Prb'ly the nearby tree. Doubt cutting that out would hurt anything.

It could very well be a root from the cedar. Tree roots can spread out horizontally a considerable distance, typically roughly associated with the height of the tree. The larger the tree, the farther the root system extends.

Regardless of what tree it comes from, removal is not an issue. It is not a major root in any case and trees can live quite well with as much as 1/3 of their root system removed.

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 After years of watching my gardener bungle the installation of bases that hold hundreds of pounds of weight, I learned a little construction science. Definitely, this base was overkill for 400 pounds, but it will hold for 10 years.

My worker is very diligent and I will photograph a dinosaur bone if we find one.

@gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9) @bengz6westmd That's reassuring. That root's days are numbered.

I agree with Ken--ID by scratch and sniff. :)

@ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5 And no, we are not pouring concrete. I usually used crushed 3/4 and 1/4 inch rocks, tampered down and protected from mixing with mud by landscape cloth. On top of that, I add a 1/4 inch rock layer as a bedding layer for a very large and heavy paver. For large pots and statues that seems to be sufficient.

I know professionals doing something like a footing for a trellis, or a stone wall, generally prefer the base to be concrete.

@Fori When I cut into the root, I was unable to detect much of an odor.