Is cedar a hard wood

Cedar is a softwood. It is also a relatively low density, light and soft timber with a fairly open grain.

Softwood is a confusing term, because it actually refers to the species of tree rather than the density. Softwood tree species are conifers, and hardwoods are angiOSperms (flowering trees). There are softwood timbers that are dense and hard, such as yew, and hardwood timbers that are light and soft, such as balsa.