Cedar has been North America's outdoor lumber of choice for generations. It is widely available, reasonably priced, easy to work with, and genuinely resistant to decay. For most homeowners choosing deck lumber or raised bed material, cedar is the first serious option they encounter and often the last one they seriously consider.
Ipe represents a different proposition: harder, denser, longer-lasting, and dramatically more expensive. Choosing between them requires an honest accounting of priorities — not just cost, but the total value delivered over the life of a project, the work involved in installation, and the maintenance expectations across decades.
The Species in Context
Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) is a Pacific Northwest species harvested from old-growth and managed second-growth forests in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. It has been used for outdoor construction, boat building, and fence rails for over a century. Its natural oils — primarily thujaplicins — resist fungal decay and insect damage without any chemical treatment.
Ipe (Handroanthus impetiginosus) is a tropical hardwood from South American forests. It has been used in marine and outdoor construction in South America for centuries and entered the North American market significantly in the 1980s and 1990s as boardwalk and municipal deck applications demonstrated its exceptional longevity.
Both are natural, chemical-free options for outdoor use. That shared characteristic is where many of the similarities end.
Hardness and Durability
Cedar's Janka hardness score is approximately 350 lbf — similar to eastern white pine and at the lower end of the wood hardness scale. This is appropriate for many applications but means cedar dents, gouges, and develops surface wear marks more readily than denser species.
Ipe scores 3,510 lbf on the same scale — roughly ten times harder than cedar. The practical consequence of this difference appears everywhere: cedar deck boards develop visible scratching from furniture and pet claws within a season or two; ipe boards in the same environment show minimal surface marking after a decade.
For decay resistance, both species are genuinely effective. Cedar's thujaplicins resist the fungal species responsible for wood decay in most North American climates. Ipe's density and natural extractives resist both fungal decay and insect damage. In laboratory tests, cedar achieves USDA Forest Products Laboratory decay resistance Class II (moderately resistant). Ipe achieves Class I (very resistant), the highest available rating.
In practice, this difference becomes significant in high-moisture environments. In the Pacific Northwest, coastal New England, or the Gulf Coast, well-built cedar decks and raised beds last 10–20 years. In the same environments, ipe installations routinely exceed 40 years.
Weight and Workability
Cedar is one of the lightest commercial lumber species, weighing approximately 23 pounds per cubic foot. A 16-foot length of cedar 5/4x6 decking weighs roughly 12 pounds — easy to maneuver, position, and carry up stairs to a second-story deck.
Ipe weighs 68 pounds per cubic foot. The same 16-foot 5/4x6 board weighs approximately 35 pounds. On a full deck installation, this weight difference accumulates into a significant physical challenge. Two-person installation teams are the norm rather than the exception for ipe deck projects.
Workability follows the same pattern. Cedar cuts cleanly with standard carbide blades, accepts fasteners without pre-drilling, and can be shaped with basic tools. A weekend carpenter with a circular saw, drill, and impact driver can build a cedar deck comfortably. Ipe requires hardwood-specific blades, mandatory pre-drilling at every fastener location, and a higher tolerance for slower progress. The skills required are not exotic, but the margin for error is smaller and the tooling investment is higher.
Cost Comparison
Current pricing for decking lumber in most North American markets places cedar in the range of $2.50–$4.50 per linear foot for 5/4x6 material. Ipe runs $5.00–$9.00 per linear foot for equivalent dimensions, with FSC-certified material at the upper end of that range.
For a 400-square-foot deck (roughly 300 linear feet of 5/4x6 decking):
- Cedar: $750–$1,350 in decking lumber
- Ipe: $1,500–$2,700 in decking lumber
Over a 40-year period, cedar may require two to three rebuilds at equivalent cost. Ipe requires one installation. The 40-year lumber cost comparison often favors ipe, particularly when the labor cost of rebuilding is included.
