THUJA OCCIDENTALIS: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, HOMEOPATHY, CULTIVATION - BIOLOGY - 2025

The Thuja occidentalis is a coniferous species belonging to the Cupressaceae family. This tree is also known as northern white cedar, tree of life, and swamp cedar. It is a species native to Canada and the United States.

The name "tree of life" dates from the 16th century when the French explorer Cartier learned how to use this tree from the teachings of the Indians, to treat scurvy with its foliage.

Thuja occidentalis. H. Zell

The wood of this tree is resistant to rot and termites. In addition, this species has high homeopathic value, and is used as an ornamental species.

characteristics

Tree

They are large trees that can measure between 15 and 38 m in height and between 0.9 to 1.8 m in diameter. Sometimes they can be divided into 2 or 3 secondary stems.

Tree branches often reproduce in layers or erect. The crown is conical in shape. Its bark is reddish-brown or greyish-brown, about 6 to 9 mm thick; this is fibrous and fissured.

Thuja occidentalis. Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA

Leaves

The leaves of its twigs measure between 1.5 and 5 mm, and are sharp, yellowish-green with a dull tone on both sides of the leaf.

Leaves of Thuja occidentalis. Joshua Mayer from Madison, WI, USA

Cones and seeds

White cedar is a monoecious species. The pollen-containing cones are 1 to 2 mm long and reddish in color. On the other hand, those that contain ellipsoidal seeds measure 6 to 14 mm and are brown in color. There are 8 per cone and these measure between 4 and 7 mm, including the wings. The seeds are reddish brown in color.

In the reproductive sense, the production of cones has been induced from 3 months using gibberellic acid and a long photoperiod. But, under normal conditions, cones have been found in young 6-year-old cedars. Seed production in large quantities begins when trees are 30 years old, and improves after 75.

Thuja occidentalis. Source: pixabay.com

Taxonomy

Thuja occidentalis was described by Linnaeus in 1753 in his Species Plantarum. Its taxonomic classification is as follows:

- Kingdom: Plantae.

- Phylum: Tracheophyta.

- Class: Pinopsida.

- Order: Pinales.

- Family: Cupressaceae.

- Genus: Thuja.

- Species: Thuja occidentalis L.

Synonymy

Some of its synonyms are:

- Cupressus arborvitae.

- Thuja obtusa.

- Thuja odorata.

- Thuja procera.

- Thuja theophrastii.

Neither natural nor artificial hybrids have been reported for this tree.

Habitat and distribution

This species of conifer grows on calcareous substrates, and swamps with neutral to basic pH (5.5 - 7.2). It develops on the banks of lakes and rivers, in highlands, cliffs or slopes. The altitude at which it grows is between 0 and 900 meters above sea level.

Northern white cedar grows in a relatively humid environment. Annual precipitation in the areas where it grows normally varies between 710 to 1170 mm, the lowest values ​​being about 510 mm, and the highest at 1400 mm. This conifer also supports snowfalls from about 100 cm to 380 cm annually.

This species grows in isolated stands in the north and east of its range in Canada. On the other hand, in the United States, its growth occurs in scattered stands. In some areas, during the winter months, reproduction slows due to the consumption of seedlings or suckers by deer.

Thuja occidentalis. Source: pixabay.com

Its range of distribution extends from the forest-tundra transition (arctic subzone) in Canada. The southern limit has a lower annual average temperature, between 10 and 15 ° C, with an average temperature between 4 and 12 ° C. The period of frost that it resists can last between 80 and 200 days.

White cedar grows in a wide variety of organic soils (Histosols) and mineral soils (Inceptisols and Entisols), but it does not grow well in extremely dry or extremely humid sites.

Thuja occidentalis grows on substrates such as Sphagnum sp., And other mosses. It grows in association with the following trees: balsam fir, black fir, eastern white pine, eastern hemlock, red spruce, red-yellow birch, tamarack, and red maple.

Homeopathy

Thuja occidentalis has been used to treat the urethral caruncle in postmenopausal women, producing an effective, inexpensive and safe therapeutic option that can avoid surgical and estrogenic interventions.

White cedar is used as a medicinal plant both in traditional or popular medicine and in homeopathy. There, this conifer is used to treat bronchial tubes, colds, enuresis, cystitis, psoriasis, uterine carcinomas, amenorrhea, and rheumatism.

In homeopathy, the crude ethanolic extract of white cedar is used as a mother tincture. Thuja is also used to treat diseases of the skin, blood, intestinal tract, kidneys and brain, and also to eliminate tumors, cancer, etc.

On the other hand, the protective effect of Thuja occidentalis has also been suggested against radiation-induced toxicity in mice, and also in the prevention of congestive heart disease.

Some of the active compounds that have been identified in white cedar are its essential oil (main), coumarins (p-coumaric acid), flavonoids (catechin, gallocatecin), tannic acid, polysaccharides and proteins, monoterpenes (in fresh leaves), thujone, isotujona, and fenchona.

Culture

Thuja occidentalis is widely used in ornamental forestry. It has more than 120 cultivars, and it was probably the first North American tree introduced to Europe.

Its vegetative reproduction occurs frequently in swamps. White cedar sends roots from anywhere on a branch or stem as long as humidity conditions are favorable. As a substrate, Sphagnum sp. The stems probably originate from seeds.

New trees can also originate from cut or uprooted trees, as these can form roots from their vertical branches. Twig cuttings are used to propagate cultivars under forest conditions, and these can be rooted by placing them deep with the moss Sphagnum sp.

Applications

Its wood is important as it is used for applications that require resistance to decay. Among these uses, they are grown and traded for fences, rustic posts, and other important products such as cabin logs, posts, and tiles.

Bark of the northern white cedar. H. Zell

They are also used to make liners, buckets, barrels, tubs, cans, tanks, and wooden items. For its part, cedar leaf oil is distilled from the branches and is used for medicines and perfumes; Furthermore, the branches are also used to make flower arrangements.

Pests

White cedar is relatively free from serious insect damage. However, carpenter ants and leaf miners are the main pests that attack this species of conifer, and this in turn reduces the value of the wood from large trees.

On the other hand, the red ant is a common pest of white cedars. Some of these pest species are Camponotus pennsylvanicus, C. ferrugineus, Argyresthia thuiella, and Coleotechnites thujaella.

References

1. Rodríguez, M., Llera, P., Hernández, S., Valdés, J., Rodríguez, M. 2006. Thuya occidentalis 12 ch as a treatment variant of the urethral caruncle in Pinar del Río. January 2000-December 2005. Rev. Medical Sciences. 10 (1).
2. Flora of North America. 2019. Thuja occidentalis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1002. 1753. Taken from: efloras.org
3. Johnston, WF 1990. Thuja occidentalis L. In: Silvics of North America. 1: 580-589.
4. Biswas, R., Kumar, S., Dutta, S., Sundar, S., Boujedaini, N., Khuda-Bukhsh, A. 2011. Thujone-Rich fraction of Thuja occidentalis demonstrates major anti-cancer potentials: evidences from in vitro studies on A375 cells. Evidence-Based complementary and alternative medicine. 2011: 1-16.
5. Catalog of Life. 2019. Thuja occidentalis L. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org