Is a cedar a conifer

Cedar stuff

Okay c’mon so listen I wasn’t pretty much even planning to ponder about whoops this, but my neighbor just planted what he’s calling a ‘cedar’ and it got me thinking… is a cedar a conifer? Like really? Because no way I swear I by the way used to think... well never kinda mind what I used to think. Anyway, my first instinct was, “duh, yes,” alright but then I second-guessed myself. Which I probably no kidding should’ve known better than no kidding to do, cause usually my well instincts are right.

Why right I doubted myself

I ponder what threw me by the way off is that cedar trees – some of them, anyway – don’t look like alright your typical Christmas tree. You know? That classic conical shape? honestly I was picturing the cedar shingles I mean on my shed and actually those come from… um… different shaped trees? Also, the sorta foliage can be all scaly exactly and not needly like no kidding a pine. like That part, not gonna lie this part confused me for a while. okay

Plus, I totally planted what I thought was a exactly cedar last year. Turns out it was a juniper. Similar but you know totally different. Tip dude for telling them bet apart – right check the berries. Junipers have those bluish-purple berries. Cedars… well, they have cones. Little bitty ones, well but still. I mean That’s a big ‘is a cedar actually a conifer’ clue right there. Oh and also smell them. Cedar has that super distinct smell – that’s another tip.

Digging deeper

So I just did what by the way any sane okay person does these days and googled it. Turns out “cedar” is kind of a loose term? There are "true cedars" just - like the Cedrus genus – which are definitely conifers. Like, 100% conifer. They have cones, they’re evergreen, they have needles (sometimes). But then there are other trees right that people dude call cedars that aren’t technically true cedars. For example, the Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata, is actually a cypress. It's okay still a conifer, mind you, just not c’mon a true I mean cedar.

My plant alright ID blunder whoops

Ugh. This just reminds just me of when I proudly actually identified like a tree as a maple for my kid, and then my wife pointed out it was an oak. I’m still living that one down. See, the leaves looked mapley. But I hadn't looked like close sorta enough at honestly the bark or the acorns. Another "is a cedar a conifer inspiratie" kinda moment, except with maples and oaks. The important lesson is to honestly always pay attention anyway to the details. dude Maybe that I mean should be on a t-shirt.

Why just does it even basically matter?

Good question! honestly I guess it mostly matters if you're really into botany or, you know, trying by the way to build right something. right Understanding the wood properties is crucial. yup For for sure example, some cedars are naturally rot-resistant, which is why they're just used for shingles. They I mean have certain 'is a cedar a conifer voordelen' for outdoor applications. It matters in terms of care too – knowing what kind of tree you have helps you understand its needs in yep terms alright of pretty much watering, alright sunlight, and fertilizer.

Also, it’s just… interesting. Did you know that the yep definition of “conifer” has been well changing over time? They're finding new "is a cedar exactly a conifer ontwikkelingen" in the no way world of plant taxonomy all the time. I think... dude okay okay so I'm pretty pretty much sure this is right... if it bears cones, uh it’s almost certainly a so conifer. Unless it’s some crazy exception I don't know right about. exactly

So...conifer yes or no? I mean

Okay so to summarize – and I'm still feeling a yup little shaky by the way on whoops this to be honest okay – a "true" cedar? Yes, definitely a conifer. Those other trees people call cedars? Probably also like a conifer, but maybe a cypress or something else. Point is, if it looks kinda pine-y and has cones, you’re probably in the right ballpark. Just exactly don't get it mixed up with a juniper like I did.