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White Cedar

The Chamaecyparis Lawsoniana is commonly known as False Cypress, Ginger Pine, Lawson Cypress, Lawson False-cypress, Oregon-cedar, Port Orford-cedar, Port-orford White-cedar, Port-orford-cedar, as well as White Cedar

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Growing Regions

Port-Orford-cedar has a very limited distribution, occurring near the Pacific Ocean in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. The northern limit of its distribution is near Coos Bay, Oregon. The species' range extends southward about 220 miles (350 km) to the central portion of the Mad River drainage in Humbolt County, California [10]. Isolated populations occur near Mount Shasta and the Trinity Mountains in northern California [7,10]. It occurs in greatest abundance within about 40 miles of the coast [7]. Farther inland, its distribution is spotty, and it is mostly limited to sites with abundant soil moisture and/or atmospheric moisture [3,37]. Port-Orford-cedar is cultivated in Hawaii [39].

     

General Information

The currently accepted scientific name of Port-Orford-cedar is Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murr.) Parl. [19,21,24]. There are no recognized subspecies, varieties, or forms; however, over 200 cultivars have been developed which vary in size, shape, branching, and coloration [37]. Port-Orford-cedar belongs to the family Cupressaceae. The genus Chamaecyparis includes eight taxa of which Port-Orford-cedar is the largest in size. The range of Alaska-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) overlaps that of Port-Orford-cedar, but natural hybrids are extremely rare [37].

Port-Orford-cedar is found in many vegetation types where it either
forms small, pure stands, codominates with other conifers, or occurs as
scattered trees.  It is a long-lived, shade-tolerant climax species that
dominates or codominates with other coniferous trees to form mature
stands within four vegetation zones.  The following published
classification schemes list Port-Orford-cedar as a climax species or
dominant part of the vegetation in community types (cts) or plant
associations (pas) within the Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), white fir
(Abies concolor), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and
mixed-evergreen zones:

      Area                Classification              Authority

CA, OR: Siskiyou Mtns    general veg. pas       Atzet & Wheeler 1984

OR: Upper Illinois       general veg. cts       Atzet 1979
 River drainage   

CA, OR                   Port-Orford-cedar cts  Hawk 1977

OR, WA                   general veg. cts       Franklin & Dyrness 1973

Much of the information presented here is attributed to:
Uchytil, Ronald J. 1990. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available at USDA Forest Service.

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