Also called eastern white cedar, American arborvitae, and kiizhig (in
Anishinaabemowin
).
Part of
arborvitae/cedar genus Thuja
in
cypress / juniper / redwood family Cupressaceae
in
🌲︎ conifer order Pinales.
Native to 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 Canada and USA, east of the 🗻︎ Rocky Mountains.
🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48),
🗺 map (scroll down),
🗺 map (North America, Central America), 
🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).
Invasive > Hawai'i
Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)
more uses
(Great Lakes)
Thuja hosts caterpillars of 49 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
On flat wet undisturbed land, this tree typically lives 80–90 years, before falling to strong winds or its own weight, or to a fungal infection.
On cliff faces, however, this tree is very slow-growing, and can be very long-lived. E.g., the size of a bush, after 1,000 years.
—
"On Lake Michigan cliffs, 1,400-year-old trees hide in plain sight." Advance Local Media LLC. 2022-06-03. (🔒︎ MLive subscribers only)