YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
Eastern Red Cedar
Catalogue A# 0099-165 H29
GPS 45D 43' 58" N / 108D 37' 40" W
Juniperus virginiana
Family: Cupressaceae
Origin: Eastern to mid-North America
Common name: Eastern Red Cedar
Location: Homestead Hill, west of Schoolhouse entry
Number in accession: (6) original (2) surviving
This 16 inch Eastern red cedar provides overall benefits of: $40 every year.
Tree or Plant Type: Shrub, Tree
Foliage: Evergreen (foliage year-round)
Native Locale: North America
Landscape Uses: Foundation, Hedge, Massing, Mixed border, Parkway/street, Screen, Specimen, Windbreak
Size Range: Large tree (more than 40 feet), Medium tree (25-40 feet), Small tree (15-25 feet), Large shrub (more than 8 feet), Medium shrub (5-8 feet), Small shrub (3-5 feet)
Mature Height: 40-50 feet
Mature Width: 8-20 feet
Light Exposure: Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily)
Hardiness Zones: Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5 , Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9
Soil Preference: Alkaline soil, Dry soil, Moist, well-drained soil
Acid Soils: Tolerant
Alkaline Soils: Prefers
Salt Spray: Tolerant
Soil Salt: Tolerant
Drought Conditions: Tolerant
Poor Drainage: Intolerant
Ornamental Interest: Showy fruit, Attractive bark
Season of Interest: Early winter, Mid winter, Late winter, Early spring, Mid spring, Late spring, Early summer, Mid summer, Late summer, Early fall, Mid fall, Late fall
Flower Color & Fragrance: Inconspicuous
Shape or Form: Mounded, Narrow, Pyramidal, Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Transplants Well: Yes
Wildlife: Game birds, Game mammals, Small mammals, Songbird
CRITIQUE
Eastern red-cedar is native to North America. These cold-hardy, adaptable evergreen trees serve many purposes in the landscape, especially in sites that are dry, alkaline or windy. The foliage of scale-like needles is attractive but prickly. In late summer and fall, many junipers have blue-green berry-like fruits, actually modified cones, that attract birds. Because they are quite salt-tolerant, they can be used near roads, driveways, and sidewalks. Eastern red cedar is usually a tree, but there are shrub-sized cultivars available.
