Also called Lawson cypress and Lawson's cypress, presumably from the species-specific name lawsoniana.

Some taxonomists consider the 1–4 species of cedar  genus Cedrus, (found from the Mediterranean Sea to the 🗻︎ Himalaya mountains) to be the only true cedars.  But the common name cedar is used to describe at least 32 species, in 20 genera, in 9 families (found 🌍︎🌎︎🌏︎ globally except Antarctica).  Regardless, this plant is …

Part of false cypress  genus Chamaecyparis in cypress / juniper / redwood  family Cupressaceae in 🌲︎ conifer  order Pinales.


Native to 🇺🇸 USA West.

🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key), 🗺 map (scroll down).

Invasive > Hawai'i

Further north lives the former-sister-species ◼︎ Alaska yellow cedar  Callitropsis nootkatensis,
and on the East Coast lives a sister-species ◼︎ Atlantic white cedar  Chamaecyparis thyoides.

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)

Learn more about Port Orford cedar Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

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