because dead branches are very stiff and persistent. In the open, develops a conical, symmetrical crown. There are numerous ornamental or garden varieties of white cedar known as arborvitae.
Bark
Gray to reddish brown, separating in long, vertical, narrow shreddy strips.
Leaf
Scalelike, green to yellowish green measuring 1/8 to 1/4 inch, arranged to make the small branches flat. Pleasant, aromatic scent when crushed and pungent to the taste.
Fruit (seed)
Small, oblong cones that ripen in the fall of the first year. Yellowish brown measuring about 1/2 inch long, with six to 12 scales borne singly or in large clusters on ends of branches.
Range
Common in northern Minnesota, usually growing in moist areas where it is often found in dense pure stands. Sometimes found on stony ground, singly or in small clumps as far south as Winona County. Shade tolerant.
Wood uses
Light, soft, brittle, coarse-grained, durable, fragrant and pale brown in color. Especially valued for making fence posts, building poles, rot-resistant lumber and shingles.