The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Common name: Alaska Yellow Cedar, Alaska Cypress, Nootka Cypress, Yellow Cypress, Nootka Cedar, Yellow Cedar, Alaska Cedar

Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress)

Synonym: Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Xanthocyparis nootkatensis

Distribution: Coastal regions of northwestern North America.

Description: Neat conic appearance. Can reach height of 40-50m in nature, but is frequently much shorter. Trunks may reach over 2 m. in diameter. Bark is grey-brown, raggedly ridged. Branchlets slightly flattened - 1-1. 5 mm wide. Scale leaves on branchlets 1.5-2.5 mm long, yellow-green. Have fetid odor when bruised. Leaf tips triangular. Pollen cones 2-5 mm long and 1.5-2 mm wide. Seed cones spherical, 6-13 mm long, dark reddish or puplish brown at maturity. 105 seeds per scale.