Spanish Cedar is a very prolific species. It grows almost everywhere in Central America and South America, which explains why the tree is known by such a wide variety of names, such as: Brazilian cedar, British Guiana cedar, Peruvian cedar, Mexican cedar, etc.

Experts say it may have earned the name cedar because of its very distinctive fragrance, which comes from the tree's volatile oils. This same fragrance accounts for its long-standing popularity as a choice wood for lining cigar humidors, cigar boxes and cigar wrappers.

Applications for the wood are diverse and include: high-end cabinetry and furniture, clothing chests, interior joinery, paneling, patterns, lead pencils, boat building, canoe decks and musical instrument parts such as sound boards for organs. The wood is also used to make racing boats and flooring. It can be sliced or rotary cut into fine veneers.

It is not truly a cedar, in fact Spanish cedar is a deciduous tree. They are prized for their straight and cylindrical boles which are clear for 40 to 60 feet.

The Amazon Indians use the very tall Spanish cedar trees to carve their canoes. The wooden structures made from this tree survived hundreds of centuries. Spanish cedar will vary in color depending on the origin and soil conditions. Generally it has a pinkish to red-colored heartwood when first cut which darkens with exposure to either a red-brown or red-purple tone. The sapwood is pink or white. Spanish cedar trees yield rot-resistant timber is also impervious to termites and almost all other types of insects, making it a wood hardy enough for all sorts of outdoor conditions.

It is usually straight grained but can be interlocked. It has a fine and uniform texture but can be coarse and uneven. Moderately good steam bending qualities. Dries rapidly with minor warping and slight checking. Works well and easily with hand and machine tools. Experts recommend sharp cutting edges to avoid woolliness. Good nailing and gluing properties. Stains and finishes well, though innate oils can be a problem in finishing.