Cedar Tree

Cedar Tree - Juniperus virginiana

Cedar Trees are a coniferous evergreen that is hardy in most areas of the country. They increase and can reach over 100 feet. These trees need moisture to get established but are generally easy keepers. It is advised to protect the trunks until set. If you need a windbreak on your property, these trees are ideal in most situations. The wood is aromatic and resists most insect invasions.

Red Cedar Tree, also known as the Eastern Red Cedar, Virginian Juniper, and Eastern Juniper, is a common sight around the eastern half of North America.
Red Cedar is quite tolerant to heat and salt, and thus thrives in a diverse variety of soil types. Red Cedar Trees are particularly tolerant of various soil types but prefer dry soils over moist soils. As a result of this hardiness, Red Cedar Trees can be found as windbreaks along with farms and even in cities as beautiful street trees and hedges. Red Cedar Trees can withstand temperatures as low as -45 degrees Fahrenheit to temperatures well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Red Cedars grow at a moderate rate of 13-24" per year and prefer full sun for maximum growth potential. Red Cedar Trees develop deep roots and are typically pyramidal or cone-shaped in maturity. The evergreen foliage is scale-like and develops rounded, four-sided branches. Red Cedar Trees in the wild have lived over 900 years!

Red Cedar Trees are decidious in that their flowers have a specific gender (pollen or seed)

The berries are dark purple or blue and are essential dietary food for wildlife during cold winters. Red Cedar oil is condensed from the beans and used to flavor gin. Red Cedar lumber is a critical and handy commodity as well—the timber is lightweight and rot resistant and ideal for fence posts and any other lumber use that comes in contact with soil.

Red Cedar Trees are incredibly aromatic, giving off a comforting fragrance from the little berries they produce.
Varieties of Cedar Trees

When Joyce Kilmer wrote, "I think that I shall never see/A poem as lovely as a tree," the poet may well have had cedar trees in mind since they are lovely and exotic, coming from Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Africa. In addition to their green beauty, cedar trees are good choices because they reproduce quickly, retain attractive shapes and provide shade, along with being quite hardy. Belonging solely to the genus Cedrus, cedars are not to be confused with the many different conifers among which are pines, spruces, and evergreen shrubs and trees.

Atlanta Cedar (Cedrus atlantica)

Also called the Blue Atlas Cedar, this tree is from North Africa, but it can survive in planting zones 6 through 8b with full sunlight for its growth. The Atlanta Cedar can reach heights of 60 feet or more and 30 feet at its base that forms a pyramid shape. (The weeping type is shorter.) This cedar has variety in its needles' colors (blue-bluish green).

Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani)

This slow-growing tree is, nevertheless, able to reach 80 feet. It can live in zones 3 through 10 and requires no special care. As it grows, the Cedar of Lebanon widens to match its height, attaining an impressive size. Its needles are bright green and short. But, as it ages, the needles darken to a gray-green.

Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens)

A tree native to America, the Incense Cedar grows in zones 5 through 8, particularly in the central and southern parts of Oregon. It is also widespread through California, especially in northern Baja California. Some of these trees have made their ways into western Nevada, as well. The Incense Cedar is a hardy tree that can survive intense heat in a baking soil. It also requires little watering. This cedar can grow to 75-90 feet.

Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodara)

This hardy tree can live in the Western and Southern border states (zones 7 through 9a), but it needs full sun and ample space. Originating in the western Himalayas, the Deodar Cedar can grow three feet per year and reach 50 to 70 feet. Its lateral spread can reach from 20 to 30 feet with a full, flat-topped crown.

 Cedar Trees Are The Most Fragrant Of All Evergreen Trees