AMERICAN CEDAR: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, USES AND PROPERTIES - BIOLOGY - 2025

The American cedar (Cedrela odorata) is a timber forest species that belongs to the Meliaceae family, native to tropical America. Called Bitter Cedar, White Cedar, Cobano Cedar, Red Cedar, Royal Cedar, or Culche, it is known primarily for its high-quality wood.

The most striking feature of this species is its fissured bark along the trunk, reddish-brown in color, with some shiny and whitish areas. With a straight stem and wide buttresses at the base, it has aromatic leaves that emit a bitter smell similar to garlic, which is repeated in the wood.

American cedar (Cedrela odorata). Source: Photo by David J. Stang

This species is frequently sown in agroforestry associations, in alliance with coffee trees or annual crops, due to the strong attack of the stem borer in single plantations. Cedar has a wide distribution, being typical in American tropical forests, although its number has been reduced by increasing commercial exploitation.

American cedar is widely used in carpentry, cabinetmaking, furniture, trim, plywood, interior work, decking, drawers, crafts, and musical instruments. In addition, in traditional medicine it is used for its properties as an astringent, antipyretic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, febrifuge, vermifuge and Vulnerary.

General characteristics

Morphology

Cedar is a medium-tall tree species that can reach 12-60 m in height and a diameter of 0.6-2.5 m. It is characterized by a broad and oval crown, with robust ramifications provided with numerous annular lenticels when young.

The erect, tubular and firm trunk has rough and deeply cracked reddish bark, with a broad buttress at the base. The inner part of the wood has a bitter taste, a garlic smell and pinkish or yellowish brown tones.

The large petiolate leaves are of the compound, alternate, and paripinnate type, sometimes reaching more than 1 m in length. Each leaf has 10-30 opposite leaflets, 5-15 cm long and 2-5 cm wide, oblique and lanceolate.

Detail of the leaves of Cedrela odorata. Source: Forest & Kim Starr

The foliose are acuminate, broad at the base and acute at the apex, slightly glabrous, with pubescent veins on the underside. As for the petioles, they are thin structures that are 8-10 cm long.

The inflorescences arranged in auxiliary or terminal panicles are composed of numerous male and female flowers. The oblong petals acquire a cream-green hue. The calyx is slightly pubescent, the pedicel is only 1-2 mm long, and the filaments are glabrous.

The fruit is a dehiscent capsule with a woody appearance, with a smooth or lenticelled surface, 4-7 cm in length and a dark brown color, which opens into five carpels. This green structure in its immature state contains a whitish serosity with a strong smell of garlic that contains the seeds.

The brown seeds have two cotyledons with the seminal part located at the apex of the fruit and a large embryo that occupies most of the seed cavity.

Taxonomy

- Kingdom: Plantae.

- Division: Magnoliophyta.

- Class: Magnoliopsida.

- Order: Sapindales.

- Family: Meliaceae.

- Genus: Cedrela.

- Species: Cedrela odorata L. 1753.

Etymology

- Cedrela, the genus name is a diminutive of Cedrus, a name related to the strong smell of wood.

- odorata, the specific adjective comes from the Latin odoratus-a-um, which means "very fragrant" due to the smell of the wood.

Habitat and distribution

The American cedar is native to Central America, and is found from northern Mexico to northern Argentina and Bolivia, including various islands in the Caribbean. In Venezuela it is distributed throughout the warm regions, especially in the deciduous forests of the western plains.

In fact, its wide distribution in the diverse tropical ecosystems of the American continent make it part of the natural flora of the tropophilic forests.

It is located in tropical deciduous forests, from sea level to 1,200 meters above sea level, with average temperatures of 20-32 ° C. It adapts to humid climates with an annual dry season of 3-4 months, and rainfall between 1,200- 2,800 mm per year.

American Cedar Tree. Forest & Kim Starr

It is located in coastal plains or slopes of low inclination, on calcareous or volcanic soils with good drainage, deep and porous. It develops effectively in soils of calcareous, loamy-sandy origin, and even in dark stony soils with a high content of organic matter.

Applications

Wood

Cedar is a timber species, whose solid and high-quality wood is used for the manufacture of furniture, light constructions and boats. As well as interior decorations, cabinetry, musical instruments, cases, parquet and carpentry in general, being very resistant to attack by moths.

The wood is characterized by light-colored sapwood and a heartwood of red-yellowish tones, showing a marked transition between both structures. The wood has an aromatic odor, with an attractive color design, fine texture and straight grain, high luster and excellent workability.

In a traditional way, wood is used to make handicrafts, typical ornaments, chess boards, jewelers, sculptures, picture frames, arrows or spears, and even rustic furniture. In addition, it is used to manufacture plywood and decorative plates or sheets, sliced ​​or unrolled.

The heavy-gauge branches are used for the installation of living fences, posts in rural buildings and as firewood to obtain charcoal.

Resin

The wood of the American cedar exudes a great quantity of resin of the highest quality, used for the manufacture of rubbers and laboratory samples. Wood requires special treatment due to the amount of resin, so it requires a deep cleaning with solvents before handling.

Detail of the trunk of Cedrela odorata. Source: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, BC, Canada

Medicinal

The decoctions of leaves, bark or roots are used to calm digestive problems, stomach pains, hemorrhages, bronchitis and to treat epilepsy and malaria. The bark has abortive and febrifuge properties, and the seeds are used to expel intestinal worms due to their vermifuge properties.

