Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Height, Spread: 30-40 ft, 10-20 ft

Water/Soil: Moist-occasionally dry or wet, well-drained, clay, loam, sand, rocky

Light: Full Sun-Part Shade

Bloom: Winter-spring, tiny yellow flowers

Native Range: Eastern & Central North America

Qualities: Attractive to Pollinators, Drought Tolerant, Host Plant, Deer Resistant

Notes: Evergreen tree commonly found in prairies or disturbed sites, primarily in the Piedmont and Mountain regions of NC. It provides cover for wildlife and is the host plant for the Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) and the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis). Birds and mammals eat the fruit. Best used as screening, in a woodland area, or larger gardens. It is the most drought-tolerant Eastern coniferous species and easily adapts to poor soils.