Cedars & Junipers

The woods called cedar come from several different trees, and that causes plenty of confusion. This group covers the aromatic softwoods most people mean. Aromatic red cedar is actually a juniper, the eastern red cedar that grows across the East and as southern red cedar in Florida, and it is the purple and cream wood with the strong smell that lines closets and chests. Western red cedar is a thuja from the Pacific Northwest, light, soft and very rot resistant, and it is the go-to for fences, siding, outdoor furniture and classical guitar tops. Both are easy to cut and smell wonderful in the shop, but their dust can bother skin and lungs, and the oils keep them off the list for cutting boards. Spanish cedar is not a true cedar at all; it is a mahogany relative, so you will find it in our Mahoganies group. Compare these cedars below.