Cedar Tree for Wood Crafts

The cedar tree, which is referred to as Cedrus Libani in botanical science, has a pyramid-like appearance and is one of the important forest trees growing in Turkey.

Cedar wood is a member of the pine family. They do not shed leaves and remain evergreen. They can reach approximately 30-40 meters in length, and if their habitat is suitable, they can live for about 1000 years. They do not need much humidity, but they love the heat very much. Cedar trees can reproduce by cuttings and seeds. However, since the seeds are oily, they cannot be stored for a long time. Cedarwood seeds can germinate 15 to 20 days from the day they are planted. Cedar trees are a type of tree belonging to the Mediterranean climate and can easily grow in clay, chalky, sandy soils. They are not durable despite the extremely harsh conditions that may occur in winter.

How do we distinguish cedar wood from pine wood?

The pine tree and the cedar tree show many similarities. But fundamentally, of course, there are differences. Cedar wood can be separated by looking at the length of the leaves, which we call needles. In cedar trees, the leaves are short and appear in many clusters of needles. In addition, their cones are long in barrel-like appearance and thinner than pine cones. Cedar cones do not have spaces between the scales as in pine trees.

The cedar tree in our imagination and culture

Tar oil, obtained from the bark of the cedar tree, has been used in Turkey since ancient times, especially in skin diseases and against skin fungi, thanks to its antiseptic effect. ⁽¹⁾

For us, it smells like cedar wood; It is a tree that comes to life in a spiritual sense with the power and energy from history, the energy and balance-themed patterns we give it.

Source:

(1) Hüseyin Fakir, Mehmet Korkmaz, Bilgin Güller; “Medicinal Diversity of Western Mediterennean Region in Turkey”, January 2009 – Journal of Applied Biological Sciences 3(2):30-40

Assoc. Dr. Ünal ELER “Cedar” , Forestry Research Institute Publications , 1992 – Miscellaneous Publications Series: 66