Even though the plant features may vary slightly from one species to another, you can identify a cedar tree by examining the various parts like leaves, bark, branching pattern, reproductive structures, and tree height. These are all softwoods, but with distinctive appearances. Cedar is slightly aromatic and has a straight grain. How to Identify Cedar Trees. After confirming if it is a wood, check the color if it is natural or stained. You should also ask the seller if the wood is stained, since staining wood masks its true color. The identification is done by using the basic taxonomic criteria for classification of trees. To identify a redwood tree, the size of the tree is usually the first indication, since redwoods are famously tall. If the wood isn't stained, teak will appear dark golden-brown to yellowish-white in color. Distinguishing the wood from various tree species can be a complex process, but for a woodworker simply wanting to tell common types of lumber apart, a few broad guidelines are all that are needed. Real woods tend to darken with age. Some woods turn into blond gray color while some tend to get redder. Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Australian Red Cedar has been reported to cause skin and respiratory irritation, as well as other effects, such as asthma-like symptoms, migraine, giddiness, bronchitis, and stomach cramps. As implied, the wood has a reddish tint and is relatively soft (1 on a scale of 1 to 4). Cedar: This species has a few varieties, one of which is the popular western red cedar. However, there are other characteristics unique to the sequoia redwood tree as well. Western red cedar is mostly used for furniture, decks, and building exteriors as this softwood work well in moist environments without rotting. Odor: Distinct, lingering, cedar-like scent when being worked. For those who regularly work with wood, a glance might … If you're looking for true cedars in the United States, you're not likely to find them, as they are mainly found in the Mediterranean. Three common types of lumber used in building are pine, Douglas fir and redwood. To identify teak wood, look for wood with a straight grain that looks like lines or streaks of a darker color. Visual identification for the color is a bit tedious because there are some wood types that stain as it ages.