Plant Information Center - NC Trees - Eastern Red Cedar

/Home/Garden Basics/Trees/Types of Trees/Cedar Trees/Red Cedar Trees/Eastern Red Cedar Trees

Eastern Red Cedar

(Juniperus virginiana L.)


Eastern red cedar, a very valuable tree, is found in all classes and conditions of soils -- from acidic wetlands to dry, rocky nidges. It seems to thrive on barren soils where few other trees are found. Eastern red cedar is scattered throughout the state, except in the highmountains. It is most commonly found in the Piedmont.

The mature leaves average 1/16 inches in length and are opposite. They are smooth, shiny, dark green and glandular. On young foliage, leaves are somewhat needle-like: linear; pointed; and prickly. They occur in whorls of three. The fleshy fruit is round, 1/4 to 1/3 inch in diameter and, at maturity, a bluish color with a grayish-white, waxy covering.

The tree commonly is 40 to 50 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 1 to 2 feet, but it may grow much larger. The short, slender branches form a compact, pyramidal crown, except on very old trees.

The bark is light reddish-brown. It is thin and separates into long, peeling, fibrous strips. The heartwood of the Eastern red cedar is distinctly red, and the sapwood is white. This color combination creates striking effects when the wood is finished as cedar chests, closets and interior woodwork. Red cedar wood is aromatic, soft, strong and evenly textured; these qualities make it the best material for pencils. The heartwood is very resistant to decay. It is in great demand for use in fence posts, poles and rustic furniture. Because red cedar repels insects, it is used for cedar chests, closet linings and petbedding.

Red cedar can cause havoc in apple orchards. The "cedar apples" often found on the twigs of the red cedar are caused by a rust fungus (Gymnosporangium. juniperi - virginianae) that has an alternate host in apple trees. The fungus causes dark leaf spots on apple trees.

About the Plant Information Center Project

The Plant Information Center is a partnership of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, UNC Herbarium, the UNC School of Information and Library Science, the McDougle Middle School, and the Orange County Public Library. The current phase is funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services from October 1999 to September 2001 (see grant proposal for details). Through the project a web based center is being developed that links digital images of herbarium specimens, associated data, outreach programs of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, the data base and web site expertise of the School of Information and Library Science, with a unique library that is a shared facility of Orange County Public Library and McDougle Middle School. Central to the project is the development and employment of a series of applications that facilitate resource discovery, interactive learning, and contributory opportunities within the PIC system. Initial testing of PIC is through sixth-grade science curriculum activities involving plant identification and classification. On a larger scale, PIC promotes the flow of scientific information to researchers, amateur botanists, students (elementary through higher education), and other communities interested in botanical science.

Contact Information

School of Information and Library Science
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
216 Lenoir Drive
CB#3360, 100 Manning Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3360
Phone: (919) 962-8366
Fax: (919) 962-8071
Email: info@ils.unc.edu