The compounds in western red cedar bark that have been characterized and reported in the literature are reviewed. The components in the petroleum-ether and benzene solubles extractives were fractionated into terpenes, acids, phenols, waxes, and neutrals. Many compounds have been identified, generally on the basis of chromatographic behavior. These are: thujone, terpinen-4-ol, waxes, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, arachidic acid, isopimara-8(14), 15-diene, beta-sitosteryl palmitate, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, fats, 1,4, 6-trimethyltetralin-4-carboxylic acid, isopimaric acid, hexadecane-1, 16-dioic acid, eicosanoic acid, octadec-9-ene-1,18 dioic acid, octadecane-1,18-dioic acid, docosanoic acid, eicosane-1,20-dioic acid, tetracosanoic acid, and xanthoperol. Chromatographic techniques were developed and used to search for compounds found in the heartwood (e. g. the lignans), but none of the above compounds were found, and these data were sufficient to show the bark extractives to be quite different from those of the heartwood. Each of the compounds identified from the pretroleum-ether or benzene solubles was present only in very minor amounts, and none could be said to be a major component. A major extractive component, previously reported, was a phlobaphene. The products from this component's reaction with boron trichloride-methanol were found to be mainly methyl lignocerate, together with methyl octadec-9-ene-1,18-dioate, methyl docosanoate, methyl eicosanoate, and methyl palmitate. The flavonoid-fatty acid-ester nature of this fraction was confirmed. Several previously untried reduction and purification methods were attempted on the phlobaphene, but no new information was obtained about its structure. Opportunities for further research are outlined.