Western trees to plant in the east?

[Okrafarmer]

Well it's just a guess, but it is an educated guess. I've cut Cryptomeria for turning stock before. It's very stringy and the color is right (minus the grey, which I'm guessing is just a result of the trees sitting for 4 years). And Cryptomeria is a common ornamental in okra's neighborhood, and the bark could be confused for eastern redcedar. So, like I said, and educated guess.

It could very well be that, too. I have seen them in the area, and asked for an id on living examples before.

The grain of this wood is very course, more so than the ERC I am accustomed to milling around here. The gray may very well be from age-- regardless-- I like the effect. Maybe I will have to send Dodgy an end-grain sample.

[Okrafarmer]

Port-Orford-cedar maybe? Planted as ornamental. Fresh cut wood smells gingery. Be aware , if it is, that you need protection from breathing the dust and oil vapor for long periods, can cause kidney troubles.

I sniffed it again today, and I wouldn't think it smells gingery or spicey at all. The smell is kind of an unremarkable, earthy wood smell with just a hint of cedary or piney-like smell, but not at all aromatic, just kind of incidental.

I guess I could always lick it to see if tastes poisonous.  :

[SwampDonkey]

You'd probably still smell it. But also old logs or lumber that has began to break down will smell earthy anyway. Sugar maple will smell like a barn yard manure pile. :D

[Okrafarmer]

Yeah, this wood doesn't smell bad, per se, like the old maple, or even like green box elder, but just a tad musty plus a tad piney or cedary, but hard to smell anything at all. However, the old ERC logs I have milled have been bright pink inside and still smelled like aromatic ERC.