California incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)

Plant · GBIF taxon 2683936

California incense-cedar

Calocedrus decurrens

Also known as Incense Cedar, White Cedar, Bastard Cedar

California incense-cedar features thick, fibrous, cinnamon-red bark and flattened sprays of aromatic, scale-like leaves that release a resinous fragrance when crushed. Its distinctive seed cones resemble a duck's bill when opening, shedding winged seeds that scatter across mountain slopes. Highly fire-tolerant due to its insulating bark, this majestic evergreen serves as an essential canopy component in western mixed-conifer forests.

EvergreenAromaticNative Tree

1 / 7

Licensed reference(c) Dan Vickers, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan Vickers · cc-by

—observations

—countries

—peak records

Least ConcernConservation status

Key facts

Diet & prey

Photosynthetic (Sunlight, Water, Soil Nutrients)

Predators

Western pine beetle
Pocket gophers
Mountain chickadees

ThreatsSevere high-intensity wildfires, logging, bark beetle infestations

HabitatsMixed-conifer forests, mountain slopes, stream banks

Life span300–500+ years

Size / weightNot available

Classification

OrderPinales
FamilyCupressaceae
GenusCalocedrus
SpeciesCalocedrus decurrens

Range & activity

Range data is not available yet.

Safe observation

Interaction riskLow

Low
Moderate
High
Very high

Why interaction risk is low: Safe to observe at a normal distance.

Responsible observation

Foliage Identification: Look for flattened spray foliage with scale-like leaves in overlapping whorls of four.
Cone Recognition: Search for small, yellow-brown seed cones that split open to resemble a duck's bill.
Bark and Aroma: Smell crushed leaves for a distinct cedar scent and note the deeply furrowed orange-red bark.

Help improve the field guideSomething wrong?

Report a name, category, or profile issue for review.

Checking your Fauna account…