Cedar and Cypress Aromas

Different fragrant woods have different subjective aromas that make up part of their usefulness. June 15, 2014

Question
Are aromatic cedar trees the same as regular cedar trees or are there any other species that produces intents?

Forum Responses
(Forestry Forum)
From Contributor X:
I don't really get your question but will give it a shot. Aromatic cedar is also known as eastern red cedar. It's not a cedar but a species of juniper, which are in the cypress family (I think). It has other names in various regions as well. Scientific name is juniperus virginiana.

When you ask if there's other species that produce intents I am pretty sure you're asking if there's cedar trees that are also aromatic (incense). None that smell like the aromatic cedar you are asking about - it has a smell all its own and as far as I'm aware nothing else comes close to that smell. Western cedar has a powerful aroma but smells more like some kind of petroleum product to me. Cypress has an aroma when you cut it and I hate it. Spanish cedar has a powerful aroma which I love; it's the cedar that humidors are often lined with. There are many different species of cedar and many if not most of them have some degree of aroma, but my region has only a few species of cedars. I would be interested to know how Lebanon cedar smells.



From Contributor Q:
There is also a northern white cedar - Thuja occidentalis. Contributor X is right about the eastern red cedar being aromatic cedar. It’s mostly used in closets and drawers as a way to make tings smell nice.


From contributor C:
The largest use of ERC is for pet bedding. Along with cedar paneling, it is used for cedar chests, fence posts, pergolas, decks, split rail fences, shoe trees, mulch, cedar oil, mailbox posts, privacy fencing, picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, house siding, house logs, and etc. It is one of the most underutilized woods in the US for the volume that is out there.



From contributor B:
Port Orford cedar has a great aromatic profile. If anything, it is more aromatic than eastern red cedar. I cut beams, let them dry and then sliced them into 4/4 and 1" boards. The aroma from those boards in an open sided shed lasted for months. It is a spicy scent completely different from eastern red. I would love to make a chest combining the two woods just to see what that scent combination would be like.