Port-Orford-Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

Port-Orford-Cedar is a domestic softwood

Location

Port-Orford-cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is sometimes known as Lawson-cypress, Oregon-cedar, and white-cedar. It grows along the Pacific Coast from Coos Bay, Oregon, southward to California. It does not extend more than 64 km (40 mi) inland.

Characteristics

The heartwood of Port-Orford-cedar is light yellow to pale brown. The sapwood is narrow and hard to distinguish from the heartwood. The wood has fine texture, generally straight grain, and a pleasant spicy odor. It is moderately lightweight, stiff, moderately strong and hard, and moderately resistant to shock. Port-Orford-cedar heartwood is highly resistant to decay. The wood shrinks moderately, has little tendency to warp, and is stable after drying.

Primary Uses

Some high-grade Port-Orford-cedar was once used in the manufacture of storage battery separators, matchsticks, and specialty millwork. Today, other uses are archery supplies, sash and door construction, stadium seats, flooring, interior woodwork, furniture, and boats.

*Much of the base wood information presented here is made available by the USDA FPL FS. If you are interested in a much more technical description of wood properties, I encourage you to visit the source.