Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginana
This tree is found mostly in Eastern North America. This tree is a slow-growing, coniferous evergreen. Although it is called "red cedar" it is actually a juniper.
Juniperus virginana
This tree is found mostly in Eastern North America. This tree is a slow-growing, coniferous evergreen. Although it is called "red cedar" it is actually a juniper.
About the Eastern Red Cedar
http://www.allenbytree.com/month_7.htm |
|
In depth...
Crown
-Shape: columnar, oval, pyramidal
-Growth Rate: fast
-Texture: fine
Foliage
-Leaf Arrangement: opposite/subopposite; whorled
-Leaf Type: simple
-Leaf Margin: entire; terminal spine
-Leaf Shape: awl-like; scale-like
-Leaf Venation: none/very little
-Leaf Color: green, with no fall change
Flower
-Color: green/yellow
-Characteristics: not showy
Fruit
-produced by females
-Characteristics: round, very small berries, fleshy, attract birds, not showy, persistent
-Colors: blue/purple
Trunk/Bark/Branches
-Characteristics: Requires pruning, showy trunk, no thorns, thin twigs
-Twig Color: brown/green
www.forestry.ok.gov/websites/forestry/images/trees.easternredcedar.pdf
http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/juvi.html
-Shape: columnar, oval, pyramidal
-Growth Rate: fast
-Texture: fine
Foliage
-Leaf Arrangement: opposite/subopposite; whorled
-Leaf Type: simple
-Leaf Margin: entire; terminal spine
-Leaf Shape: awl-like; scale-like
-Leaf Venation: none/very little
-Leaf Color: green, with no fall change
Flower
-Color: green/yellow
-Characteristics: not showy
Fruit
-produced by females
-Characteristics: round, very small berries, fleshy, attract birds, not showy, persistent
-Colors: blue/purple
Trunk/Bark/Branches
-Characteristics: Requires pruning, showy trunk, no thorns, thin twigs
-Twig Color: brown/green
www.forestry.ok.gov/websites/forestry/images/trees.easternredcedar.pdf
http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/juvi.html
Ethnobotany
The Eastern Red Cedar has many different uses. Perhaps one of the most common uses is as a building material. The tree is very appealing to the eye so it is used in home furniture quite often. The wood is also very workable so it is used for pencils, bedding, paneling and fenceposts. The oil of this juniper contains cedrol, and the cones are used to flavor gin and used as kidney medicine. Many years ago, Native American tribes used the wood to mark hunting territories, and during the Dust Bowl Drought, in the 1930s, these trees were planted as windbreakers due to their durability.
Other uses of cedar other than for working with are as an insect repellent. Sometimes shavings of cedar are put into closets to repel moths. Eastern Red Cedar is also used as Christmas trees during the holidays. The Eastern Red Cedar is especially useful for buffer strips around lots and around residential housing. This tree is great for landscaping at seaside locations due to its high-salt tolerance. It's a suitable candidate as a street tree and provides a large amount of shade. The Eastern Red Cedar is incredibly durable and tolerant, making it perfect for many different uses.
Other uses of cedar other than for working with are as an insect repellent. Sometimes shavings of cedar are put into closets to repel moths. Eastern Red Cedar is also used as Christmas trees during the holidays. The Eastern Red Cedar is especially useful for buffer strips around lots and around residential housing. This tree is great for landscaping at seaside locations due to its high-salt tolerance. It's a suitable candidate as a street tree and provides a large amount of shade. The Eastern Red Cedar is incredibly durable and tolerant, making it perfect for many different uses.
Current Research
The Eastern Red Cedar grows mostly on the eastern half of the US. It grows from 16 to 66 feet tall. The oldest cedar ever is growing in Missouri and it has reached an age of 795 years old. The bark is a reddish brown color and peels off in thin strips. Some of the main places that these trees grow are states like Maine, North Dakota, Florida and Texas. These trees are at a very low risk for extinction and thrive in many places.
creative essay
I hate cedar. Strong statement isn’t it? Well that’s cause I really do. Why do I hate cedar you ask? Let me tell you a little story. I have a fence around my house and let me tell you it was not easily acquired. I had to build them and had to turn a tall darkly barked tree into wood I could use for the fence. I had to chop and chop and chop the trees down one by one and then cut them into pieces that I could use for this fence. My dad wanted me to use this wood because it is “attractive” to people. What does that even mean? Oh well I had to do it anyways so I kept chopping and cutting and finally after about a month of hard work I finally got that fence finished and it really did look attractive.
apa/sources used
Conifer Specialist Group (1998). Juniperus virginiana. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.