Brandon Cedar vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Brandon Cedar vs Sweet Gale

Thuja occidentalis Brandon

Myrica gale

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Brandon Cedar
Sweet Gale

The Brandon Cedar is a columnar evergreen with soft, dense foliage that retains its bright green color all year round. It makes for a great vertical accent on your property or as part of a hedge, it is suitable for urban gardens due to its size and it is highly shade tolerant.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

Brandon Cedar Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 4 m (12 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: shade, partial shade
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, thicket-forming
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: brandon arborvitae
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale