Western Redcedar Thuja plicata

Western redcedar is one of the most iconic trees of the Pacific Northwest — and despite the name, it is not a true cedar. It belongs to the genus Thuja, not Cedrus. You will recognize it by the fibrous, shredding bark and the flat, scale-like leaves that look nothing like the needles of fir or hemlock. Crush a spray of foliage and you get a sharp, aromatic scent.

Culturally, western redcedar is one of the most significant trees in the region. Coast Salish and other PNW tribes have used it for millennia — canoes, longhouses, baskets, clothing, medicine. The tree thrives in moist, low-elevation forests, often growing alongside western hemlock and Douglas fir.

For mushroom hunters, redcedar is less productive than hemlock or Douglas fir. The acidic duff created by redcedar foliage supports fewer mycorrhizal partnerships than other conifers. Pure redcedar stands tend to have sparse fungal diversity on the ground. That said, redcedar is an important substrate for wood-decay fungi — chicken of the woods and oyster mushrooms both colonize living and dead redcedar.

The key foraging strategy with redcedar is to look for mixed forests. Where redcedar grows alongside hemlock and Douglas fir, you still find chanterelles and other mycorrhizal species. The redcedar contributes moisture retention and structural diversity to these stands. And when you find a large dead or dying redcedar, check it for shelf fungi.