Stats

Lifespan: Up to 600 yrs
Size: Huge
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate coniferous forest
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Armor
Status: Near Threatened

About

This conifer grows along mountain streams in Oregon and northern California. Its tiny, scale-like leaves release a sharp, spicy scent when crushed by passing animals.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Pinopsida
Order: Pinales
Family: Cupressaceae
Genus: Chamaecyparis
Species: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana