Port Orford Cedar

Port Orford Cedar is a large, aromatic Cedar tree that is native to Oregon and California. It was first discovered near the city of Port Orford, Oregon and according to Wikipedia was introduced into cultivation in 1854, by collectors working for the Lawson & Son nursery in Edinburgh, Scotland, after whom it was named as Lawson Cypress by the describing botanist Andrew Murray. The USDA officially calls it by the name Port Orford cedar, as do most people in its native area, but some botanists prefer to use the name Lawson cypress. Port Orford cedar wood is fine grained and lightweight but strong & extremely resistant to rot. It has good tonal properties and a spicy, distinctive aroma! It is in high demand in Asia for religious uses, temples, and carvings. Turning blanks in this material are very rich in oil and turn easily. The aromatic resin pools in the stumps, forming an oily, dense consistency. This is a similar phenomenon to Moroccan Thuya burls, though Port Orford Cedar is slightly less dense than Thuya! We recommend a natural finish for turned articles. The more oils/resin in this wood, the more aromatic! Lumber and slabs of Port Orford Cedar can have less oil/resin and glue easily. When the wood is planed, it has a tendency to fuzz, but it can easily be sanded as a remedy. Our material was all salvaged from old growth trees/stumps that have lain dormant on the forest floor, sun bleached and aged for 40 to 70 years.
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