Home/Species/ Atlantic White-cedar

Chamaecyparis thyoides

(L.) B.S.P.

Atlantic White-cedar

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

MediumThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.139336

Element CodePGCUP03030

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumConiferophyta

ClassPinopsida

OrderPinales

FamilyCupressaceae

GenusChamaecyparis

Other Common Names

Atlantic White Cedar (EN) Atlantic white-cedar (EN)

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

The treatment of Chamaecyparis thyoides in the Flora of North America (1993, vol. 2) does not recognize infraspecific taxa, but the Flora of the Southeastern United States (Weakley and Southeastern Flora Team 2024) recognizes two varieties.

Conservation Status

Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2

Review Date2023-09-21

Change Date1988-11-18

Edition Date2023-09-21

Edition AuthorsNordman, C. (2023).

Threat ImpactMedium

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences> 300

Rank Reasons

Atlantic White-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) occurs in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the eastern United States, from Mississippi to central Florida, north to southern Maine. There are estimated to be at least 800 occurrences, including on National Forests, State Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Managment Areas, State Parks, and other conservation lands. It has declined since European settlement, as a result of drainage, conversion to drained farmland, logging, and incompatible forest management practices. Threats include development, logging and incompatible forest management, lack of fire, and invasive exotic plants, such as Chinese tallow-tree (Triadica sebifera).

Range Extent Comments

Atlantic White-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) occurs in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the eastern United States, from Mississippi to central Florida, north to southern Maine. Range extent was estimated to be 920,000 square kilometers using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1992 and 2023 (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993, GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023, SEINet 2023).

Occurrences Comments

By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1992 and 2023, it is estimated that there are over 800 occurrences of Chamaecyparis thyoides rangewide (GBIF 2023, iNaturalist 2023, NatureServe 2023, SEINet 2023).

Threat Impact Comments

Threats to Atlantic White-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) include development, logging and incompatible forest management, lack of fire, and invasive exotic plants, such as Chinese tallow-tree (Triadica sebifera).

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Atlantic White-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) occurs in bogs and swamps of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, on organic or sandy soils, mainly occurring at low elevations but at up to 500 meters elevation in the northeast (Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993, SEINet 2023).

Palustrine Habitats

FORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN4

Province	Rank	Native
Maryland	S3	Yes
North Carolina	S3	Yes
Connecticut	SNR	Yes
South Carolina	SNR	Yes
Rhode Island	SNR	Yes
Maine	S2	Yes
New Jersey	S5	Yes
Pennsylvania	SX	Yes
Georgia	S2	Yes
New York	S2	Yes
Florida	SNR	Yes
Virginia	S3	Yes
Mississippi	S2	Yes
Alabama	S3	Yes
Delaware	S3	Yes
New Hampshire	S3	Yes
Massachusetts	SNR	Yes

Threat Assessments

Threat	Scope	Severity	Timing
1 - Residential & commercial development	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas	Small (1-10%)	Serious or 31-70% pop. decline	High (continuing)
5 - Biological resource use	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
5.3 - Logging & wood harvesting	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7 - Natural system modifications	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppression	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Restricted (11-30%)	Moderate or 11-30% pop. decline	High (continuing)

Plant Characteristics

DurationEVERGREEN

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (2)

Florida (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Savannah	Apalachicola National Forest	1,927

North Carolina (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Catfish Lake North	Croatan National Forest	11,299

References (9)

Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 1993a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 2. Pteridophytes and gymnosperms. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xvi + 475 pp.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2023. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2023).
iNaturalist. 2023. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2023).
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Little, E.L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp.
NatureServe. 2023. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
Record, S.J. and Hess, R.W. 1943. Timbers of the New World. Yale University Press, New Haven, USA.
Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2023. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2023).
Weakley, A.S., and Southeastern Flora Team. 2024. Flora of the southeastern United States. Edition of March 4, 2024. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 2203 pp.

Chamaecyparis thyoides

Habitat

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