NAME:
COMMON – Eastern Red Cedar
BOTANICAL – Juniperus virginiana
FAMILY – Cupressaceae

DERIVATION:
Native to North America and grows from Maine south to Florida and west to South Dakota and Texas.

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS:
Mature height is 30 to 40 feet with a width of 10 to 20 feet.

LOCATION:
Tolerates a variety of soils and growing conditions from swamps to dry rocky ground, is drought resistant and salt tolerant. It has the best drought resistance of any conifer native to the eastern United States.

ATTRIBUTES, VALUE, UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS:
Easy to transplant and tough, it can grow in disturbed soils that few other trees can live in. Has blue-green overlapping scaly leaves and produces round blue cones called “Juniper berries” that are beloved by Cedar Waxwings and other birds. The heartwood is reddish brown and highly aromatic which repels insects and is naturally rot resistant which makes it useful for cedar chests, pet bedding, and fence posts.

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