When it comes to making a mulch selection, you want to make the best choice. One of the comparisons that you might be considering is Western Red Cedar vs. Grade A Cypress. Both are quality products. However, there are some key differences that we’ll point out so that you can ultimately make the best selection for your property. Ceder Vs. Cypress has been a long-discussed topic.
Cedar Mulch
This reddish mulch is known for having a pleasant woodsy aroma. It is a long-lasting mulch due to its natural resistance to decay. One of the benefits of using a lighter-colored mulch like cedar is that it will help reflect the sun (as opposed to absorbing it as dark-colored mulches will do).
Cypress Mulch
Cypress mulch is an orangish or golden-brown mulch that is also naturally resistant to decay. Being another light-colored mulch, it does a good job of reflecting the sun. Like cedar, cypress mulch has a nice aromatic smell that people like.
Comparing Cedar vs. Cypress
Side-by-side, the truth is, a lot of people cannot tell these two mulches apart. Cedar is a little redder whereas cypress is a little more orangish-brown, but overall, they do have a similar appearance.
They are also similar in the fact that they are long-lasting. Assuming you purchase a high-quality mulch, both will hold up well (including their color). If you take care of your mulch by fluffing it up once or twice a year for some aeration, it will last even longer.
However, the biggest difference between these two products is price and availability. Cedar is readily available right now and that’s helped keep the price in check. However, cypress has been less available in recent seasons and that’s made the price point higher. One reason for this could be that cedar trees are being replanted at a faster rate. It can take about 100 years for a cypress tree to mature.
This has also led to some cypress mulch production using immature cypress trees in the form of bark chips. However, this is an inferior product. Mulch made from immature trees is thinner and does not have the rot-resistance of mulch made from mature trees.
In addition, it’s also worth noting that both the cedar and cypress mulch products sold at big box stores may contain filler. A lot of people don’t realize that all mulches are not created equally. In a worst-case scenario, some poor-quality mulches have been known to contain ground-up pallets or even dead plant material. This is problematic as mulch made from plant material that was killed by disease could introduce that same disease into your landscape!
This behooves the importance of finding a mulch supplier that you can count on to only offer the best and help you determine cedar vs cypress.
Debunking a Myth
One fallacy that we occasionally hear is that people choose cedar or cypress mulch because it repels termites. But this isn’t exactly true. In terms of what termites might prefer, cedar and cypress don’t top the list. However, termites are opportunistic feeders meaning they might choose another wood product first, but they’ll eventually also feed on cedar and cypress.
Termites feed on wood but what they’re really after is the cellulose from which wood is made—and that cellulose is present in cedar and cypress (as it is in other wood products). That means termites will let go of their preferences if it means finding what they want!
Making a Wise Choice
In the end, when it comes to choosing a mulch, there is a lot of personal preference involved. While we think the availability and price point for cedar might make it a better choice at this time, we understand that there are certain customers that really love cypress mulch. We’re here to accommodate your wants and needs while also guiding you with information that can help in that selection process.
The best news is that no matter what mulch type you use, as long as you are choosing a quality product, you are going to get great results.
At Nature’s Mulch we only carry top-quality products so that you really can’t make a bad choice. Our goal is to provide a great product at a fair price—and we’re always here to answer your questions. Should you need any guidance in choosing cedar vs cypress, you can count on us.
Termites feed on wood but what they’re really after is the cellulose from which wood is made—and that cellulose is present in cedar and cypress (as it is in other wood products). That means termites will let go of their preferences if it means finding what they want!