Cedar vs Spruce
The Pinaceae or pine family of trees is a large and diverse tree family with more than 250 species that can grow up to 100 meters tall. It includes commercially popular tress such as firs, hemlocks, larches, pines, cedars, and spruces.
Cedar is native to the mountains of the Himalayas and the Mediterranean regions. They can grow up to 60 meters tall and have spicy-scented wood. The tree also has a thick bark and broad branches with fern-like leaves that are green.
Cedar has these classifications:
Deodar cedar
Lebanon or Turkish cedar
Cyprus cedar
Atlas cedar
Cedar trees are ornamental but they also have other uses. Cedar wood is suitable for both outdoor and indoor furniture. It is also used as a building material and as a lining for chests and closets because its scent acts as an insect repellent.
This same scent is given off by the oil that the cedar tree produces making products made from it decay and rot resistant. It is durable, stable, and is lightweight and cool. Cedar wood can also absorb moisture and deodorize so it is suitable for shoe trees.
Cedar oil has anti-seborrhoeic, antiseptic, antifungal, tonic, insecticide, sedative, and expectorant properties. It is used in the treatment of eczema, dandruff, acne, and itching.
Spruce is a tree that is native to temperate and taiga regions. They can also grow up to 60 meters tall and have needle-like leaves but have whorled branches. There are around 35 species of spruce and they have several uses.
One of its main uses is as paper. Its long fibers are suitable in the making of strong paper. As a building material, spruce wood is made into crates, wooden aircraft, and tone wood in musical instruments such as guitars, violins, cellos, and soundboard for pianos.
After logging, it is prone to decay and is suitable only for indoor use. It is edible, though, and its oil can be made into spruce beer; its needles can be made into tea and spruce tip syrup, and its sap can be made into gum.
Like the cedar, spruce is a popular ornamental tree. Its roots can be woven into baskets and are used to sew pieces of birch bark which are used for canoes.
Summary:
1.Cedar is a tree which is native to the Himalayas and the Mediterranean while spruce is a tree which is native to temperate and taiga regions.
2.Cedar wood is decay and rot resistant while spruce wood does not have this property.
3.Cedar wood is suitable for indoor and outdoor use while spruce is only suitable for indoor use.
4.Cedar has a distinct scent which acts as an insect repellent while spruce does not.
Spruce is edible, and parts of the tree can be made into tea, beer, syrup, and gum while cedar cannot be eaten.
5.Cedar has medicinal properties and is used to treat a variety of medical problems while spruce does not have medicinal properties.