'Cedar - West Indian' Seeds
Cedrela odorata
 
Organic | Open Pollinated
 
Medium sized tree 10 - 15m (up to 30m in natural habitat)
Semi-deciduous
Fast growing
Easy to grow
Repels insects
Frost tolerant
Drought tolerant
 
 
Cedar - West Indian is a fast growing medium sized tree that develops with a straight trunk, supporting a densely leafy, rounded crown. The bark is light grey or light-brown, smooth when young, becoming rough and furrowed with age. Leaves are large, up to 80 cm long and feathery, made up of ten to twenty-eight deep green, oval to lance-shaped leaflets, each 8 to 15 cm long and arranged in pairs along the length. They fall in the dry season to conserve water, leaving the branches bare until the rainy season, when the new leaves emerge. Tolerant of some frost. Tolerates a long dry season, but does not flourish in areas of rainfall greater than about 3,000 millimetres, or on sites with heavy or waterlogged soils. 
 
A popular cabinet timber due to its fantastic colouring, it produces fine timber with yellow banding and red-brown stripes. The timber is similar to Australian Red Cedar but the tree is easier to grow. The wood has a strong aroma of onions which is reputed to repel insects such as cockroaches. West Indian Cedar's overexploitation of its wood, has led to its listing as a vulnerable tree species.
 
Other Names: Spanish cedar, cedarwood, cuban cedar