Eastern Red Cedar Seedling Plugs

(a.k.a Eastern Redcedar)
(Juniperus virginiana)

The Eastern Red Cedar is a very dense, columnar ornamental that is excellent as a windbreak or privacy screen. It is actually not a true Cedar, but rather a Juniper...somewhere in the past, the name just stuck.

Eastern Red Cedar are not particularly fast growers, but reach heights of 40 feet, resulting in dense and rot resistant wood which is is famously used in cedar chests, cedar closets and outdoor applications such as fencing. It's root system is very dense, making it a perfect tree for erosion control. Eastern Red Cedar is excellent for developing wildlife habitat on your property, offering birds cover for nesting, and berries as a food source during stressful winters. This evergreen grows as far south as Texas and Florida, and as far west as Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas.

Interestingly, Eastern Red Cedar are a mixture of male and female, with the females producing miniscule flowers and blue berries, and the males producing what look like pine cones [but are actually pollen-producing structures]. It is impossible to determine male vs. female until they reach maturity and produce the telltale signs. Although the females must be pollenated to produce the seed-bearing fruit, there are enough cedars throughout the US that even an isolated female should bear fruit, since pollen can remain airborn for many many miles.

Pictures of mature Eastern Red Cedar

These pictures are for general identification and description only. As your trees reach maturity, they may vary slightly in size, color, and general appearance.