I'm sure a cedar tree will last longer than a christmas tree but how much longer? Also, will the cedar tree produce different toxins than a christmas tree, And is it best to put it in dead and dry or does it matter.

brad i put a significant number of green cedars into my 8 acre lake several years ago and have no ill effects. I can still see some of them and seem to be holding up well. I cut and placed them around the edge of my pond and then drug each of them out with my john boat, tied wire around a large rock, and sank them all standing up. I used wire rather than twine or rope in hopes it would last longer. I placed each cedar just far enough out off of the bank to have the top of the tree be right below the surface. Fish love em!

Brad -- we have eastern red cedar around here. The small branches on this tree will last much longer than that of most Christmas trees.

Be sure to keep your trees submerged. The ones that decay (disappear) fastest are those that are exposed to air, submerged for a while, exposed again, etc.

Dave Willis

For your purposes, choose the wood easiest to obtain. Be artful in your design, and be sure to anchor piles in a way they won't move, or be anywhere other than under water. This type of cover definitely attracts fish, especially in shallow water. Avoid the deepest areas of your pond. No cover in deep water.

The decomposition of cedar trees depends on where they grew. Cedars from arid climates, that grow slowly, have lot of the red wood that decomposes slowly. Cedars like I have on my property have red centers, but the rest is white. To give you an idea, a 4" fence post from my cedar will last about 10 years. West Texas Cedar is supposed to last 20-25 yrs. Not sure about under water.

I don't know about the cedars, but I have been actively putting in Christmas each of the last 4 winters - not too many any one year. At about 3 years I am noticing the needles and smallest parts of these trees have decayed away but a decent skeleton still remains. However, when snagged they are pretty soft and break easily now. That may be good for retreiving lures, but I gotta think the trees will only have value for another year or two. Thus the continual replenishing each year. That might seem like a bit of a hassle, but they are free, convienient and readily available each year at exactly the time I like to put them in!