What kind of Cedar?

[Jeff]

While over by the cranberry floodings I noticed a small lone cedar tree that struck me as looking quite different from the Northern White Cedar. The first thing I noticed was that it had no cones, all the other cedars in the area are loaded with cones. The second thing was the tree has a lacy more elegant appearance. More so then a Northern White Cedar. It also has a different twig. Could this be an Eastern White Cedar? Something else?  This tree certainly seems to be out of place.






Here is a side by side comparison with a Northern White Cedar on the right.

[SwampDonkey]

Quite certain it's the same species Jeff, the one on the right could be alot older. We thinned some cedar last month that was over 20 years old and 6 ot 7 feet high. The one on the left is probably younger and faster growing on a better microsite perhaps. They both look like our northern white. If you look up northern white cedar in the dendro texts I think it will call it thuja occidentallis. Atlantic white cedar is only on the coast and is a chamaecyparis or false cypress. I don't think it's eastern red cedar, a juniper species. Juvenile foliage is more prickly-like on the red.

[Jeff]

There are thousands of trees around the area Donk of all different size and age. Since finding this one I have been a persistant observer looking for another like it. Not a one to be found. Its form standing is even different.  The tree is probably 16 feet tall

[SwampDonkey]

A couple of pics of the same tree for comparison.





Take a branch from each and smell it at the cut, should smell the same. ;)

[SwampDonkey]

Do a search on the wooly spruce, it's a black spruce, but different also. ;)

Link to the wooly spruce

[Jeff]

When I get back up there I'll get another look as I go past this tree to one of my bait stations. Chet thinks you are probably right but is betting its s stump sprout with a ton of nutrients. It could be as its off the embankment of a two track trail. It could be coming up from a pushed over stump or something. I'll climb down there and check it out.

[UNCLEBUCK]

That stuff looks just like the arbovitae in the yard here ? really ! ???

[SwampDonkey]

If you have any dogs you keep in their own house, cut a few small bows and toss in on the floor to keep the flees out. ;)

[Roxie]

The lack of pine cones is interesting.  If you check it out again, and it has no smell, then it's a Leland Cypress.  They don't propagate so the only way it could have gotten there would be if someone tossed it out.  Perhaps it was a live Christmas Tree or something.  Given room to grow, they have a spectacular form and can grow 3 to 4 feet per year. 
You're gonna have to smell that tree!   :D  The bark (if it's a Leland Cypress) would be fragile and skin like. 

[SwampDonkey]

When I get back up there I'll get another look as I go past this tree to one of my bait stations. Chet thinks you are probably right but is betting its s stump sprout with a ton of nutrients. It could be as its off the embankment of a two track trail. It could be coming up from a pushed over stump or something. I'll climb down there and check it out.

They can also layer from a low growing branch and feed off the mother tree, or it could be coming off a horizontal windfall, where a lateral branch becomes verticle, then grows as a tree. Often there will be others growing with it.