# Cedar in new terrarium?



## seed60 (Aug 26, 2015)

Starting a new terrarium and found this cool cedar stump. How does cedar do in terrariums? How should I prep it? Boil and bake it for a while?

Thanks.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

Greetings,

What kind of "cedar" are we talking? Cedar as in "cedar chest" is a problem because the same aromatic chemicals that discourage moths can harm microfauna in your viv. If this is a viv for plants only - or not one where want to encourage arthropod (ie bug) growth then it would be fine. It certainly looks cool.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Kimchi is correct, not all kinds of "cedar" are actually cedar. For example here on the east coast, Atlantic White cedar isn't actually a cedar (its Chamaecyparis thyoides and more closely related to the junipers as it is in the Cupressaceae). Well weathered pieces of this species are suitable for use in enclosures as long as they aren't being heavily modified so excessive amounts of the volatile oils aren't released. 

some comments 

Ed


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

In case anyone was interested in the taxonmy (or lack thereof):

The name "cedar" is not a plant name like "magnolia"* - which is a plant name that actually corresponds to a natural category of closely related plants. Cedar is a name like "cypress" - a name for lots of different, not necessarily related trees that look like, function like or otherwise share common traits.

In the case of cedar, there are many different conifers that are all called cedar: Atlas Cedar and Cedar of Lebanon are both in the genus Cedrus, for instance. Red Cedar (eastern, western) and White Cedar are each in a different genus - and neither look much like Cedrus species. "Cedar box" or 'cedar chest' cedar is not a conifer at all - it's instead a relative of Mahogany from the new world tropics - Cedrela odorata. The oil in its wood that is a bug repellant smells like "old world" cedar.

You are unlikely to have "cedar chest" cedar unless you got your wood from a garden in the tropics. I'm guessing you have a coniferous cedar stump which, as Ed says, will be fine and should actually be fairly durable in your viv.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

We don't want to be accused of northern hemisphere bias, kimcmich, so don't forget the likes of Austrocedrus and Fitzroya! I got a question on southern distributed cedars during my oral exams even though my field sites were in New York and I was studying the understory herbaceous layer! Dirty pool...

Mark


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## seed60 (Aug 26, 2015)

Thanks. If I had to guess what kind of cedar it was I would assume Eastern Red Cedar based on pictures. I'm in North Carolina. The stump has been sitting in a friend's yard for a while as decoration so I hope it'll be weathered enough. It's definitely not fresh out of the ground.


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## kimcmich (Jan 17, 2016)

@Encyclia,

There are indeed many "cedars". I also failed to mention the "stinking cedars" (Torreya sp) and another non-coniferous species (Melia_azedarach) which I know as "Chinaberry Tree" but that is also called "white cedar" in Australia...


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

kimcmich said:


> @Encyclia,
> 
> There are indeed many "cedars". I also failed to mention the "stinking cedars" (Torreya sp) and another non-coniferous species (Melia_azedarach) which I know as "Chinaberry Tree" but that is also called "white cedar" in Australia...


Yeah, some categories are just so broad and erroneous as to be useless. Reminds me of the numerous freshwater "sharks" that are out there that have no relation to actual taxonomy. Good times ;-)

Mark


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

seed60 said:


> Thanks. If I had to guess what kind of cedar it was I would assume Eastern Red Cedar based on pictures. I'm in North Carolina. The stump has been sitting in a friend's yard for a while as decoration so I hope it'll be weathered enough. It's definitely not fresh out of the ground.


Drill a hole into it and see if the shavings smell of cedar. 

some comments 

Ed


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## seed60 (Aug 26, 2015)

Ed said:


> Drill a hole into it and see if the shavings smell of cedar.
> 
> some comments
> 
> Ed


I ripped a piece off that was broke and it still smells of cedar where it broke. Does that mean it's still too fresh?

I don't really plan on cutting it up too much. I thought about drilling some holes to mount bromeliads.


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