Appearance Over Time
New cedar has a warm pink-brown color that many homeowners find attractive. Without treatment, cedar weathers to a light gray within two to three seasons — a pleasant color, but with more variation and surface texture development than ipe's weathered gray. Oiled cedar maintains its warm tone but requires annual application of a penetrating cedar oil or deck preservative.
Ipe weathers to a consistent silver-gray that is more uniform and refined in appearance than weathered cedar. The gray tones of weathered ipe have a cleaner, more architectural quality that works well in contemporary design contexts. Oiled ipe maintains rich chocolate brown tones.
Both species can be maintained with periodic oil applications and both weather attractively without intervention. Cedar's weathered surface is softer and more rustic; ipe's is harder and more architectural.
Application-by-Application Comparison
Decking
Ipe wins on durability and hardness. Cedar is a reasonable choice for budget-conscious projects and regions with moderate climate. For high-traffic decks, coastal environments, or any installation expected to last 30+ years, ipe is the better technical choice.
Raised Beds
Both species are safe for food gardening — neither requires chemical treatment. Cedar is the more practical choice for gardeners who expect to reconfigure or rebuild beds over time. Ipe is the better choice for permanent raised bed infrastructure, particularly for multi-course or elevated designs integrated into landscaping. The raised beds complete guide covers design considerations that affect material choice significantly.
Fencing and Privacy Structures
Cedar is the standard choice for fencing and performs adequately for 15–25 years in most climates. Ipe privacy fencing is less common because the cost is difficult to justify at fence scale, but ipe pergolas, shade structures, and decorative screen panels are well-suited to the material's hardness and longevity.
Furniture and Planters
Cedar planters are a reasonable choice for container gardening, as described in the container gardening for small spaces guide, particularly for seasonal or temporary installations. For permanent, high-quality planters expected to last decades, ipe's density and resistance to the constant moisture cycling of container gardening make it the superior choice.
The Honest Recommendation
Cedar is an excellent outdoor lumber that has earned its dominant market position through genuine performance. For most homeowners building a deck or raised bed for the first time, cedar represents a very good value — durable enough, beautiful, and easy to work with.
Ipe is the choice for builders who want to install once and move on. Its higher upfront cost, greater installation difficulty, and sourcing complexity are real trade-offs. But for permanent garden infrastructure in demanding climates, ipe delivers a level of performance that cedar genuinely cannot match.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cedar and ipe be mixed in the same project?
Structurally, yes. Some builders use ipe for the visible decking surface while framing with pressure-treated pine or cedar below. This reduces cost while maintaining the durability advantage where it matters most — on the surface exposed to traffic and weathering. Aesthetically, mixing the two species on visible surfaces is more difficult to manage because their weathering rates and colors diverge significantly.
Which species is better for a humid subtropical climate?
Ipe. In high-humidity, high-rainfall climates with warm temperatures — conditions that accelerate fungal decay in most wood species — ipe's Class I decay resistance and extreme density provide meaningful advantages over cedar. Cedar in humid subtropical conditions can fail in as few as 7–10 years in direct soil contact. Ipe in the same conditions may last 30–40 years without degradation.
Is cedar easier to stain or paint than ipe?
Significantly easier. Cedar's open grain and lower density allow stains and paints to penetrate readily. Ipe's oily surface resists film-forming finishes to the point where painting is not a practical option and staining is limited to penetrating oil products. If color customization is important, cedar is the more flexible choice.
How does cedar smell compared to ipe?
Cedar has a distinctive, pleasant aromatic quality from its natural oils — many people find it appealing. Ipe has a mild earthy smell that dissipates within weeks of installation. Neither produces problematic odor in outdoor applications.
Which wood holds fasteners better over time?
Ipe holds fasteners better in the long term because the dense wood resists the cell compression and fiber pullout that causes fastener loosening in softer species. Cedar — particularly after weathering — can develop checking around fastener holes that reduces holding power. Properly installed ipe fasteners, particularly hidden deck clips, maintain their holding strength for the life of the installation.