Fauna
Plant

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
California Incense-cedar reference1 / 7
(c) Dan Vickers, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dan Vickers · cc-by
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyPhotosynthetic (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
Classification
  1. OrderPinales
  2. FamilyCupressaceae
  3. GenusCalocedrus
  4. SpeciesCalocedrus decurrens
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. 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.
Related species
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