On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top cedar berries the page across from the article title. Look up Cedar, cedar, or ceder in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Cedar trees are a beloved and well-known type of tree.

And while there is often confusion between common and botanical names between the types, there is no debate on how beautiful and useful these trees are. Cedars have supported communities as we’ve evolved, traveled, and built cities. The health, vitality, and opportunities surrounding these conifer trees continue well into today, too. These are ancient trees, worth getting to know and important to protect as we go about creating sustainable societies and economic systems. We’ll get into the distinctions between the different species below. The leaves are evergreen and are needle-like in shape and arranged into spirals. These trees have light brown cones, reddish-brown bark, and grow in full sun.

Cedars are planted and protected today for aesthetic reasons, medicinal and spiritual practices, in forest restoration, and as wind-breaks. However, if you live in North America, you might be really surprised to hear that there are only 4 species of true cedars and that they are indigenous to landscapes across the ocean. As it turns out, there are indeed trees native to North America that we commonly identify as cedars, though they are technically in other plant genera. Compiled below are distinct features of both true and false cedar species as well as tips on how to identify the various types in the world. There are 4 species of true cedars in the world. Their names are often clues to where they can be found growing.