AROMATIC CEDAR

AROMATIC CEDAR,  Eastern United States (Juniperus virginiana)

aka: Aromatic Red Cedar, Eastern Redcedar

Here is the source of that “Cedar Smell” that everyone likes so well. Aromatic Cedar is soft (Janka 900), and very workable, with even fine texture and relatively straight grain. It is knotty, which can present challenges.

The very same factors that  create the aroma of this species also make it highly resistant to insects and to rot. It is frequently used in closets and chests to repel moths and other insects, and therefore it is left unfinished in these applications.

The tree is called Eastern Redcedar, and rough cuts are frequently used as fence posts, untreated, right in the ground. The trees grow slowly, however, and are harvested fairly young. So wide boards are rare, as are clear faces; there are going to be knots and irregularities in these mostly-narrow boards.

The color is reddish-brown to bright red in the heartwood, interlaced with the pale yellow sapwood.