Red Cedar and Yellow Cedar Trees, Gabriola Island

Yellow Cedar is the oldest tree in the B.C. area and is commonly 1,000 to 1,500 years old.

The Yellow Cedar Tree can grow up to 50m tall, with a trunk that is often slightly twisted.  The flattened branches tend to hang vertically and appear limp.  The leaves of the Yellow Cedar are often distinctly darker green than leaves of Red Cedar.  The leaves are bluish-green with sharp pointed spreading tips.   Crushed leaves of the Yellow Cedar have an unpleasant, mildew smell, quite unlike the pleasing odour of Red Cedar foliage.

Another way to tell the difference between the two species is to stroke the branch away from the tip, going against the grain, the Yellow Cedar will be very prickly and the Red Cedar is not.

Yellow Cedar

The bark is dirty brown to grayish-white and has vertical strips similar to that found on the Red Cedar.  The Yellow Cedar's bark does not come off in very long strips.

The tough, straight grain wood from the Yellow Cedar was used to make paddles and bows by northwest coast peoples. 

Western Red Cedar

The branches on the Red Cedar tend to spread or droop slightly and the turn upward in a J-shape.  The branches are spray like and are flattened horizontally.  The bark is grey to reddish brown and will tear off in long fibrous strips.  The wood is very aromatic.  Western Red Cedar is B.C.'s provincial tree.

Red Cedar