Red Cedar
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana). Also
known as juniper, red juniper, eastern juniper, redcedar, savin, and pencil
cedar. Grows in eastern half of North America.
Type Softwood.
Appearance: Straight and even grained with a fine uniform texture. Creamy white
sapwood and light reddish or purplish heartwood that ages to a darker red or
reddish brown. Often contains numerous knots.
Physical Props: Moderately heavy, hard, and strong with low stiffness, very high
decay resistance and good stability in service.
Working Props: Works easily with hand or machine tools and is ideal for carving
or whittling. Small, hard knots can sometimes be troublesome when planing. Glues
satisfactorily. Takes a beautiful natural finish.
Uses: Used previously for pencils but primary use today is fenceposts. Other
uses include chests, closet lining, novelties, buckets, shingles, boat building,
and other exterior applications.