Thuja

Thuja sometimes spelled thuya is a family of coniferous trees of various sizes. There are six species in the Thuja family, two in North America and four in Eastern Asia. Many people know thujas by their more common, but incorrect name, cedar. They are also known as Arbour-vitae, or tree of life, due to the many traditional medicinal uses for these trees.

The leaves of thuja species are evergreen and scale-like, except at the tips of some new shoots, where they are elongated. The scales are arranged in four rows along the twigs.

The male cones are small and inconspicuous and are located at the tips of the twigs. The female cones start out the same as male cones, but grow to about 1 centimeter long with 8-16 leathery scales

The wood of thujas is light, soft and aromatic. it can be easily split and resists decay. The wood has been used for many applications from making chests that repel moths to shingles. Thuja poles are also often used to make fence posts and rails.