I just hauled home these unknown cedar logs and would like to figure out what exactly they are. Unfortunately, the arborist had already raked up and hauled off all the branches and leaves/needles before I got there, so all I have to go by is these sticks . . .
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar01.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar02.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/cedar03.jpg)
It smells like Western Red Cedar but I'm dubious abot WRC growing here in Memphis, TN--I thought they needed fog.
I thought maybe Port Orford Cedar but all the descriptions I've found describe pale heartwood with little contrast to sap.
Thanks for any help!
Looks kinda like the White Cedar we have here in New England. Don't know if it grows down your way or not.
They look like the western Red that we have up here. I don'r think fog is a requirement for them, but we probably have more fog than you folks do. ;)
Newguy,
Atlantic White Cedar was another possibility I considered but I though that they had "whiter" bark. Does the color of the heartwood look right for AWC?
Beerguy,
I'm going to call my best treeguy and see what he thinks about WRC growing around here, it may be that the orginal home builder planted this thing just because they liked 'em.
Otherwise, I'm really excited to have it since I've been wanting to build a strip canoe and all I've ever gotten a hold of before was ERC.
Thanks for your help/suggestions.
Looks sorta like eastern/northern white cedar but the bark seems too thick, and too dark of heart.
I just talked to my city's Urban Forester and he thinks it may be an Incense Cedar.
Though orginally from the Northwest, evidentally it was planted across much of the country as an ornamental.
I checked the bark and lumber color descriptions and it seems to matc alright.
Anyone had any experience with Incense Cedar?
UrbanLogger,
Yeah on a second look I would agree with slowzuki. The bark is too thick and dark. I have a couple of white cedars in my yard. Just looked at them, the bark is quite a bit lighter. I have seen some with fairly dark heartwood though.
Sounds like you have a guy that knows what ya got.
Looks a lot like Port Orford Ceder to me. The heartwood colour, bark and branch structure all look exactly like the ones I'm cutting here.
I'm not sure what your WRC smells like, but Port Orford is pretty distinctive :)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/ianab_port_orford_cedar_logs.jpg)
(https://forestryforum.com/images/03_21_04/ianab_port_orford_cedar_log2.jpg)
Sorry the pictures aren't very clear, we still have to get the logs out of the overgrown garden / jungle where they are laying
Ian
Urban,
A cedar stripper - Oh yes, yes,yes, yes, yes!! 8) There's nothing prettier on the water - or a roof top! Sure hope you find out it's a WRC. Let us know when you start your project - maybe we can get a group of FFer's together and christen it in some remote lake - say upper Ontario. ;D
Port orford cedar does have a very distinctive smell, much different from western red.
If I might add my 2 cents worth, once I cut down a cedar tree much the same as your in picture, except mine had some interesting lobes to it. The bark was the same, and the heart wood was a purplish color. I figured out later that it may have been caused from the limestone rock that it was growing in. The tree was cut in Bobcaygeon, Ontario.
I cut a piece off the end and made a beautiful clock for the boss for being in busines for 10 years.
I now live in Timmins, and if you need a beautiful lake to launch that canoe, let me know we have lots up here.
Hey Pinecone!
Wow - Timmins is right around the corner from where my brother and I spend two weeks every year canoing the back country. - Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater park. No prettier place on God's creation. Maybe we could get together someplace in Temagami in Sept. just to create some north - south ties??
How's the skeeters this year?