Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern redcedar is a long-lived, evergreen North American juniper with blue-green scale foliage, reddish-brown exfoliating bark, and blue, berry-like cones on female plants. Its mature size varies with site, from a broad screen tree to a smaller, sparsely growing plant on difficult soils. ## Landscape role The [NC State Extension profile](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juniperus-virginiana/) gives 30–40 feet tall and 10–20 feet wide in good conditions, while other regional references report broader ranges. Allow ample space; use it as a specimen, grouping, windbreak, or screen. Female cones feed cedar waxwings and the evergreen canopy provides wildlife cover. Young foliage can be needle-like before becoming scale-like. ## Growing conditions Full sun and well-drained soil support the strongest growth. Eastern redcedar tolerates dry, rocky, and otherwise poor soils, but does not thrive in continuously wet ground. It is native across much of eastern North America and can spread into abandoned fields, so consider local habitat and maintenance goals before planting. ## Maintenance Water through establishment, then irrigate during prolonged drought. Remove dead or damaged branches and monitor for bagworms, scale, mites, twig blight, and cedar-apple rust. Avoid unnecessary shearing; preserve room for its natural crown.