The woody notes of the cedar leaf oil are particularly useful to create authentic berry flavors (blueberry, raspberry) and alcoholic flavors
Thuja occidentalis, also known as "White Cedar" or "Cedar," is native to the Northeast region of the United States and the Southeastern part of Canada. It is widely used as an ornamental tree, particularly for screens and hedges in gardens and parks. Each year in Canada, when these trees are pruned, the branches are collected to be distilled instead of being thrown away.
The white cedar, Thuya occidentalis, is found in Canada in the Great Lakes region and in the northern USA. This tree has scale-like leaves, distinguishing it from the Atlas and Lebanese cedars which have needle-like leaves.
Canada
dsm-firmenich sources Cedar leaves from Quebec, in eastern Canada. The Canadian white cedar is a native evergreen species that grows wild across broad areas of North America where you find a continental climate with harsh winters. In Canada, cedar leaf oil is produced by steam distillation of cedar leaves and twigs, using predominantly cedar hedge trimmings and leaves collected from the forest. Cedar garden clippings give a better yield than forest harvesting where the cedars compete with other species and the leaves are not as rich in oil.