Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Atlantic white cedar
Chamaecyparis thyoides
Whole tree — Chamaecyparis thyoides. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sunmark935 ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Problems to recognize in WNC gardens. These are documented susceptibilities, not a local outbreak report or a diagnosis. Weather, elevation and growing conditions change the risk.
Diseases & similar-looking injury
Root rot and shoot blight can cause browning.
Insects to recognize
Bagworms may damage foliage.
When to look
Check drainage after wet periods and look for bags during early summer.
A useful first step
Identify the cause of browning before treatment; avoid persistently saturated roots and inspect foliage for attached bags.
More growing details
Read the leaves
Opposite scales overlap along slender flattened branchlets. This is a coastal wetland species, though planted trees occur inland.
Small rounded cones distinguish it from arborvitae's more elongated cones.
Winter character
Persistent scales and tiny woody cones help establish the false-cypress group.
Origin & place
Native to Atlantic and Gulf coastal wetlands; a WNC garden specimen should be treated as planted, not evidence of a wild mountain population.
WNC Notes
Native conifer for consistently moist acidic soils; not for dry upland beds.
Sun Exposure
Full sun
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
60–80
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
30–40
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Evergreen
Wet-Soil Tolerance
High
Drought Tolerance
Low
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Whole tree — Chamaecyparis thyoides. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sunmark935 ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Seed cones, stem, leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sunJohn B ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Close-up of pale bark with longitudinal ridges & furrows — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sunJryanddoherty ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Seed Cones — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sunS. Rae ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Your margin of the garden.
Saved only in this browser on this device. Export your notes from My garden in the library.
