Geographic Distribution:
The wood that we know as Cedar of Lebanon is known to botanists as Cedrus libani.
As the common and botanical names imply, C. libani is native to the eastern Mediterranean basin, including Lebanon but also extreme western Syria and Turkey. C. libani is generally a high altitude tree preferring elevations of 4,300 to 9,800 feet although it can occur as low as 1,300 feet in parts of Turkey. C. libani is found nowhere else in the world although a subspecies can be found on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
Distribution of Cedrus libani
For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to C. libani from this point forward simply as Cedar of Lebanon.
General Characteristics:
The heartwood of the Cedar of Lebanon tends to be of a cream color that can vary to a darker appearance of a light reddish brown color. The sapwood, which is very narrow and not much seen, is a pale yellowish white color.
The grain of the Cedar of Lebanon is generally straight, however, as is common with species in the Cedrus genus, knots and bark inclusions are common and may cause irregularities in the grain.
Cedar of Lebanon features a medium to coarse texture that demonstrates and moderate natural luster.
As is true of other Cedrus species, Cedar of Lebanon is highly rot resistant and is rated as durable. In addition, Cedar of Lebanon is generally resistant to insect attacks.Rot Resistance: Rated as very durable, and generally resistant to insect attack.
Working Characteristics:
Cedar of Lebanon is quite soft, rating only 3,670 N on the Janka scale. For comparison, White Oak (Quercus alba) rates 5,990 N while a very hard wood such as Hickory (Carya ovata) rates 8,360 N.
Because the Cedar of Lebanon wood is soft, it is quite easy to work with both hand and machine powered tools. However, those previously mentioned knots and bark inclusions can cause difficulties, especially with machine tools.
Fortunately for our purposes, Cedar of Lebanon turns, glues and finishes well.
Cedar of Lebanon does not smell like Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana), but it does have a delightfully spicy and sweet odor of its own that is quite unlike any other wood scent. Most people find it quite pleasing, so much so in fact that the scent extracts from the wood, cones, and needles are a major commodity derived from the Cedar of Lebanon trees. It is possible to derive the extract from small branches such that the tree itself is not damaged. This extract is used in the manufacture of some perfumes.
Cedar of Lebanon Male Cone
Pricing and Availability:
Cedar of Lebanon is almost impossible to find except occasionally through specialist hobby mills. Cedar of Lebanon has not been commercially harvested for many years and it is considered a threatened species. Cedar of Lebanon has, however, been widely planted as an ornamental tree and the limited stocks that are available come from decorative trees that have been removed for one reason or another.
I obtained my blank from Got Wood?, a North Carolina retailer with whom I have done a fair amount of business. I have always been pleased with their products. While they do not at this time stock any Cedar of Lebanon, it is always worth checking back now and again as their stock does change as availability allows.
I purchased my blanks in 2016. At that time I paid $13.89 for a 10” x 2” platter blank and $27.22 for a 14” x 2” platter blank. For these sizes, these prices were quite reasonable.