Why I was wrong about white cedar! (And what it has to do with deer, cliffs, and old-growth) Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) AKA arborvitae is an enigmatic tree species, and one that I encounter relatively infrequently. When I see white cedar it’s always a joy, but also almost always a head-scratcher — it seems to pop up in these weird and unexpected places. And for years I formed an understanding of white cedar as kind of a “fussy” or “picky” or “particular” tree species. Until I went