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.
