Real cedar vs. juniper (yes, they're different)

Like true cedar (Cedrus), which is indigenous to north Africa, the middle east and India Himalayans, Thuja and Juniperus are resinous coniferous trees. However, real cedar is in the pine family—which has needles leaves and bears pine cones—while Thuja and juniper are in the cypress family, which have flat, scaly leaves. Thuja and juniper are also softer, more flexible than real cedar (Atlas, Libani, Deodara). Thuja species include eastern white and western red "cedar." Spanish "cedar" is actually in the mahogany family!

All of these trees have historical import (biblical King David & Solomon, Arborvitae "tree of life" saving Jacques Cartier's party from scurvy in 1535, and have been used for thousands of years for ships, temples, palaces, homes, spiritual and medicinal applications.

[crackerjack]

Great explanation. I am a wood turner and I just love turning Juniper. In fact I have a stack of 100 year old Juniper fence posts which I am working my way through. Lovely to turn and stunning when finished.

[Shadowaspen]

my own cedar in my yard...drinking tea from it every time i get a cold... most of the time i do need nothing else to get better

[glennbuscher]

Thank you for sharing. Cleared up the Cedar and Juniper question.

[lynnlambert]

Fascinating. Thank you. We are planning a privacy screen planting and Thuja as well as white cedars come up. So they are cypress not cedars. I'm not sure it will make a difference for my purposes but still great to know especially the vitamin C use. Who knew? You did and now I do as well. Next research will be medicinal properties. LOVE IT... Thank you

[vaguru]

This is fascinating! I had NO idea that cedar wasn't a tree native to America. I'm using cedar for exterior home renovations and as a result, doing research which is teaching me a lot! Thank you for your valuable lessons!

[LibertyDIY]

Thank you that helps clear up my questions. Most everything we see in my area are actually Juniper, but the common name is Cedar so it's very confusing.

[anti-popfpv]

Information was great, I do bonsai and you woodworkers explain identifying markers amazingly. I find gathering information from bonsai artist, woodworkers and survivalist provides a well rounded study. So am I right in assuming all of the eastern red cedar in my life isn't truely cedar? is that what you are saying, it's actually juniper?

[walterwjr]

First, Thank you for a very concise and thorough presentation.

I have a question and a suggestion.

Do all Cedars / Juniper have "fruit" or how do they reproduce?

Your map did not show the Western Hemisphere. Is there a distribution of Cedars / Juniperd in the Western Hemisphere? Well my suggestion grew into a question.

[almollitor]

Good stuff! Now I need to brush up on my cedar taxonomy.

[raphlvlogs]

To put it in short: the term cedar is overused.

[fikrirausyan]

does atlas and libani cedar have morphological differences?

[Mike-susi]

I know its name but i don't call them that i just call um white cedar

And call juniper bushes and tree's red juniper and sense most people know juniper as cedar i call junipers cedars too

[AstroRef]

Cedar is the enemy of my apple tree but I do like them.

[ashutoshbhatt]

I am from Indian Himalayan state there are large number of ceder plants

[intelliGENeration]

Poor Iroquois… put the Law of Life before their own interest and survival!

[blakespower]

didnt know the french were in north america so soon after the spanish. this is when all the european diseases were spread I guess so by the time of the pilgrim 100 years later most tribes had lost 90% of their population so it was easier for english colonists to take over empty indian villages

[gnaeiuopl]

Iroquois is pronounced "EAR-uh-kwa"
Cartier is "CART-ee-eh" (like the Canadian "eh")

[Marta_is_here]

I DO NOT like it when Juniper is called cedar.
It’s annoying. The United States has Juniper, not cedar.