Plant · GBIF taxon 2684391
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginianaAlso known as Red Cedar, Virginian Juniper, Eastern Juniper, Red Juniper
Eastern red cedar thrives as a pioneer conifer across eastern North America, frequently colonizing abandoned pastures, limestone glades, and rocky fence rows. Its dense, aromatic evergreen foliage provides critical winter shelter for roosting birds, while its fleshy, dark blue cones offer essential winter food for cedar waxwings and robins. Heartwood from old specimens produces a rich, decay-resistant reddish timber prized for chest linings, fence posts, and pencil manufacturing.
EvergreenConiferAromatic
1 / 7—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
- Cedar Waxwing
- American Robin
- Bagworm Caterpillar
ThreatsFire suppression leading to unchecked spread, cedar-apple rust fungus
HabitatsOld fields, pastures, limestone glades, rocky slopes, forest edges
Life span100–300 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderPinales
- FamilyCupressaceae
- GenusJuniperus
- SpeciesJuniperus virginiana
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Releases heavy airborne pollen in winter and spring; wild berries have toxic look-alikes, so never ingest.
Responsible observation
- Pollen Awareness: Check regional pollen counts during late winter and early spring if sensitive to conifer pollen.
- Wildlife Viewing: Search dense branches during cold winter days to spot roosting owls and flocks of foraging songbirds.
- Identification: Look for scale-like green leaves paired with small, frosted blue cones on female trees.
Look-Alike (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman · cc-by-sa
Seed Disperser (c) Christian Back, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christian Back · cc-by
Close Relative (c) John Powers, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Ddal at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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