Cupressaceae - Cypress Family
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 23
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Eastern red cedar is actually not a cedar. It is a juniper. The red cedar is the most common native conifer in the Eastern United States. Its seeds are spread by cedar waxwings and other birds that eat the blue seed cones. The berries are so blue!
Spring
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| Juniperus virginiana |
The small pink flowers on the Red Cedar will turn into a blue berry-like cone.
This next image is a Red Cedar tree with a Rust Gall. These are quite interesting. These do not harm the Cedar tree; yet they are cause much havoc to apple and crab apple trees.
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| Cedar Apple Rust |
These trees are so important to the birds in the winter. The berry-like cones provide food during the winter months. Cedar waxwings, American Robin, Northern Bobwhite, Turkey, Starling, Mourning Dove, Northern Mockingbird, Purple Finch, American Crow, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, and the Eastern Bluebird all eat the berry-like cones of this tree. If you want birds to come visit where you live, plant these trees and enjoy.
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| Eastern Red Cedar - Juniperus virginiana |
The Red Cedar is important to wildlife, it is beautiful, and it lives a very long time (400 plus years). The berries (cones) on this tree are colorful and used in herbal medicine as well as providing food for birds. The bark is colorful, interesting, and smells wonderful.
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| This Juniperus virginiana tree is filled with blue berry-like female cones. |
Fall
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| Juniperus virginiana in September in Arkansas |
Winter
I took these winter images today, the evergreen foliage stays on the cedar tree all winter long. This Eastern Red Cedar lives at Priddy Woods, and is my favorite Cedar tree. It faces the sunset and just shines with light through its boughs every evening. I am grateful for the peace I always feel when I watch the sunset through the branches where he light is caught in each little green whorled stem.
For the love of the trees,Becky