Ornamental

American cedar in its natural environment is widely used as a shade for growing coffee. Likewise, as an ornamental it is used to mark boundaries, build avenues, and in parks, sports fields, and open fields.

However, due to the high demand for their high quality wood, many of these plants have been cut down and replaced by other species. The trees that still persist in these places are young plants of unusable characteristics and measures.

Honey production

The American cedar is a melliferous plant that produces abundant nectar during flowering which attracts large numbers of bees and pollinating insects.

Medicinal properties

The leaves, roots, bark, and seeds of Cedrela odorata contain various essential oils, steroids, flavonoids, and phytosterols that contribute to its extensive medicinal properties.

In an artisan way, American cedar is used to relieve dental discomfort and toothaches. For this, it is recommended to place a piece of ground American cedar root on the affected part to relieve pain.

Sitz baths made with American cedar branches act as febrifuges, since they contribute to the reduction of body fever. The root and leaf based decoction is frequently used to relieve diarrhea, expel intestinal parasites and relieve stomach pains.

The maceration of the roots is used topically for the treatment of skin infections, acting as an anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and healing. As for the maceration of fresh leaves, it is recommended to eliminate the whitish stains produced by fungi that affect the skin.

Care

The fresh seeds for the propagation of the American cedar normally present 70% germination, and do not require pre-germination treatment. However, it is recommended to immerse them in water at room temperature for 24 hours to obtain uniform germination.

The sowing is carried out in germination beds on a substrate of washed and disinfected fine sand. The seeds are dispersed broadcast at a rate of 40 gr (2,000 seeds) per m ², and the ground is covered with a fine layer of sand.

Detail of the fruit of Cedrela odorata. Source: Jim Conrad

Germination

Germination occurs in 6-10 days and ends approximately 30 days after sowing. When the seedlings present the first true leaves and have reached 5-8 cm in height, they are peeled in polyethylene bags or beds.

During this phase, the plants should be kept under 65% polishade, not being necessary the establishment fertilization. The seedlings in controlled nursery conditions will be ready to transplant to the final place after 3-4 months.

It is recommended to reduce watering considerably about 3-4 weeks before planting in the field. In the event of insect damage, such as stem borer, a systemic insecticide should be applied immediately.

Cedar can also be propagated through cuttings in order to preserve and duplicate higher phenotypic characters. It is recommended to use stakes 6-8 cm long, impregnated with 0.2% IBA at the base of the stake.

Each cutting may retain a few leaves to promote root proliferation. In this case they are sown in a substrate of fine and washed sand. In this way, the cuttings can take 6-7 months to be ready to be transplanted to the final site.

Maintenance

The American cedar is a species that requires full sun exposure and should be planted in open places on loose, porous, fertile and well-draining soils. In agroforestry combinations or commercial plantations, it grows vigorously in association with other perennial species, significantly reducing the attack of pests.

Once the crop is established, weeding is essential during the first two years. During this phase, maintenance and sanitation pruning is important, in order to eliminate damaged branches, avoid bifurcations and select the best shoots.

Adult plants of Cedrela odorata. Source: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, BC, Canada

Maintenance pruning is carried out as many times as necessary, in order to obtain a straight wood quality stem. The recommended is 100-200 trees / Ha, so thinning must be effective to avoid shading the adult plants.

In excellent environmental conditions and low incidence of pests, the average annual growth of a cedar is 1.3-1.6 m in height and 1.3-1.6 cm in diameter. A tree is usable when it reaches 45 cm in diameter and a stem 15 m high, which occurs approximately at 40 years of age.

Some temporary cuts are made between 18-25 years, but the wood produced this way is of lower quality. In this regard, the felling decision depends on market conditions and the size of the wood demanded.

Pests

The main pest that affects the cedar is the larva of the Hypsipyla grandella, called the screwworm of the meliaceae, lepidoptera of the Pyralidae family. Damages are observed in new shoots, especially in terminal shoots, where the larvae pierce the tissues preventing the proper development of the branches.

In addition, there is a decrease in growth and the fall of the tender fruits, affecting the survival of the species. When the incidence of screwworm increases on nursery seedlings or young plants, it can cause death.

The grijpmani moth, a butterfly of the Pyralidae family, has also been described as a pest of the American cedar. Its damage is manifested mainly in the seeds, hindering the natural propagation of the species.

References

1. Cedar Tree (Cedrela odorata) (2018) Fundesyram Agroecology Library. Recovered at: fundesyram.info
2. Cedro Amargo (Cedrela odorata) (2019) Volunteer Rangers of the Simón Bolívar University. Simón Bolívar University Portal. Recovered at: guardabosqueusb.wordpress.com
3. Cedrela odorata. (2019). Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered at: es.wikipedia.org
4. Cedrela odorata (2018) Virtual Catalog of the Flora of the Aburrá Valley. Recovered at: catalogofloravalleaburra.eia.edu.co
5. Cintrón, Barbara B. (1990) Cedrela odorata L. Cedro, spanish-cedar. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC: US ​​Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 250-257.
6. Hoyos F., Jesús (2009) Guide to the common trees of Venezuela, autochthonous and exotic. Monograph No. 32. Fourth Edition. La Salle Society of Natural Sciences.
7. Morales, ER, & Herrera, L. (2009). Cedar (Cedrela odorata L.) Protocol for its collection, benefit and storage. Mexico: National Forestry Commission, Region XII Yucatán Peninsula.