How to Recognize a Cedar Tree
- 1). Look for cedars in areas where they thrive. Remember, they cannot survive particularly harsh winters and so can only survive in zones 6 through 9. To see which areas of the United States these zones cover, look at the Arbor Day Foundation zone map (See Resources). They are particularly easy to spot in winter, as they never lose the green color.
- 2). Examine the make-up of the tree. Cedars can grow from 40 to 200 feet, so the height will not help you identify it very precisely. Examine the canopy of the tree instead, looking for needles that range in color from grass-green to blue-green.
- 3). Look at the bark on the tree as well. It should be thick and ridged or cracked. Peel a bit of the bark off the tree and smell the wood underneath. Cedars are famous for the scented smell of their wood. If it is a cedar, the wood will smell spicy like a cedar chest.
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