What Are the Parts of a Cedar Tree?
- Each year the trunk of a cedar tree gains two rings: one in the fall and another in the spring.evergreen branches image by Jackie DeBusk from Fotolia.com
A cedar tree is an evergreen that is innate to the United States. It's an aromatic tree that gives off a spicy scent that smells of nuts and berries. It's this characteristic that makes the cedar among the most sought-after hardwoods by homeowners, according to The Nursery at TyTy. This fast-growing, shade tree consists of several parts. - Cedar trees have green-colored needles rather than leaves. The needles are mainly where photosynthesis, the process of turning sunlight into sugar to produce energy, occurs. The needles also make hormones and other chemicals that help the plant grow and fight off disease. Certain cedar trees, such as the red cedar, produce greenish-yellow flowers in April and May. Others, such as the mountain cedar, produce brown-colored cedar cones that look similar to pine cones. The cones and flowers also serve as the the tree's reproductive organs.
- A cedar tree has lots of branches. The function of each branch is to support and hold its needles, cones and flowers.
- A tree consists of three basic parts: crown, trunk and roots. The crown is the upper portion of the tree, or the part that is closest to the top. The crown is made up of branches and needles, and is of a pyramid shape for most cedar trees.
- The trunk is the middle portion of the tree. The majority of wood comes from the trunk of the cedar tree. Its wood is used to create a variety of products, namely furniture and flooring. The trunk is comprised of many layers of tissue. The innermost layers closest to the core of the tree are mostly dead tissue, but the outer layers of the trunk are alive and serve important purposes.
- The phloem layer is the innermost living layer of the cedar tree. It serves to deliver water and nutrients from the tree's roots to its crown and thus promote the tree's growth and maturity.
- Surrounding the phloem is the cambium, another living layer of tissue. The cambium is the reproductive layer of the tree trunk. It's responsible for generating new wood and bark to preserve the life of the tree.
- The bark is a strong external layer that covers and protects the trunk and branches. It guards the tree's interior from pests, disease and weather, all of which could otherwise impact the tree's overall condition.
- The roots are the bottom portion of a cedar tree, and anchor the entire tree to the ground. Merriam-Webster identifies the root as "the usually underground part of a seed plant body that...functions as an organ of absorption, aeration, and food storage or as a means of anchorage and support."
