How do I identify a western red cedar tree?
Identification of the western red cedar is by scale-like green leaves that form flat sprays. The aromatic leaves emit a pineapple scent when crushed. Small, slender cones grow on the western red cedar tree, and it has brown bark with fissures running the length of the trunk.
How big do western red cedars get?
100-200 feet tall
Western redcedar is a large tree, reaching 100-200 feet tall and 9′ or more trunk diameter at maturity. The largest known Western redcedar grows near the northwest shore of Lake Quinault near Aberdeen, Washington. It is over 170 feet tall and nearly 20 feet in diameter.
What is the difference between cedar and western red cedar?
The most obvious difference between the two trees is their size. Western Red Cedar trees tower — some may grow has tall as 200 feet with 10 foot trunks. Northern White Cedar trees are considerably smaller and slimmer, reaching heights of around 50 feet with trunk diameters of about 2 feet.
What does western red cedar look like?
Color/Appearance: Heartwood reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown areas. Narrow sapwood is pale yellowish white, and isn’t always sharply demarcated from the heartwood. Grain/Texture: Straight grain with a coarse texture and moderate natural luster.
Is a cedar tree a juniper?
Cedars and junipers are both evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the plant order Pinales. They have many traits in common and are easily confused, in part because some trees commonly referred to as cedars are actually junipers. Junipers are trees belonging to the genus Juniperus.
Is Western Red Cedar a pine?
What Is Western Red Cedar? Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) is an evergreen coniferous tree from the Cupressaceae family. It is a softwood, commonly used in both structural and aesthetic building projects.
Is Red Cedar expensive?
It typically sells for $5 per board foot. Cedar wood that may exhibit a few minor characteristics which do not detract from their high appearance and quality such as a very light torn grain, very light skips on the non-graded face and very light warp are sold for half the price.
What is the lifespan of a western red cedar?
It is long-lived; some individuals can live well over a thousand years, with the oldest verified being 1460 years.
Why is red cedar so expensive?
Demand for cedar remains strong and this can lead to price rises. There is no doubt that Cedar is the premium product when it comes to cladding – it’s durable, attractive, light, easy to work with and sustainable. It’s similar in colour to a softwood and generally has more knots than cedar, but is still very popular.”
Which is better white cedar or red cedar?
The main differences between white cedar and red cedar are in terms of durability and strength. Red cedar is slightly stronger than white cedar fence. It’s less prone to knotting. White cedar fencing lasts longer than red cedar fencing.
Is Western red cedar expensive?
Are cedar trees poisonous to dogs?
One particular deciduous species, known as the white cedar, melia azedarach, is poisonous to dogs. By whatever name, dogs can become quite ill after ingesting any part of a white cedar tree and it may even lead to death. …
How do you identify a cedar tree?
How to Identify Cedar Trees Method 1 of 4: Noticing True Cedars. Look for true cedars in their native habitat of the Mediterranean. Method 2 of 4: Picking out Western Red Cedars. Check for reddish brown bark and cones. Method 3 of 4: Finding Eastern Red Cedars. Look for peeling silvery brown bark and small reddish cones. Method 4 of 4: Looking for the Atlantic White Cedar.
What is western red cedar?
The western red cedar, also commonly known as the canoe cedar, the shinglewood, and the giant arborvitae, is part of the Arborvitae or Cupressaceae families of evergreen trees or shrubs. Thuja plicata, the Latin name for this tree, is the provincial tree of British Columbia, Canada.
Where does red cedar grow?
Red cedar trees can be found growing along the western coast of North America from southeastern Alaska through northwestern California, and they also thrive throughout the Rocky Mountain region in the U.S. and Canada.
What species are cedar trees?
Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica)