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Port Orford cedar

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana

Also sold as Lawson's cypress, Oregon cedar, POC

Port Orford cedar (Lawson cypress) tree in a botanical garden
Port Orford cedar (Lawson cypress) tree in a botanical garden · Photo: John Rusk from Berkeley, CA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0 · Source

Overview

An elite Pacific North-West cypress: straight, strong for its weight, light-coloured, durable and aromatic. It is best known for guitar soundboards, arrow shafts and boatbuilding. Demand outruns supply, so it is expensive for a domestic softwood, and much of the log harvest is exported (Wood Database).

Pros

  • Strong for its weight, with very straight grain.
  • Durable to very durable and resistant to most insects (Wood Database).
  • Easy to work; stains, glues and finishes well.
  • Clean, light colour.

Cons

  • Supply is limited and prices are very high for a domestic softwood (Wood Database).
  • Sawdust irritant: the Wood Database reports kidney problems with prolonged, repeated inhalation.
  • Restricted by a root-rot disease (Phytophthora lateralis) in the tree's range.

Variants and subspecies

  • Lawson's cypress is the alternative common name (Wood Database).
  • Used alongside Alaska yellow cedar and Western red cedar for outdoor and instrument work.
  • Quartersawn instrument grades cost the most.

Working and finishing

Plane, saw and carve easily with sharp tools. Wear a dust mask or respirator, and use extraction: the Wood Database notes that workers wear masks because of the risk from prolonged inhalation. Glues and finishes without difficulty.

Staining and finishing colour

Light, even colour that is usually kept natural. It takes stain and clear finishes well, and darkens slowly with light exposure.

Sustainability and handling

Not CITES-listed (Wood Database; checked 2026-09-30). Conservation status is disputed: the Wood Database page says Vulnerable, citing a population decline of over 20 percent in three generations, while Wikipedia's IUCN-based infobox lists Near Threatened (both checked 2026-09-30). The Wood Database reports skin irritation, runny nose and asthma-like symptoms and that sawdust can affect the kidneys with prolonged inhalation; use a respirator.

Soundboards and instrument parts, arrow shafts, boats, chests and boxes, interior panelling and decking.

Buying notes

Mostly special-order. Hearne Hardwoods listed 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4 common and select-and-better stock at $20-30 per bf (accessed 2026-09). Quartersawn instrument billets cost more. Because logs are exported, ask a mill about current supply.

Typical projects

  • guitar soundboards
  • arrow shafts
  • boatbuilding
  • chests and boxes
  • interior millwork
  • decking

Sources

Researched 2026-09-30. Prices, conservation status and CITES listings on this page are indicative and were checked on that date. They change: confirm them with your supplier, and with the relevant authority before importing or exporting.

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