Spanish Cedar
Cedrela odorata · hardwood · Central/South America · moderate movement
- Janka hardness 600 lbfred oak ≈ 1,290 lbf
- Density ≈ 29 lb/ft³specific gravity 0.41 at 12% MC
- Shrinkage — tangential 6.3%flatsawn width, green → ovendry
- Shrinkage — radial 4.2%quartersawn width
- T/R ratio 1.5 : 1higher = more cupping in flatsawn stock
Shop notes Actually a mahogany relative — the humidor and guitar-neck wood. Aromatic, stable, easy to work; resin can bleed in hot sun.
Seasonal movement at a glance
Width change for spanish cedar across a typical indoor year — 6% moisture content in the heated winter to 12% in a humid summer:
| Board width | Flatsawn | Quartersawn |
|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 3/32″ (0.081″) | 1/16″ (0.054″) |
| 12″ | 5/32″ (0.162″) | 3/32″ (0.108″) |
| 24″ | 5/16″ (0.324″) | 7/32″ (0.216″) |
| 36″ | 1/2″ (0.486″) | 5/16″ (0.324″) |
Run your own numbers
Different width, different climate swing — the calculator below is preset to spanish cedar:
Typical swings:
Spanish Cedar questions
How much does spanish cedar move with the seasons?
A 12″-wide flatsawn spanish cedar board moves about 5/32″ across a typical indoor swing from 6% to 12% moisture content; quartersawn, about 3/32″. Its tangential shrinkage is 6.3% and radial 4.2% (green to ovendry) — a moderate-movement wood.
How hard is spanish cedar?
Spanish Cedar rates about 600 lbf on the Janka scale — soft enough to dent in daily use (red oak is roughly 1,290 lbf). Density runs about 29 lb/ft³ at indoor moisture levels.
Is spanish cedar good for wide panels and tabletops?
Yes, with normal precautions: its 1.5:1 tangential-to-radial ratio is unusually balanced, so panels stay flatter than most. Still fasten solid tops so they can move across their width.
Similar species
Red Alder · Sassafras · Northern Catalpa · American Chestnut · Yellow-Poplar (Tulipwood) · Silver Maple
Shrinkage, specific gravity, and hardness from the Wood Handbook, FPL-GTR-282 (2021 edition), USDA Forest Products Laboratory (public domain). Values are species averages — individual boards vary with growth conditions and how they were dried.