Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen coniferous tree native to North America, in the cypress family Cupressaceae.
Many common names include White cedar (used in the United Kingdom), Yellow Cedar, Atlantic White Cedar, Eastern White Cedar, Swamp cedar, Cedrus Lycea, False White Cedar, Hackmatack, Lebensbaum, Thuia du Canada, Techny Arborvitae, American Arborvitae or just Arborvitae) The name Arborvitae is particularly used in the horticultural USA trade. The name 'Arbor vitae', is Latin for "tree of life" - due to the medicinal properties of the sap, bark and twigs used by Native Americans. Despite its common names it does not belong to the cedrus genus, nor is it related to the Australian White cedar, Melia azedarach
