Sometimes, I think of the cedar Christmas trees my family enjoyed when I was a kid living on a farm in south Alabama. They were the only trees in the area that had a suitable conical shape and pleasant evergreen smell. Trees were chosen for best size and shape where they grew, scattered along country roads, along fence lines, and in nearby timber land. In an effort to keep the trees looking and smelling fresh at Christmas, we usually waited until about two weeks before Christmas to cut and bring them home. Even then, trees dried so much that removing them would leave a trail of prickly leaves (we called them needles) on the carpet that were very stubborn to remove. Setting up the natural, untrimmed trees involved positioning imperfect areas out 
of sight, if possible. Thin, flimsy branches often would not support ornaments we wanted. Decorated trees were never very stable, despite the ingenious tree stand designs my father tried. Today, most homes use artificial trees and pre-cut, non-native trees at Christmas. However, I think the cedar trees we used when I was a kid gave us a more memorable experience.
Interestingly, what many simply call a cedar in North America (as I did above) is actually a juniper in the cypress family, Juniperus virginiana, family Cupressaceae. Trees in this family have small, scale-like leaves that wrap tightly around the stem, and sometimes there 
are also juvenile leaves that are longer, spiny and needle-like. This is unlike the true cedars that settlers knew in the old world having long, straight needles, but both trees are coniferous evergreens and similarities led to naming errors. Today, to distinguish what is known as the cedar or red cedar that is native to North America from true cedars, the name redcedar is used without a space in the name. However, the common names cedar, red cedar, pencil cedar, and aromatic cedar persist. Other, more appropriate names include eastern redcedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, and red juniper.
The eastern redcedar is the most widely encountered coniferous evergreen in the 
Eastern United States. It grows best in full sun and moist but not wet soil, and is tolerant of dry conditions. It likes deep, well-drained sites such as abandoned farmland, and is often found in thin, rocky soils and in rock outcrops and fissures. High calcium content of leaves can increase alkalinity of surrounding soil, but the tree is not particularly fond of alkalinity. The tree’s adaptability to a wide range of soils and climate conditions helps its proliferation, and were it not for its slow rate of growth this useful tree would be much more common.
Eastern redcedar trees may live over 450 years, with heights of over 120 feet and trunk diameter of over 4 feet. However, trees on good sites reach heights of only 50 to 60 feet in 
50 years, discouraging use as timber. Younger eastern redcedar trees typically have branches growing up and out at a sharp angle, forming a narrowly conical shape. Older trees usually have more broadly spreading branches, making the shape more broadly conical. Of trees the same age, male trees tend to be taller and those growing in shade grow slower and appear thinner and irregular.
Trunk and limbs of the eastern redcedar have a thin, reddish-brown bark that peels in long, fibrous strips. Older trunks appear bare and gray. Because the wood is a softwood and is relatively weak, trees may at times be observed damaged by winds and ice storms. The tree shown here was damaged by a 10-
inch snow and ice storm. Leaves of the eastern redcedar are pale green, 1/16 to 3/16 inches long, and they are arranged in opposite pairs on the stems. These leaves wrap tightly around the stems, and overlap so that they appear scale-like. On very young trees and occasionally on shady areas of older trees, there are also longer and spreading juvenile leaves that are 3/16 to 3/8 inches long, spiny and needle-like. The tree’s fibrous, peeling trunk and twigs wrapped in leaves give it an interesting appearance.
Reproduction of eastern redcedars begins at about 10 years. Male trees produce staminate conelets that are about 1/8 inches long at the tips of branches, and these conelets turn yellowish brown during the winter. The pictures shown of male and female cones were made in January. In late February to early spring, the staminate conelets split longitudinally to discharge pollen. On female trees, pale green ovulate conelets that are about 1/4 inches long develop at the tips of branches by late summer. The ovules in these conelets are pollinated in late February to early spring by grains of pollen which lodge in 
small openings in the ovule, after which the ovule closes. Fertilization occurs in June, and as embryos develop over a 2 to 6-month period, greenish scales appear creating an outer protective coat on the ovulate cone. This cone appears more like a berry than a cone, and develops a powdery blue color. Each ovulate cone contains one to four or more seeds, and each of these seeds has a seed coat with a thick and hard outer layer and a thin, membranous inner layer. Seeds remain in the ovulate cones until spring, unless eaten and dispersed earlier by birds and other animals. Seed germination is aided by the acidic environment of digestive tracts, and this contributes to the number of redcedars found along fences where birds roost.
The eastern redcedar is a very useful tree. Native Americans used the tree to help treat conditions such as coughs, colds, TB, mouth sores, infections, warts, worms, aches, pains and stiffness, arthritis and rheumatism, oily skin, and to calm nerves and relieve headaches. They used the “berry” to flavor meat and other food dishes. The fibrous bark was used to make items such as baskets. More modern uses include use as Christmas trees, as wind breaks in fields, in landscaping, and as rot-resistant fence posts. The heartwood is used to make a red dye. Aromatic wood chips, shavings and sawdust can be used to keep termites, moths and other insects away. Cedarwood oil has use in compounding fragrances. The wood is used to make beautiful cedar chests and other items. The wood is excellent to make wooden pencils, but such use is now limited due to supply problems. Because trees grow so slowly, eastern redcedar trees are now primarily used for rot-resistant fence posts.
Juniperus virginiana has had important uses, but harvesting of trees to satisfy demand has depleted supplies. Growth of this tree should be encouraged, and enjoyed.
I give below an ad for cedar hangers for use in closets, to repel moths and other insects. This and similar items are available for purchase here through my participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Any purchase through this link helps maintain this website and is appreciated.
