Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar is a hardy evergreen native to much of the eastern United States. Commonly found in rocky, dry soil it is best to simply leave it be once established. Notable for its pretty, reddish, exfoliating bark and evergreen leaves that develop a brownish/purple hue in winter. Females produce small modified cones late in the season that looks like beautiful little blueberries.

The oldest known Eastern Red Cedar was found in Missouri and aged to be 795 years old!

The wood is naturally rot-resistant. Early settlers used its wood to build furniture, rail fences, and log cabins. A chemical in the oil of the wood repels insects and, historically, leaves and wood chips were used as an insect repellent. The leaves can also be crushed and used to flavor soups or teas. Native Americans used it for coughs, colds, and dysentery, as well as to expel intestinal parasites. The berries were also chewed to treat mouth ulcers.

Chests are made from this wood, both because it smells good and also in the hopes that it will keep the moths out. Essential oil from the wood is used in soap, insecticide, moth repellents, deodorant, floor polish, perfume, and much more. This stuff smells wonderful! Berries are rather ornamental and used in Christmas wreaths and swags. The tree itself is sometimes sold as a Christmas tree, although the foliage can be a bit prickly, thus proving no evergreen is ever safe during the Christmas season. Juniper berries are sometimes used as a flavoring in alcohol.

Cedar wood contains oils and chemicals that work well as pesticides but can cause health problems when inhaled by mammals. Sometimes called “Pencil Cedar”, this wood is commonly used to make pencils. Workers exposed to cedar dust in mills also experience a higher occurrence of asthma.

In the past, using cedar bedding for small mammals was common practice as the smell helped mask the odor and keep the insects at bay. It is no longer recommended and hard to find in pet stores as the use of cedar bedding has been proven to cause respiratory issues and dermatitis in small mammals.

Complete information on this species can be found at the source link below:
Information Source: https://kb.jniplants.com/eastern-red-cedar-juniperus-virginiana
Plant Source: Johnson’s Nursery