Cupressaceae
Northern whitecedar
Thuja occidentalis
- Family
- Cupressaceae
- Genus
- Thuja
Pets and kids
- CatsNot sure
- DogsNot sure
- KidsToxic
Why
Cats: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Dogs: Not sure
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Kids: Toxic
Toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: thujone.
Signs: abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, low blood pressure.
- Poisonous Plants in the Landscape - CAES Field Report - University of Georgia University or extension
- Arbor Vitae - BfR Other
Is yours looking unwell? Scan your plant — free
Is Northern whitecedar safe for cats, dogs and kids?
Is Northern whitecedar safe for cats?
We found no reliable source on this plant for cats, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Northern whitecedar safe for dogs?
We found no reliable source on this plant for dogs, so we don't call it safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked with your vet.
Is Northern whitecedar safe for kids?
No. Our sources call Northern whitecedar toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: thujone. Signs: abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, low blood pressure.
- Poisonous Plants in the Landscape - CAES Field Report - University of Georgia University or extension
- Arbor Vitae - BfR Other
Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.
See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.
Common names
By language (46)
- Arabic
- عفص غربي, العرعر, شجرة العفص, عفص, عفص كندا, عفصية شرقية
- Armenian
- Կենսածառ արևմտյան
- arz
- عفص غربى
- Asturian
- Tuya occidental
- atj
- Kicik
- azb
- غرب تویاسی
- Azerbaijani
- Qərb tuyası
- Basque
- Mendebaldeko tuia
- Belarusian
- Туя заходняя
- Bulgarian
- Западна туя
- Chinese
- 北美香柏, 東方側柏, 美国侧柏, 香柏, 黄心柏木
- Croatian
- Obična američka tuja
- Czech
- Zerav západní, Túje západní
- Danish
- Almindelig Thuja, Livstræ
- dsb
- Pódwjacorna tuja
- Dutch
- Westerse levensboom
- English
- Northern whitecedar, Arborvitae
- Esperanto
- Okcidenta tujo
- Estonian
- Harilik elupuu
- Finnish
- Kanadantuija
- French
- Thuya occidental, Cèdre blanc, Thuier cèdre, Thuya d'Occident, Thuya du Canada
- German
- Abendländischer Lebensbaum, Gemeiner Lebensbaum
- Greek
- Τούγια δυτική
- Hebrew
- תויה מערבית
- hsb
- Nawječorny dušan
- Hungarian
- Nyugati tuja
- Icelandic
- Kanadalífviður
- Italian
- Thuya occidentalis, Tuia occidentale
- Japanese
- ニオイヒバ
- Lithuanian
- Vakarinė tuja
- Luxembourgish
- Thuja
- Macedonian
- Туја
- Norwegian Bokmål
- Tuja, Vanlig tuja, Østamerikansk tuja
- Norwegian Nynorsk
- Tuja, Austamerikansk tuja, Vanleg tuja
- os
- Ныгуылæйнаг туйæ
- Persian
- سدر سفید
- Polish
- Żywotnik zachodni
- Russian
- Туя западная
- sgs
- Tujė
- Slovak
- Tuja západná
- Slovenian
- Ameriški klek
- Spanish
- Tuja, Tuya del Canada, Tuya del Canadá, Tuya occidental
- Swedish
- Tuja, Livsträd, Tujor, Vanlig tuja
- Tatar
- Көмеш сәрви, Ак кедр
- Turkish
- Batı mazısı
- Ukrainian
- Туя західна
Synonyms
- Chamaecyparis boursieri Carrière
- Cupressus arborvitae O.Targ.Tozz.
- Cupressus nobleana (Beissn.) Lavallée
- Juniperus ericoides Mast.
- Retinispora devriesiana Mast.
- Retinispora dubia Carrière
- Retinispora ellwangeriana Carrière
- Retinispora glaucescens Hochst. ex Beissn.
- Retinispora keteleeri Beissn.
- Retinispora meldensis Carrière
- Retinispora nobleana Beissn.
- Retinispora pygmaea Beissn.
- Thuja bodmeri Beissn.
- Thuja canadensis K.Koch
- Thuja caucasica Gordon
- Thuja compacta Standish ex Gordon
- Thuja devriesiana Carrière
- Thuja ellwangeriana Carrière
- Thuja ericoides Gordon
- Thuja globosa Beissn.
- Thuja hoveyi Gordon
- Thuja minor Carrière
- Thuja nana Carrière
- Thuja obtusa Moench
- Thuja occidentalis f. alba (Maxwell ex Gordon) C.K.Schneid.
- Thuja occidentalis f. aurea (J.Nelson) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. aureovariegata (Henkel & W.Hochst.) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. buchananii (Späth) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. compacta (Carrière) Rehder
- Thuja occidentalis f. cristata (Carrière) C.K.Schneid.
- Thuja occidentalis f. ellwangeriana (Carrière) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. ericoides (Carrière) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. fastigiata (H.Jaeger) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. filicoides Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. filiformis (Beissn.) Rehder
- Thuja occidentalis f. gaspensis Vict. & J.Rousseau
- Thuja occidentalis f. globosa (Gordon) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. hoveyi (Hoopes) Beissn.
- Thuja occidentalis f. lutea (A.H.Kent) C.K.Schneid.
- Thuja occidentalis f. magnifica (Beissn.) Rehder
and 51 more.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Tree
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native
Photos
LeavesPhoto: bobkennedy, CC BY-SA 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Daniel Dumais, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Abraham, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: David Shimp, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Abraham, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Pavla Stanke, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Abraham, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Christina Hunt-Schubnell, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Abraham, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Thuja
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.