Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Identification

The Eastern Red Cedar is an evergreen with scaly leaves and reddish-brown bark that grows in strips. The Eastern Red Cedar is dioecious, meaning that an individual plant typically produces either male or female cones. Male cones are small and have a dull mustard yellow color while female cones are larger and rounder. Pollinated cones turn from green to blue-gray and resemble berries.

Examples:

Leaves of the Eastern Red Cedar.

NPS Photo/ W. Kaselow

Male Pollen Cones of the Eastern Red Cedar.

NPS Photo/ W. Kaselow

Female flower cones of the Eastern Red Cedar.

NPS Photo/ W. Kaselow

Female seed cone of the Eastern Red Cedar.

Ellen G Denny via Smug Mug CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Pollinated female seed cones of the Eastern Red Cedar.

Ellen G Denny via Smug Mug CC BY-NC-SA 4.0