Cedar, Eastern Red, Bare Root

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Eastern Red Cedar is a hardy, native evergreen known for its dense foliage, reddish-brown bark, and aromatic wood. This tree is highly adaptable, thriving in various soil types and environmental conditions, making it valuable for windbreaks, privacy screens, and erosion control. Eastern Red Cedar provides food and shelter for wildlife, producing blue, berry-like cones that attract birds and a dense structure that offers excellent nesting sites. With its multi-season appeal and resilience, this cedar is perfect for native plantings, wildlife gardens, and large landscapes.

Key Characteristics

• Wildlife Habitat and Food Source: Eastern Red Cedar’s blue, berry-like cones mature in fall and are an essential food source for birds, including cedar waxwings and robins. The dense foliage also provides shelter and nesting sites for birds and small mammals, making it a valuable addition to wildlife-focused landscapes.

• Year-Round Privacy and Windbreak: This cedar’s evergreen foliage offers year-round privacy and makes it a great choice for windbreaks and natural screens. Its dense, upright form is effective at blocking wind and providing visual coverage in all seasons.

• Aromatic, Rot-Resistant Wood: The reddish wood of Eastern Red Cedar is prized for its pleasant aroma and natural rot resistance, making it highly valued for cedar chests, fence posts, and other woodworking projects. This tree can add economic and practical value to larger landscapes.

• Adaptable and Drought-Tolerant: Eastern Red Cedar is extremely adaptable, thriving in various soils including dry, rocky, and sandy soils. It is also drought-tolerant once established, making it suitable for tough planting sites with poor soil or limited water.

• Effective Erosion Control: With a fibrous root system, Eastern Red Cedar stabilizes soil, making it ideal for planting on slopes, hillsides, and other erosion-prone areas. This tree’s deep root system also helps improve soil structure over time.

Product Details

• Native Range: Eastern and Central North America
• Plant Life Cycle: Evergreen tree
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to part shade
• Soil Requirements: Prefers well-drained soils; tolerates dry, rocky, sandy, and slightly acidic soils
• Mature Height: 30-50 feet
• Needle Color: Blue-green
• Growth Rate: Moderate
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9

Eastern Red Cedar is a versatile, hardy tree that provides year-round beauty, wildlife support, and landscape functionality, making it ideal for privacy screens, windbreaks, and naturalized plantings.