The term “cedar” is commonly applied to a wide array of aromatic conifers, leading to confusion in identification. Botanically, the designation of “true cedar” belongs exclusively to the four species that make up the genus Cedrus, which are native to the Old World. Hundreds of other North American and global species have borrowed the name due to their fragrant, rot-resistant wood, though they belong to entirely different plant families. Understanding the distinction requires focusing on specific botanical characteristics rather than common names.
True Cedars: Definition and Unique Features
True cedars are members of the pine family, Pinaceae, and include only four recognized species: the Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), the Cyprus cedar (C. brevifolia), the Deodar cedar (C. deodara), and the Cedar of Lebanon (C. libani). These stately trees originate exclusively from the mountainous regions surrounding the Mediterranean Sea and the western Himalayas. They are characterized by a majestic, often wide-spreading growth habit, with mature specimens frequently developing broad, flat-topped crowns and horizontal, tiered branches.
True cedars are distinguished by their foliage and cones. They possess short, stiff, evergreen needles that are borne in dense, whorl-like clusters or rosettes on specialized short woody spur shoots. Each cluster may contain 15 to 45 needles, an arrangement unique among cedars. These needles can range in color from dark green to a striking blue-green or silvery-blue depending on the species.
Reproductively, the cones of Cedrus are also distinct, being relatively large, barrel-shaped, and held rigidly upright on the branches. Unlike the cones of many other conifers, true cedar cones do not drop intact after maturity. Instead, they require two years to ripen, and upon reaching full maturity, the scales fall apart while still attached to the branch, scattering the winged seeds and leaving only the central spike of the cone behind.
The Taxonomy of “False Cedars”
The vast majority of species commonly called “cedar” in North America and elsewhere are not members of the Pinaceae family but belong to the Cypress family, Cupressaceae. This includes numerous genera such as Thuja, Chamaecyparis, Juniperus, and Calocedrus. These trees received the common name because their wood possesses a similar aromatic quality, usually due to volatile oils, which also imparts resistance to decay and insects.
The primary morphological difference between the true and false cedars lies in their foliage structure. False cedars do not produce needles in dense clusters on short spur shoots; instead, their leaves are typically either scale-like or awl-shaped. Scale-like leaves are tiny, overlapping, and pressed tightly against the stem, often forming flattened, fern-like sprays.
Awl-shaped leaves are sharp, pointed, and more needle-like, but they are generally found on juvenile or fast-growing shoots, not clustered on spurs.
The cones of these false cedars are also drastically different from true cedars. They are much smaller, often less than one inch long, and woody or even fleshy and berry-like. These small cones usually remain intact when they drop, or they persist on the tree long after the seeds have been dispersed.
Common False Cedars and Local Identification
North America hosts several prominent species that incorrectly bear the name “cedar,” identifiable by their specific, non-Cedrus characteristics. A common species in the eastern United States is the Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), which is technically a juniper. Its adult foliage consists of sharp, overlapping, scale-like leaves that are often stiff and prickly, and it is easily identified by its unique seed cones.
Female Eastern Red Cedars produce small, round, fleshy cones that are dark blue with a pale, waxy coating, giving them the appearance of a pale blue berry. This feature distinguishes it from all true and other false cedars. The Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), a species common to the Pacific Northwest, offers a different set of identifying traits.
The Western Red Cedar features flattened, lacy sprays of scale-like leaves that are glossy dark green on top, often showing a distinctive white, butterfly-shaped marking on the underside. Its cones are small, elliptical, and woody, typically measuring about half an inch long with thin scales that resemble a tiny, dried rosebud. Another Pacific species, the Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), is recognizable by its narrow, pyramidal shape and slightly drooping branch tips.
The Port Orford Cedar’s foliage is arranged in flat sprays, and its female cones are globose, or spherical, measuring only about a quarter of an inch in diameter. These small cones are often a striking blue-green color when young, aging to a leathery brown.