Many fence builders Oklahoma have resorted to finding cheaper alternatives, such as “Japanese Cedar” (which isn’t cedar at all) and something they are calling “Native Cedar”. Native Cedar is milled from the North American Cedar trees that you see daily around Oklahoma and most of the United States. Its smell is pleasant; however, it is NOT recommended for outdoor construction due to warping, splitting, and cupping issues. These issues also apply to Japanese Cedar. Japanese Cedar is imported from Japan and generally smells like ant poison. This is because all imported wood to North America (from overseas) must be fumigated before it can legally be imported. These laws protect North America from non-native, invasive species like beetles and woodworms. Be careful with these substitutes, as they are generally low quality, very thin, and have a very short lifespan.