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Cedrela

Cedrela
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0

Cedrela is a genus of tropical New World timber trees in the mahogany family, mainly Cedrela odorata (Spanish-cedar), grown for fragrant wood and as an ornamental tree. Most species are deciduous in the dry season and need warm, frost-free conditions.

Family
Meliaceae (Meli family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun
Water
Water regularly while young and during dry spells; once established, trees tolerate seasonal drought.
Soil
Well-drained soil, tolerates a range of types.
Temperature
Warm tropical to subtropical conditions; protect from frost.
How easy
Moderate

About

Cedrela is a genus of several species in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. They are evergreen or dry-season deciduous trees with pinnate leaves, native to the tropical and subtropical New World, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

On 28 October 2022, all Neo-tropic Cedrela species were added to the list of species requiring international protections, in CITES Appendix II.

Where it grows

Cedrela odorata is the most common species in the genus, widespread in seasonally dry tropical and subtropical forests; it is deciduous in the dry season which may last several months. C. angustifolia and C. montana occur at higher altitudes in moister conditions, and are evergreen or only briefly deciduous.

Uses

Cedrela odorata is a timber tree that produces a lightweight, fragrant wood with resistance to wood-boring insects (e.g., termites) and is also rot-resistant. The wood is often sold under the name "Spanish-cedar" (it is neither Spanish nor a cedar), and is the traditional wood used for making cigar boxes, as well as being used for general outdoor and construction work, paneling and veneer wood, and necks and linings (interior strips of wood that attach the top and bottom of the guitar to the sides) of classical guitars and some electric guitars. Some species are now CITES-listed, in particular Cedrela odorata. It is also grown as an ornamental tree, and has become naturalized in some areas in Africa, southeast Asia and Hawaii. The other species have similar wood, but are less-used due to scarcity.

Other Cedrela plants

Spanish Cedar · Cedar · Spanish cedar

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cedrela by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

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