eastern red cedar

Eastern Red-Cedar – Plant

LATIN NAME
Juniperus virginiana

LONGEVITY
Perennial

SEASON
Evergreen

ORIGIN
Native

DETAILS:

  • Flowers March to May, with the fruit ripening September to December.
  • Grows in all types of soils, on hilltops or in swamps.
  • This juniper has become a major brush problem in Oklahoma and is quickly becoming a problem in the eastern part of the Texas Panhandle.
  • Suffers greatly from fire. Prescribed burning is a valuable brush management tool if used before the plant exceeds 4-feet in height.
  • The wood from this tree is used for novelties, posts, woodenware, paneling, closets, chests, and pencils. The aromatic character of the wood is considered a good insect repellent.
  • The extract of cedar oil has various commercial uses.
  • Fruit is eaten by at least 20 species of birds and opossum. Mockingbirds, in particular, like this fruit and will spread the seed over a large area.

QUALITY TRAITS