Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Notable Uses

In the landscape, this makes an excellent specimen plant or a fantastic privacy screen in a row. The top couple feet of the central leader will usually curve downwards, giving it the appearance of a mountain hemlock on a snowy peak. Foliage will continue growing to the base of the tree until cut to reveal slightly fibrous bark, which was often pulled away by Native Americans for weaving or medicinal uses. The light colored wood is strong and rot resistant, similar to most members of the Cypress family (including Eastern and Western Red Cedar, Giant Sequoia and Redwood). Harvested timber fetches a high price in Asia and is usually exported to Japan from Port Orford, Oregon. Because the wood is so fine grained and solid, it is often used in making instruments such as guitars. Native populations, which were tiny in range to begin with, have been greatly over harvested and combined with a root rot in the wild has prompted the species to be listed as near threatened.

Shade and Drought Tolerance

The Port Orford Cedar is very shade tolerant and will grow with less sun exposure than most any other conifer. The scale-like pattern of the foliage provides more surface area than regular needles or leaves, allowing photosynthesis to occur with less light available. Additionally, like most Western Natives, the Port Orford Cedar is very drought tolerant. At our nursery in Southern Oregon, summer temperatures will often range from 95-105 with very low humidity from June until September. Any soaking rain enough to get to the roots before evaporating away is uncommon from the end of May until October or November. In the wooded area above our nursery, we've established several Port Orford Cedar by watering them with a bucket twice their first year, and then letting them fend for themselves. Especially considering the harsh environment they live in, they have managed to grow several feet per year.

Information on the False Cedars (for those who care about botany)

Many American species within the Cypress family have 'Cedar' included in their names (Incense Cedar, Port Orford Cedar, Red Cedar, White Cedar, etc.) because the wood of many Cypress species has the same aromatic smell as the true Cedars, which are native to the Mediterranean. Many of the false Cedars now have had changes made to their common names to reflect that they are not actually Cedars - for example, Incense Cedar is now officially named 'Incense-cedar' to designate it is a false cedar.