Spanish Cedar

Aromatic and rich, the wood of Cedrela Odorata is a joy to work with and is a staple in Central American logging operations.

- Logan Wittmer

If you’ve ever cracked open a cigar humidor or walked into a cigar shop, you’d probably recognize the smell. I’m not talking about cigars either. What you may identify as cigar smell is probably something else entirely — Spanish cedar. Most commonly used for cigar humidors, this beautiful wood has many other uses.

A Tropical Hardwood

While the name implies this species is native to Europe, don’t let that fool you. In actuality, C. Odorata grows throughout tropical central and South America, and along the coasts of Africa. And if that’s not enough, Spanish Cedar isn’t actually a cedar either. Instead, it’s technically a hardwood that’s very closely related to mahogany. You can see in the box on the next page how closely the subtle grain resembles mahogany.

As the photo to the right shows, Spanish cedar is often grown in plantations, however insect outbreaks tend to plague these efforts. When insects can be managed, the cedar plantations do well due to the fact that it’s a fast growing tree. The trees can add up to 1 of diameter per year, and up to 7 feet in height. The largest Spanish cedars reach nearly 135 feet. Spanish cedar is a flowering tree, most often flowering at the beginning of the rainy season. Over the next 9 to 10 months, the flower will develop into a seed pod that opens during the following dry season, releasing numerous winged seeds.