Wood Species Guide

Australian Red Cedar

Toona ciliata (syn. Cedrela toona)

Also called: Red Cedar (Australia), Toon, Toona, Indian Mahogany, Burma Cedar, Moulmein Cedar

Australian red cedar is a light, pinkish brown mahogany relative, closely related to Spanish cedar. Once a prized colonial furniture wood, it is now best known for guitar tops and small fine work.

ImportHardwoodMahoganies

Good forGuitars & Tonewoods

About the name “Australian Red Cedar”

Australian red cedar is not a cedar. It is a mahogany-family tree and a close cousin of Spanish cedar. In the US, "red cedar" usually means western red cedar or the aromatic eastern red cedar, both of which have their own pages and are unrelated softwoods.

What Australian Red Cedar looks like

Heartwood runs from pink to a deeper reddish brown, much like Spanish cedar, and darkens with age. The paler sapwood is clearly set off.

Grain and texture

Grain is straight to slightly interlocked, with a coarse, uneven texture and good luster.

Working Australian Red Cedar: planing, cutting and gluing

Light and easy to work with hand or power tools. Interlocked quartersawn faces can tear out, and resin can gum up blades, so clean them often. It glues and finishes well and has a strong cedar-like smell while cutting.

Finishing Australian Red Cedar: oil, film finishes and epoxy

Takes oil and film finishes well. Wipe resinous spots with acetone before finishing or pouring epoxy, and seal the coarse pores first. The pink tones deepen to red-brown with light.

Durability, stability and Florida humidity

Moderately durable with moderate to poor insect resistance. It is light and fairly stable once dry. In Florida, keep it indoors or under cover and finish all faces.

Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop

Australian red cedar was once called red gold for how prized it was in colonial furniture. Today it shows up mostly as guitar tops, boat parts and occasional lumber, and it works like a soft Spanish cedar. It is light enough for boxes and cabinet doors. We don't stock it, but ask us and we can often source it.

Common uses for Australian Red Cedar

Furniture, cabinetry, veneer, boatbuilding, carving and guitar tops.

Sustainability and CITES status

Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Old-growth Australian stands were heavily logged in the 1800s, so large clear wood is scarce today.

Safety and toxicity

Our toxicity rating ModerateWhat the ratings mean

Skin irritation
Respiratory / asthma
Nausea or headache

Skin and airway irritation are reported, along with occasional headaches, dizziness or asthma-like symptoms. Severe reactions are uncommon.

In the shop: Dust collection + mask or respirator; gloves for sensitive skin
Food contact: Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils

General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.

The dust has been reported to irritate skin and airways, with occasional asthma-like symptoms, headaches or dizziness. Use dust collection and a mask or respirator.

Wood toxicity and dust safety guide: every species compared