Cedar is part of the English common name of many trees and other plants, particularly those of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

'' Cedrus''. Some botanical authorities consider the Old-World ''Cedrus'' the only "true cedars". Many other species worldwide with similarly aromatic wood, including several species of genera ''

Calocedrus ''Calocedrus'', the incense cedar (alternatively spelled incense-cedar), is a genus of coniferous trees in the cypress family Cupressaceae first described as a genus in 1873. It is native to East Asia, eastern Asia and western North America. Th ...

'', ''

Thuja ''Thuja'' ( ) is a genus of coniferous tree or shrub in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three native to eastern Asia. The genus is monophyletic and sister to ''Thujopsis''. M ...

'', and ''

Chamaecyparis ''Chamaecyparis'', common names cypress or false cypress (to distinguish it from related cypresses), is a genus of conifers in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to eastern Asia (Japan and Taiwan) and to the western and eastern margins of th ...

'' in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

of North America, are referred to as "false cedars". Plants called "cedar" include:

Family Pinaceae

*'' Cedrus'', common English name cedar, a genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae ** Lebanon cedar, ''Cedrus libani'', a cedar native to Lebanon, western Syria and south-central Turkey ** Atlas cedar, ''Cedrus atlantica'', a cedar native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria ** Deodar cedar, ''Cedrus deodara'', a cedar native to the western Himalayas **

Cyprus cedar ''Cedrus brevifolia'', the Cyprus cedar, is a species of conifer in the genus ''Cedrus''. It is native to the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. It grows in the Cedar Valley in Pafos State Forest. It is often considered to be a synonym of ' ...

, ''Cedrus brevifolia'', found in the island of Cyprus's Cedar Valley in the Troodos Mountains * Siberian pine (''Pinus sibirica''), occasionally erroneously referred to as Siberian cedar

Family Cupressaceae

Atlantic white cedar ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' (Atlantic white cedar, Atlantic white cypress, southern white cedar, whitecedar, or false-cypress), a species of ''Cupressaceae'', is native to the Atlantic coast of North America and is found from southern Maine to Geo ...

, ''Chamaecyparis thyoides'' *

Bermuda cedar ''Juniperus bermudiana'' is a species of juniper endemic to Bermuda. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar, but is also referred to as Bermuda juniper (Bermudians refer to it simply as ''cedar''). Historically, this tree formed wo ...

, ''Juniperus bermudiana'', a species of juniper endemic to Bermuda *

Chilean cedar ''Austrocedrus'' is a genus of conifer belonging to the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It has only one species, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'', native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests and the adjacent drier steppe-forests of central-southern C ...

, ''Austrocedrus chilensis'' *Chinese cedarwood oil comes from ''

Cupressus funebris ''Cupressus funebris'', the Chinese weeping cypress, is a species of cypress native to southwestern and central China. It may also occur naturally in Vietnam. Description ''Cupressus funebris'' is a medium-sized coniferous tree growing to 20–3 ...

'', the Chinese weeping cypress * Clanwilliam cedar, ''Widdringtonia cedarbergensis'', a species of cypress endemic to the Cederberg mountains of South Africa * Eastern red cedar, ''Juniperus virginiana'', a species of juniper native to eastern North America *

Eastern white cedar ''Thuja occidentalis'', also known as northern white-cedar, eastern white-cedar, or arborvitae, is an evergreen coniferous tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is native to eastern Canada and much of the north-central and northeaste ...

, also northern white cedar, ''Thuja occidentalis'', native to eastern North America. *''

'', the incense cedars, a genus native to western North America, Eastern Asia *Japanese cedar, '' Cryptomeria japonica''; known as 杉 (''Sugi'') in Japanese *, es, cedro de Canarias, * Mexican white cedar, ''Cupressus lusitanica'', a species of cypress native to Mexico and Central America * Mountain cedar, source of Texas cedarwood oil, ''Juniperus ashei'', an evergreen shrub native to northeastern Mexico and the south central United States * New Zealand cedar, ''Libocedrus bidwillii'' *Persian cedar, ''

Cupressus sempervirens ''Cupressus sempervirens'', the Mediterranean cypress (also known as Italian cypress, Tuscan cypress, Persian cypress, or pencil pine), is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southern Albania, sou ...

'' *Port Orford-cedar, '' Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', or Lawson cypress, California, Oregon *Prickly cedar, sharp cedar, '' Juniperus oxycedrus'', native to the Mediterranean region *Western red cedar, '' Thuja plicata'', a cypress of the Pacific northwest *Yellow cedar, ''

Cupressus nootkatensis ''Callitropsis nootkatensis'', formerly known as ''Cupressus nootkatensis'' ( syn. ''Xanthocyparis nootkatensis'') is a species of trees in the cypress family native to the coastal regions of northwestern North America. This species goes by many ...

'', also called Alaska cedar

Family Meliaceae

*Spanish cedar, ''

Cedrela odorata ''Cedrela odorata'' is a commercially important species of tree in the chinaberry family, Meliaceae, commonly known as Spanish cedar or Cuban cedar; it is also known as cedro in Spanish. Classification The genus ''Cedrela'' has undergone two m ...

'' *Cigar-box cedar, '' Cedrela'' *Australian red cedar, '' Toona ciliata'' * Ceylon cedar or ''Melia azedarach'', a species of deciduous tree native to India, southern China and Australia

Other families

*Bay cedar, ''

Suriana ''Suriana'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants containing only ''Suriana maritima'', which is commonly known as bay cedar. Distribution It has a pantropical distribution and can be found on coasts in the New and Old World tropics. Descri ...

'' (Surianaceae) *Running cedar or ground cedar, various species of clubmosses (Lycopodiopsida) in the genus '' Diphasiastrum'' *Saltcedar, ''

Tamarix The genus ''Tamarix'' (tamarisk, salt cedar, taray) is composed of about 50–60 species of flowering plants in the family Tamaricaceae, native to drier areas of Eurasia and Africa. The generic name originated in Latin and may refer to the Tam ...

'' (Caryophyllaceae) *Stinking cedar, '' Torreya taxifolia'' (Cephalotaxaceae) *Warren River cedar or native cedar, ''

Taxandria juniperina ''Taxandria juniperina'' commonly known as wattie, native cedar, Warren River cedar or juniper myrtle is a species of tree that grows in the south west corner of Western Australia. This plant was previously classified as ''Agonis juniperina'' bu ...

'' (Myrtaceae) *White cedar, ''

Tabebuia heterophylla ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' is a species of tree native to the Caribbean, and is also cultivated. It is also known as Roble blanco, pink manjack, pink trumpet tree, white cedar, and whitewood. Description ''Tabebuia heterophylla'' grows up to 20 ...

'' (Bignoniaceae)

References

{{Reflist Set index articles on plant common names