Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Deciduous
Other Name: Juniper, Eastern Red Cedar
Red Cedar Fruit
Red Cedar Bark
Red Cedar Bark Close-up
Red Cedar Leaf
Leaves: Two types, either flat, triangular, opposite, and up to ⅛ inches long or short and needle-like, up to ¾ inch long.
Bark: Reddish-brown, splitting into long shred.
Twigs: Slender, brown
Flowers: Staminate and pistillate on different trees, the staminate in small, narrow yellowish spikes, the pistillate in small, ovoid, purplish clusters.
Fruits: Berry-like, spherical up to ¼ inches in diameter, dark blue with a whitish covering, with sweet flesh and 1-2 seeds.
Wood: Durable, light in weight, close-grained, red, fragrant.
Uses: Clothing chests, pencils, fence posts.
Habitat: Fields, dry woods, cliffs.
Growth Form: Medium tree, reaching heights of up to 90 feet, crown narrowly pyramidal or broad and rounded. Trunk reaches up to 3 feet in diameter. Red Cedars occur from Canada to Florida and west to Texas, and grow in fields, dry woods, and cliffs.
Distinguishing Feature: The two kinds of leaves readily distinguish this species.
Source: Mohlenbrock, Robert. Forest Trees of Illinois. Eighth Edition, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, 1996.