Ethnobotanical Information

Thuja occidentalis L.

This result should not be considered complete or definitive and is for reference only. Care must be taken when using any wild plant for food, fiber, medicine or any other non-traditional uses. The information was complied using multiple sources and these references should be consulted for more complete descriptions of usage(s) and potential health risk. We are not responsible for any ill effects from the information included on this page.

Uses	Part	Preparation	Effect	Notes
Utility	Trunk or branch
	Leaf			Smudge
	Stem	Burned		Religious ceremony, fumigate, cleansing, warding off bad luck/spirits, medicine lodge covering
	Stem			Wreaths
	Trunk or branch			Carving of rabbit
	Leaf	Tea
	Bark	Peeled		Put on bed as insect repellant
	Flower	Burn male flowers
	Leaf			Smudge against insects
	Trunk or branch			Flutes, whistles
	Leaf	Quick boil		Hair rinse, courting, wash feet, air freshener
	Stem			Used to set nets under the ice for fishing, tip-ups, push pole, and stop sap boil over
	Trunk or branch			Arrows, Bedding, Dugout canoes, Drum Frames, Fence posts, Kindling, Fish Decoys, Tip-ups, Furniture, Mats, Paddle for Maple sap, Rice knockers, Sleds, Snowboards, Snowshoe frames, Toboggans, Trapping, Maple taps, Baskets, Smoking hides, Canoe ribs, etc.
Medicine	Fruit	Ground into powder, mixed with fern leaves	Muscle pain/rheumatism	Cones; applied to joints
	Leaf	Infusion or decoction	Blood purifier
	Leaf	Compound	Colds/sore throat/earache
	Leaf	Decoction	Fever
	Leaf	Infusion or decoction	Head/eyes	Headache
	Leaf	Oil or ground	Muscle pain/rheumatism	Topical
	Leaf	Ground, mixed with grease	Skin rash/allergy
	Plant	Compound with charcoal	Head/eyes	Pricked into forehead for headache
	Trunk or branch		Muscle pain/rheumatism	Sweat baths

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