SICK CEDARS
First, I must add that this site forum is very enjoyable and entertaining. Several great ideas have surfaced here.
About your Cedar:
Is it a Cedar?
I live in Beaverton, Oregon, just west of Portland; quite near to you.
When I went to college here, plant identification for the evergreen class included among other trees, the Western Red Cedar, and also the Port Orford Cedar.
When you turn the sprays of foliage upside down, there should be an accumulation under the foliage that is white color, referred to in come circles as "bloom". Not "a" bloom as in a flower, but just "bloom".
If I have this right, the marking under the Western Red Cedar foliage will resemble little white bow tie shapes. And the Port Orford Cedar markings will resemble little "x" shapes.
It may take several limbs to find this, because the time of year and location of the tree can affect how obvious these are.
Western Red Cedar can get problems.
I'm bringing this up because if its a Port Orford Cedar, they are notorious for problems dealing with water/fungus/roots.
If they are Port Orford Cedar, its not worth the battle. And their death does not indicate serious soil problems - although there could be problems.
Also, Western Red Cedars are called Cedars, but are not really Cedars. Real Cedars are the genus Cedrus, including Deodar Cedar and the Blue Atlas Cedar. Western Red Cedar is Thuja (thooyah) and is a large source of so-called "Cedar" wood.
This latter is classified in the same genus as Arborvitae, the narrow evergreens popular for Pacific NW hedges.
Columbia Edgewater Country Club had so many problems with Port Orford Cedar (also not a Cedrus), that they started cutting them down before they even died as part of their tree replacement program.
If you want a fun class for learning in Portland area, P.C.C. in Rock Creek area has evergreen i.d. starting winter term. And I am sure that on the east side, Mt. Hood Community College has their version.
Usually the age of the students averages much older than other classes, so its common to have people from 20 to 60 years old.
Hard to feel out of place.
Mario Vaden
Landscape Designer / Arborist
M.D. Vaden Trees & Landscapes, Beaverton, Oregon
[email protected]
M.