How to Identify Western Red Cedar Wood (Thuja plicata)

Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata: color, grain, end grain, Janka hardness (350 lbf) and weight, and how to tell it from Eastern Red Cedar (Aromatic), quoted from the USDA Wood Handbook and The Wood Database.

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At a glance

Scientific name: Thuja plicata
Type: Softwood
Origin: Pacific Northwest (US and Canada)
Color: Heartwood reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown.
Grain and texture: Straight grain with a coarse texture and moderate natural luster.
End grain: Resin canals absent; tracheid diameter medium to medium-large; earlywood-to-latewood transition usually abrupt (or gradual with more widely spaced rings); high grain contrast; no parenchyma.
Janka hardness: 350 lbf
Specific gravity (12% MC): 0.32
Other clue: Strong, lingering, aromatic scent when being worked; dents and scratches very easily due to softness.

What Western Red Cedar looks like

Heartwood reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown. Straight grain with a coarse texture and moderate natural luster. End grain: Resin canals absent; tracheid diameter medium to medium-large; earlywood-to-latewood transition usually abrupt (or gradual with more widely spaced rings); high grain contrast; no parenchyma.

Hardness and weight

Janka hardness 350 lbf (side hardness: the force needed to embed a 0.444-inch steel ball to half its diameter). Specific gravity 0.32 at 12% moisture content, so a cubic foot weighs roughly 20 lb. Weight in the hand is one of the quickest checks: compare a piece of known size against a board you already know.

Western Red Cedar vs Eastern Red Cedar (Aromatic)

Both smell strongly aromatic when worked, but Western Red Cedar is a true cedar (Thuja) with no resin canals and a reddish-pink color, while Eastern Redcedar is a juniper with a violet-brown color, fine even texture, and frequent knots; Western Red Cedar is also softer (350 lbf) than Eastern Redcedar (roughly 650-900 lbf). The Eastern Red Cedar (Aromatic) page has its own details.

Smell, weight and other clues

Strong, lingering, aromatic scent when being worked; dents and scratches very easily due to softness.

Where you will meet it

Shingles, exterior siding and lumber, boatbuilding, boxes, crates, and musical instruments.

Working it

Easy to work with hand or machine tools, though it dents and scratches easily; can sand unevenly due to density differences between growth zones; contains plicatic acid linked to elevated allergic reactions, particularly occupational asthma.

How to photograph it for identification

Photograph a freshly cut or sanded face in daylight, not a finished or stained surface, since stain hides color and finish flattens grain. Add a close-up of the end grain: cut a clean end, wet it or sand it to 220, and shoot from straight on; pore pattern and rays are the most reliable marks. Put a ruler in frame. The app suggests the likely species; confirm with the end grain and weight.

FAQ

How hard is Western Red Cedar?

Janka hardness 350 lbf. For comparison, Red Oak is about 1,290 lbf and Eastern White Pine about 380 lbf.

How do I tell Western Red Cedar from Eastern Red Cedar (Aromatic)?

Is Western Red Cedar a hardwood or a softwood?

Western Red Cedar is a softwood: it comes from a conifer. The terms describe the kind of tree, not hardness.

What color is Western Red Cedar?

Heartwood reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown.

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