The Value of Cedar Trees
The cedars of North America are noted for their scaly leaves or needles and their drooping branches. When covered with snow, this type of evergreen is a beautiful sight, whether located in the deep forest or the front lawn of a home. "Cedar" is a broad term, which can be described to include a wide array of evergreens that grow all over the continent.
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What Is A Cedar?
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Cedar is a difficult term to botanically define. First there are the "true cedars" of the genus Cedrus, which grow mainly in the Mediterranean region and Asia. Then there are the false cedars, a group of conifers that very much resemble the true cedars. In North America, the false cedars include the eastern red cedar, the Atlantic white cedar, the western red cedar and a handful of cedars that grow along the Pacific Coast. All of these trees have scale-like needles and small cones. This article concerns the false cedars that grows in many places throughout North America.
Windbreaks and Ground Cover
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One of the most important uses of cedar trees is as a windbreak or hedgerow. Except for the western red cedar, which grows too tall and too fast to be used in this regard, most of the North American cedars are often grown in rows. The slow growth rate and bushy form of these plants help create an effective windbreak. Furthermore, the soft blue cones are consumed by many birds and small mammals, while the evergreen foliage provides excellent winter protection for wildlife.
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Rot-Resistant Wood
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Though not the most structurally sound timber, the wood of the cedars is naturally resistant to water rot and insect damage. This quality makes cedar an excellent choice for outdoor planking that can be used to build a fence or as exterior siding on a house. Shakes (similar to wooden shingles) can be made from the trunk of the western red cedar by splitting the soft red wood with a metal tool. Cedar shakes can be installed as siding. Shingles, when sawed instead of split, can be used as a roofing material.
Ornamental
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A cedar tree planted by itself often makes a nice addition to a homeowner's back yard or the front grounds of a small business. The evergreen nature of these small trees allows for a shapely form that will be visible all winter and can often take on strange and wondrous shape after a major snowstorm.
Aromatic Wood
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The wood of the false cedars (Calocedrus, Thuja, Chamaecyparis) is very aromatic and often used in ways that take advantage of this natural characteristic. One of the most common places to use aromatic cedar wood is for the lining of a clothes closet or for building a cedar chest. In a cedar closet, thin boards from one of the American cedars are cut to a thin thickness and then used to completely cover the interior surface. As with the cedar chest, the natural aroma successfully repels all flying insects that might feed on natural linens or wool.
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- Photo Credit ladybird on hedge of cedar image by David Alary from Fotolia.com
