Description
Port Orford Cedar is a majestic Northwest native that grows best under maritime conditions 
of northern California into southern Oregon in the Coast Range. It is best recognized for 
its massive thick trunk conical silhouette and blue-green foliage. Also known as Lawson Falsecypress.

  Morphology:
This evergreen conifer grows from 60’-100’ feet tall and up to 40’ wide at maturity. It forms a narrow 
pyramidal tree featuring short upright branches and gently weeping tips.

Foliage consists of fern like leaves arranged in flattened sprays of blue-green needles with a spicy 
scent. Flattened frond-like twigs are arranged horizontally. The underside of the foliage displays 
distinct white "X" markings. Conversely, Western Red Cedar has “butterfly” shape on the underside 
of the leaves.

Male pollen cones form on the tips of the branchlets, and are ovate to oblong and dark brown to red 
at the time of pollen release in the late winter. Female flowers are green to blue-green, developing 
into round seed cones that are 1/3” across. Upon maturity they open and turn brown.

Brown, weathering to a gray-brown, mature bark is fibrous, ridged, deeply furrowed and may reach 4 to 
8 inches thick near the base.

  Adaptation:
Port Orford Cedar can grow in either sun or partial shade. It must have a well drained site and shelter 
from strong winds.

Because of its size this conifer is best suited to larger landscapes such as parks, golf courses or estates.

Scarification: Soak in water, let stand in water for 24 hours
Stratification: cold stratify for 60 days
Germination: sow seed1/8" deep, tamp the soil, mulch seed bed