Thuja

Genus of coniferous trees in family Cupressaceae, native to China, Formosa, Japan, and North America. They have scalelike leaves on flattened branchlets, and most species have strongly aromatic wood and leaves.

The arbor-vitae or white cedar of eastern North America T. occidentalis forms a columnlike tree up to 15 m/50 ft in height. The Chinese thuja T. orientalis is smaller, more like a large bush, and can be distinguished from the other species by its cones, which have small hooks on their corners. The western red cedar T. plicata of northwestern North America can grow to 50 m/165 ft. American Indians used its weather-resistant timber for canoes and totem poles, and it is made into roofing shingles and frames for small buildings.