The stub pole in this photo is a cedar (juniper) post. These make good posts because they don't need to be treated and naturally resist decay when set in the ground. As you can see this post has been in the ground for 80 years and hasn't rotted off. Juniper was used because it is native to the area and readily available. The shrub to the right of this pole is a juniper, the same specie used for many stub poles.