Juniperus virginiana #3 (Eastern Red Cedar)

Eastern Red Cedar is a rugged, durable, medium-sized native evergreen tree, usually with a single trunk and a densely pyramidal growth habit. They are dioecious trees, with females producing the “berries” (actually cones) which are an important and popular winter food for at least 54 species* of birds, as well as other small mammals. The cones of Juniperus spp. are so beloved by Cedar Waxwings that they were named for them! The dense cover of the foliage provides much needed shelter and nesting sites for many wild creatures, and is often a preferred roosting spot for Great Horned Owls. It also supports at least 43 species** of Lepidoptera.

This tree is adaptable to most site conditions, thriving on poor, dry soils and tolerating urban air pollution, areas prone to road salt runoff, deer pressure and windy locations. William Cullina writes that this tree is “as close to fool-proof as a living plant can be (just remember “green side up,” and they should be okay).” They are very useful for screening, hedging, windbreaks, shelterbelts, and easy-going specimen plants.

Juniperus spp. are the alternate host for Cedar-Apple Rust  and it is best not to plant them near Apple, Crabapple or Hawthorn trees.

Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants by Michael A. Dirr
**Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
*Gardening for the Birds by George Adams
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers
Grow Native! Salt-Tolerant Native Plants