Florida Cedar

Specs

Common Names

Aromatic Red Cedar, Eastern Redcedar

Scientific Name

Juniperus virginiana

Origin

Eastern North America

Appearance

Heartwood tends to be a reddish or violet-brown. Sapwood is a pale yellow color, and can appear throughout the heartwood as streaks and stripes. Has a straight grain, usually with knots present. Has a very fine even texture. Endgrain: Resin canals absent; earlywood to latewood transition gradual, grain moderately uneven to moderately even; tracheid diameter small to very small; zonate parenchyma (double ring).

Avg. Dried Weight

33 lbs/ft3 (530 kg/m3)

Janka Hardness

900 lbf

Modulus of Rupture

8,800 lbf/in2 (60.7 MPa)

Elastic Modulus

880,000 lbf/in2 (6.07 GPa)

Crushing Strength

6,020 lbf/in2 (41.5 MPa)

Shrinkage

Radial: 3.1%, Tangential: 4.7%, Volumetric: 7.8%, T/R Ratio: 1.5

Durability

Regarded as excellent in resistance to both decay and insect attack, Aromatic Red Cedar is frequently used for fence posts used in direct ground contact with no pre-treating of the wood.

Workability

Overall, Aromatic Red Cedar is easy to work, notwithstanding any knots or irregularities present in the wood. It reportedly has a high silica content, which can dull cutters. Aromatic Red Cedar glues and finishes well, though in many applications, the wood is left unfinished to preserve its aromatic properties.