Nobility Carried by the Tree of Life

A tiny sprout just barely pokes out of the soil, born from the seed of a Western red cedar cone. The infant tree carries with it the story of a northwestern species— the nobility carried by the Tree of Life.

This precious sprout holds within it the blood of a towering cultural giant— a tree who selflessly gave its bark and body to preserve the lives of the native Salish people. Believed to be so powerful that its mere presence could prolong one’s life, this child of the forest took its place among nobility the instant it sprouted.

Western red cedar makes an excellent addition to any Oregon Coast garden. As a native coniferous tree, it sports weeping scale-like leaves, can grow up to 40 feet in height, and requires no maintenance once established! However, it does best in full sun (six hours of sun per day) with a deep watering of one inch per week. Newly planted seedlings also appreciate a water ring— that is, a trench around the outer perimeter of the roots to promote hydration. Beyond that, however, cedars do perfectly well by themselves. Undisturbed, your cedar could live to be well over 1000 years old!