Chamaecyparis thyoides – Wikipedia

Distribution and Habitat:
– Chamaecyparis thyoides grows within 100 miles of the coastline and less than 50 m above sea level.
– Rare populations grow in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, reaching up to 460 m above sea level.
– Protected in various national wildlife refuges like the Great Dismal Swamp and Cape Cod National Seashore.
– Threatened in Mississippi due to overexploitation, land use changes, and extreme weather events.
– Obligate wetland species preferring saturated soils with poor drainage and acidic conditions.

Ecology:
– Red maple and black gum trees commonly found alongside Atlantic white cedar.
– Sphagnum mosses often grow in the wetlands where C. thyoides thrives.
– Caterpillar of Hessels Hairstreak butterfly feeds exclusively on C. thyoides.
– Trees grow on hummocks to avoid being underwater year-round and benefit from low-intensity fires.
– Frequent intense fires or flooding can damage seedlings and mature trees.

Description:
– Evergreen coniferous tree growing up to 35m tall with feathery, green to glaucous blue-green foliage.
– Scale-like leaves produced in opposite pairs on shoots, with bark ranging from smooth to thick and ridged.
– Monoecious tree bearing both pollen and seeds in cones.
– Seed cones globose, 4–9mm in diameter with 6-10 scales, while pollen cones are yellow turning brown.
– Tree starts bearing seeds at 4–5 years, reaches maturity at 10-20 years, and stops growing at 100 years.

Subspecies Variation:
– Chamaecyparis thyoides thyoides: Leaves and cones glaucous blue-green, maturing to dark brown-black.
– Chamaecyparis thyoides henryae: Leaves and cones green, maturing to light brown.

Cultivation, Uses, and Conservation:
– Important in horticulture with cultivars of varying crown shape, growth rates, and foliage color.
– Cultivated as Christmas trees in some locations like Mobile County, Alabama.
– Resistant to decay and warping, suitable for lumber used in house construction and boat building.
– Conservation concerns due to decreased Atlantic white cedar stands from altered fire regimes, logging, and draining of wetlands.
– Less than 100,000 acres of Atlantic white cedar wetlands remain out of an estimated 500,000 acres pre-European colonization.