Identifying characteristics:
Although the growth habit of this dense conifer is variable in the wild,
it usually has a pyramidal shape when young, becoming slightly pendulous
in old age. This species reaches a height of 40 to 60 feet, with a spread
of 8 to 20 feet, with the trunk often buttressed and irregular in cross-section.
The evergreen foliage has a dark
green or blue-green cast, often turning reddish-green in winter. The leaves
are of two kinds. Needle-like leaves are 0.25 to 0.5 inches long and arranged
in opposite pairs or in whorls of 3. They are sharp-pointed and diverge
from the twig. Scale-like leaves are blunt-tipped, overlapping, opposite
and closely appressed to the 4-sided twig. Male and female
cones occur at the tips of the branches on separate plants. The
male cone is small and cylinder-shaped, with 8 to 12 pollen sacs that release
pollen in February and March. Female plants bear the characteristic blue,
fleshy, berry-like cones that ripen in one year and contain 1 to 2 small,
ovoid, shiny seeds. Large seed crops are produced every 3 years, and seeds
require 2 to 3 years to germinate. Plants are freely self-seeding and the
seeds germinate in any soil. The buds are tiny, naked and hidden
by the foliage. The thin, fibrous bark
is grayish to reddish-brown, exfoliating into long, narrow, longitudinal
strips.
Similar species:
- northern white cedar (arborvitae) (Thuja occidentalis)
- common juniper (Juniperus communis)
Ecology:
Distribution: This species is native to eastern and central North
America east of the Rockies, and is the only native conifer found throughout
Iowa. It is the most widespread conifer of eastern North America, and was
called "baton rouge" by the early French colonists in Canada because
of the reddidh-brown sapwood. The name of the capital of Louisiana originated
because plants of this species were found in the area.
Habitat: Hardy from zone 2 to 9, the eastern red cedar is an adaptable, hardy, drought resistant plant, thriving in all but swampy soils. It is found on poor, gravely soils in which few other plants will grow, but prefers a deep, moist loam on a well-drained subsoil. Although it can withstand shade when young, mature plants require a sunny, airy position, and are often most abundant on recently-cleared lands and abandoned fields. This species is the alternate host of the cedar-apple rust. In wet spring weather, galls on cedars formed by this fungus extrude yellow, gelatinous processes and the spores infect the leaves of apple trees. New spores from the apple then re-infect the cedar trees. Resistant Malus cultivars, and fungicidal sprays generally combat this problem. Red cedars are reportedly the most susceptible of all ornamentals to bagworm attack. Twig blight and red cedar bark beetle can also be problematic.
Uses:
Wood: The hard, moderately heavy heartwood is red-brown and the sapwood
is nearly white. The wood is close-grained but weak and brittle.
It is often used for cedar chests, wardrobes and closet linings because
of its fragrance and reputed ability to repel moths. This species was once
used for pencils, but the wood of the incense cedar (Libocedrus decurrens)
of the Pacific Coast now fills this need. The wood is easily worked and
used for carvings and small ornaments. Due to its natural durability it
is used for shingles and fence posts. Oil of cedar is extracted from the
wood and used as perfume.
Wildlife: Cedars are important to wildlife throughout the country. The cedar waxwing is a principal user of the berry-like cones, but other songbirds and some gamebirds (like grouse, quail and turkey), as well as small rodents, also feed on the cones. The twigs and evergreen foliage are browsed by hoofed animals, and the foliage is important to birds and mammals for winter cover.
Horticulture: The eastern red cedar is slow-growing and long-lived-to 350 years or more. A very versatile, tenacious plant, it is valuable for landscaping, soil conservation, windbreaks and wildlife plantings. Deep lateral roots and the ability to grow on thin, dry, calcareous soil make this species suitable for soil conservation plantings. Responding well to pruning, this plant is used for a variety of landscape purposes-hedges, topiary work, screening and foundation planting. Cultivars include 'Hillspire,' a bright green, symmetrically conical male; 'Glauca,' a columnar form with silver-blue spring foliage; and 'Silver Spreader,' a low-growing, silver-gray form.
