Western Red Cedar is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 10 and shrugs off deer.
Western Red Cedar — the short answer
Western Red Cedar: grown in zones 5–10, shade, pH 5.1–7.1.
- USDA zones
- 5–10
- Hardy to zone 5a — Cal Poly SelecTree; NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; Utah State University Extension TreeBrowser.
- Soil pH
- 5.1–7.1
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Shade
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Western Red Cedar on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether western red cedar actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score western red cedar against your land's real conditions.
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What Western Red Cedar is
Western Red Cedar grows as a perennial and reaches around 60 feet at maturity. It blooms in mid spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar grows in USDA zones 5 through 10. Western Red Cedar does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.1 to 7.1.
USDA Zones
5-10
Rated hardy to zone 5a by Cal Poly SelecTree, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox and Utah State University Extension TreeBrowser, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.
Soil pH
5.1 - 7.1
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Shade
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Cold Hardiness
-33°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
60 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set western red cedar in shade with well-drained soil.
Match the soil
Western Red Cedar prefers pH 5.1 to 7.1 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Shape it while it is young
Prune western red cedar only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Western Red Cedar thrives
Western Red Cedar is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–10 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 29 outright and splits 21 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–10·Where Western Red Cedar growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Western Red Cedar stands, state by state
Western Red Cedar is rated for zones 5–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 29 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 21 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–10
29 states
3 of 29 shown
The line runs through
21 states
3 of 21 shown
Western Red Cedar’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–10
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Western Red Cedar
Growing guides for western red cedar
Good to know
Western Red Cedar isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Western Red Cedar's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Western Red Cedar will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether western red cedar actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Western Red Cedar
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Western Red Cedar in my zone?
Western Red Cedar grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10 (Rated hardy to zone 5a by Cal Poly SelecTree, NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox and Utah State University Extension TreeBrowser, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: our plant database.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Western Red Cedar?
Set western red cedar out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Western Red Cedar need?
Western Red Cedar is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Western Red Cedar need?
Western Red Cedar prefers soil pH 5.1 to 7.1 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Western Red Cedar attract pollinators?
Western Red Cedar isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Keep exploring Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar state by state
Every state western red cedar's zone reaches — 29 link straight to that state's western red cedar growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.