aromatic cedar vs. juniper

[ahoiberg]

i had someone tell me that aromatic cedar and a certain type of juniper are actually the same wood... Juniperus virginiana, that aromatic cedar is just a marketing term...

now that i think of it and after looking at some stock in my shop. i thought i had some of each, but they smell the same and look awful similar.

perhaps this is common knowledge, but can anyone substantiate this?

 

[jthompson1995]

Eastern red cedar is usually what is sold as aromatic red cedar, and it is indeed Juniperus virginiana, butit is only one species of many. Other junipers can smell quite similar, but they usually don't have the same intense cedar smell or as brightly colored wood as the eastern red cedar. You could indeed have some of each, but they sound like they could be the same.

 

[great12b4ever]

Originally posted by jthompson1995
<br />Eastern red cedar is usually what is sold as aromatic red cedar, and it is indeed Juniperus virginiana, butit is only one species of many. Other junipers can smell quite similar, but they usually don't have the same intense cedar smell or as brightly colored wood as the eastern red cedar. You could indeed have some of each, but they sound like they could be the same.

I agree with Jason on this one. Here in Texas the most common Juniper has a darker almost purple tinted heart but smells the same as Eastern Red Cedar, but it normally has a lot of bark inclusions and voids making it difficult to find trees large enough mill into lumber, and is used extensively for fenceposts, rustic furniture and art pieces, including pens. The smell is almost the same, but not as intense. The true Red cedar has a similar smell but no where near as intense, and is very faint. You usually can only smell this when freshly cut, with the sap running.

Rob

 

[Rifleman1776]

Isn't a big difference that junipers grow very bush-like and cedars grow more like trees?

 

[ahoiberg]

well, some (most) junipers grow like bushes, others can grow more like trees... the juniper i obtained was pretty large in diameter and most of the wood was usable... i.e. not a lot of inclusions or voids... perhaps it was an eastern red and the person who cut it down didn't know it. it's got nice, red coloring in the middle... i'll post up some stuff when i do something with it and maybe we can think more about it then. thanks for the replies.