Eastern White Cedar

Latin Name: Thuya occidentalis

French Name: Thuya Occidental, Cèdre Feuille

English Name: Eastern White Cedar, Cedar Leaf

Botanical Family Name: Cupressaceae

Origin: Quebec, Canada

Harvest time: May to September

Distilled Parts: Leaves

Organoleptic Characteristics:

Liquid, clear light yellow to greenish, balsamic and woody.

Components: α-Thujone, α-Fenchone, β-Thujone, α-pinene, β-pinene.

Origin

This is a particularly fragrant tree due to its high content of essential oils. It reaches an average of fifteen meters in height. This cedar is part of the Cupressaceae family and can live up to 300 years. It grows naturally in marshy terrains, but it can also survive in very dry soils and is resistant to freezing temperatures. Its thin and smooth bark is reddish-brown in its early youth, which becomes gray and covered with furrows over time. Cedar twigs are flat and abundantly branched. Its ovoid cones group in pairs of 5 or 6 and measure from 1 to 2 cm.

History

The indigenous peoples of the Pacific Coast used this soft, light and rot-proof wood to make totems and canoes, as well as to build houses. Cedars were also known for their many therapeutic qualities. An extract made from the twigs treated rheumatism, pneumonia and coughs. An infusion relieved headaches and menstrual pain. A poultice made from the bark was used to treat cuts and abrasions.
A few Native American tribes burned small branches on coal to disinfect homes and drive away evil spirits. Cedar smoke was also used in religious ceremonies to purify people and sacred objects.

A few Native American tribes burned small branches on coal to disinfect homes and drive away evil spirits. Cedar smoke was also used in religious ceremonies to purify people and sacred objects.

The Eastern White Cedar is one of the most popular ornamental conifers for planting hedgerows, with over 300 different cultivars available. Its mite-proof quality and pleasant smell make it an ideal material for the manufacture of storage chests and wardrobes. In addition, it should be remembered that cedar shingles have served for the exterior cladding of houses in Quebec for more than 400 years.

Finally, Cedar seeds are particularly appreciated by birds, such as: crossbills, pine goldfinches and finches. As for its bark, it is the favorite snack food for white-tailed deer, which often graze on it up to 1.5 m in height, to the great detriment of the hedge … and the hedge owner!

Contra-indications

Attention! This essential oil is very neurotoxic if taken orally. It is to be avoided for pregnant and lactating women, children under 12 years of age and frail people such as the elderly, except under the recommendation of a specialist in aromatherapy.