Cedar canoes aren't made from cedar trees

[Glenn MacGrady]

This is thread is about pedantic, nitpicking, picayune—but accurate—vocabulary.

The arborists and forestry experts can correct me, and the WCHA may fire me, but my understanding is that there are no true cedar trees in North or South America or Europe.

The trees informally called eastern white cedar and western red cedar, for example, from which almost all wood/canvas and most strip canoes are built, are actually trees of the arborvitae (Thuga) genus within the cypress (Cupressaceae) family. The Alaskan or yellow cedar tree is also within the cypress family.

True cedars belong to the Cedrus genus within the Pinacae family, and are found only in the eastern Mediterranean, north Africa, Cypress, and the Himalayas.

So, put that in your cypress/canvas canoe and smoke it.

 

[Nick Pending]

This is thread is about pedantic, nitpicking, picayune—but accurate—vocabulary.

True cedars belong to the Cedrus genus within the Pinacae family, and are found only in the eastern Mediterranean, north Africa, Cypress, and the Himalayas.

So, put that in your cypress/canvas canoe and smoke it.

Sigh. Lawyers these days!

No true cedars are native to North America, but I happen to have several planted on my own property, so to be accurate (as the original poster demands), there are some cedars here in North America, just not as many as people like to think. I have some Deodar cedars planted here and see them all over the Portland area where I live. I also planted a few Atlantica cedars, but don't remember where they are. Not even sure they still live. I was hoping to get some Cedar of Lebanon but don't think I ever managed to do so. I've even planted a few Bristlecone pines, just for the heck of it, even though they aren't cedars. Yup, I'm messing with the local ecology something fierce! Probably pissing off the native plant society people importing these exotic invasives! Tough toenail! < G >

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

No true cedars are native to North America

A pedantically accurate correction, Nick, and entirely within the subject matter and tone of the topic. Thanks.

Nevertheless, I will still maintain that it is unlikely that any "cedar" canoes have been made from the non-native true cedars that some private parties may have planted in the U.S. or Canada.

I, too, have planted a lot of non-native trees on my property, as well as some natives. That was 20-25 years ago, and I bought a lot of tree books at that time. I read about the cedar misnomers then, and @CaptainOllieWest's recent pictures of ancient and giant west coast cedars reminded me of the subject.

I do have a native "canoewood" tree on my property—the "canoewood" of the Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the U.S. A big and old one. No, I'm not talking about a birch tree. Natives did not make bark canoes from these particular native canoewood trees. They made dugouts.