Northern White Cedar

Thuja occidentalis

Now turn back towards the Hudson River while staying well to the north of the Visitor Center until you reach a tree with a double trunk. Note the unusual foliage. Rather than leaves or needles, you will find small flattened scales. The thin and shreddy bark was once used by Native Americans to make rope or string. The wood is soft, light and very durable. It produces top-notch fence posts, boats, canoes and shingles. Commonly called “arborvitae” in the horticulture trade in the United States. Arborvitae or “tree of life” in Latin got its name due to the supposed medicinal properties of the sap, bark and twigs.