Known as Cunninghamia, it
is sometimes called “China-fir” or “Chinese Cedar”, but
it is neither a fir nor a cedar. Its name derives from
its similarity to Western Red Cedar, which, by the way,
is also not a true cedar.
In order to clear this up,
you need to understand the scientific classifications of
the species.
True
Cedar
Western Red Cedar
China Fir/China Cedar
Kingdom:
Plantae
Plantae
Plantae
Division:
Pinophyta
Pinophyta
Pinophyta
Class:
Pinospsida
Pinospsida
Pinospsida
Order:
Pinales
Pinales
Pinales
Family:
Pinaceae
Cupressaceae
Cupressaceae
Genus:
Cedrus
Thuja
Cunninghamia/Cryptomeria
Specie:
Deodara
Plicata
Lancelota/Fortunei
True Cedar belongs
to the genus Cedrus in the coniferous
plant family Pinaceae which is found in the mountains
of western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region.
China
Fir and Western Red Cedar, on the other hand, are actually
both members of the Cypress family Cupressaceae. Western
Red Cedar’s genus is Thuja Plicata, native to the
northwestern United States and southwest Canada. China
Fir is in the genus Cunninghamia which is one or two
types of evergreen coniferous trees that are native to
China, Taiwan, and northern Vietnam.
China Fir has
a reputation for producing naturally durable
heartwood. As a result, this material is being
imported into the United States for use as decorative
exterior applications where durability is desired. China
fir is also classified as highly resistant to fungal
attack, a classification that is similar to that given
to its cousin, the western red cedar. Cunninghamia
is largely plantation grown and greatly contributes to
China’s number 1 ranking in the world for plantation
forest area.
