Juniperus virginiana, also known as听eastern redcedar,听red cedar,听Virginian juniper,听eastern juniper,听red juniper, and other local names, is a species of听听native to eastern North America from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and east of the Great Plains.听Further west it is replaced by the related听听(Rocky Mountain juniper) and to the southwest by听听(Ashe juniper).听It is not to be confused with听听(eastern white cedar).
Description[]
Juniperus virginiana听is a dense slow-growing听听听tree that may never become more than a bush on poor soil, but is ordinarily from 5鈥�20 metres (16鈥�66 feet) tall, with a short trunk 30鈥�100 centimetres (12鈥�39 inches) in diameter, rarely to 27听m (89听ft) in height and 170听cm (67听in) in diameter. The oldest tree reported, from听, was 940 years old.听The听听is reddish-brown, fibrous, and peels off in narrow strips. The听听are of two types; sharp, spreading needle-like juvenile leaves听5鈥�10 millimetres (3鈦�16鈥�3鈦�8听in) long, and tightly adpressed scale-like adult leaves听2鈥�4听mm (1鈦�16鈥�3鈦�16听in) long; they are arranged in opposite decussate pairs or occasionally whorls of three. The juvenile leaves are found on young plants up to 3 years old, and as scattered shoots on adult trees, usually in shade. The听听are听3鈥�7听mm (1鈦�8鈥�1鈦�4听in) long,听-like, dark purple-blue with a white wax cover giving an overall sky-blue color (though the wax often rubs off); they contain one to three (rarely up to four)听, and are mature in 6鈥�8 months from pollination. The听听is an important winter food for many听, which disperse the wingless seeds. The听听cones are听2鈥�3听mm (1鈦�16鈥�1鈦�8听in) long and听1.5听mm (1鈦�16听in) broad, shedding pollen in late winter or early spring. The trees are usually听, with pollen and seed cones on separate trees,听yet some are monoecious.
There are two varieties,听which听听where they meet:
- Juniperus virginiana听var.听virginiana听is called eastern juniper / redcedar. It is found in eastern North America, from听, west to southern听听and听, south to northernmost听听and southwest into the post oak savannah of east-central听. Cones are larger,听4鈥�7听mm (3鈦�16鈥�1鈦�4听in); scale leaves are acute at apex and bark is red-brown.
- Juniperus virginiana听var.听silicicola听(Small) E.Murray听(听Sabina silicicola听Small,听Juniperus silicicola听(Small) L.H.Bailey) is known as southern or sand juniper / redcedar. Its variety name means "flint-dweller", from Latin听听and听. Habitat is along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from the extreme southeastern corner of听,听south to central听听and west to southeast听. Cones are smaller,听3鈥�4听mm (1鈦�8鈥�3鈦�16听in); scale leaves are blunt at apex and the bark is orange-brown. It is treated by some authors at the lower rank of variety, while others treat it as a distinct species.
Ecology[]
Eastern juniper is a , meaning that it is one of the first trees to repopulate cleared, eroded, or otherwise damaged land. It is unusually long lived among pioneer species, with the potential to live over 900 years. It is commonly found in听听or oak barrens, old pastures, or听听hills, often along highways and near recent construction sites.听It is an alternate host for听, an economically significant听听of apples, and some management strategies recommend the removal of听J. virginiana听near apple orchards
Eastern Red Cedar grows in a wide range of climactic and soil conditions. Red Cedar is extremely tolerant of drought due to its extensive, fibrous root system and reduced leaf area. Though the tree competes best on poor, dry sites, it tolerates high soil moisture levels and riparian sites.
In many areas it is considered an听, even if native. It is听, and was previously controlled by periodic听. Low branches near the ground burn and provide a ladder that allows fire to engulf the whole tree. Grasses recover quickly from low severity fires that are characteristic of prairies that kept the trees at bay. With the urbanization of prairies, the fires have been stopped with roads, plowed fields, and other fire breaks, allowing听J. virginiana听and other trees to invade.听Trees are destructive to听听if left unchecked, and are actively being eliminated by cutting and听.听The trees also burn very readily, and dense populations were blamed for the rapid spread of wildfires in drought stricken听听and听听in 2005 and 2006.
Eastern juniper benefits from increased听听levels, unlike the grasses with which it competes. Many grasses are听听that concentrate CO2听levels in their bundle sheaths to increase the efficiency of听, the enzyme responsible for听, while junipers are听听that rely on (and may benefit from) the natural CO2听concentrations of the environment, although they are less efficient at fixing CO2听in general.
Damage done by听J. virginiana听includes outcompeting forage species in pastureland. The low branches and wide base occupy a significant portion of land area. The thick foliage blocks out most light, so few plants can live under the canopy. The needles that fall raise the听, making it听, which holds nutrients such as phosphorus, making it harder for plants to absorb them.听However, studies have found that听Juniperus virginiana听forests that replace grasslands have a statistically insignificant decrease听to a significant increase听in levels of soil听.听J. virginiana听forests have higher overall听听(NUE), despite the common grassland species听听having a far higher NUE during photosynthesis (PNUE).听The forests store much greater amounts of carbon in both biomass and soil, with most of the additional carbon stored aboveground. There is no significant difference in soil microbial activity.
听are fond of juniper berries. It takes about 12 minutes for their seeds to pass through the birds' guts, and seeds that have been consumed by this bird have levels of germination roughly three times higher than those of seeds the birds did not eat. Many other birds such as turkeys and bluebirds, along with many mammals such as rabbits, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes also consume them.
Virginia Juniper's compact, evergreen foliage makes it favorable for bird nests and as a winter shelter location for birds and mammals.
Pollen[]
The pollen of听Juniperus virginiana听var.听virginiana听is a known听. The nominate variety is native to Eastern North America, north of Mexico, with the pollen releasing at various points in the spring, variable by latitude and elevation.
Uses[]
The fragrant, finely grained, soft, brittle, very light, pinkish to brownish red 听is very durable, even in contact with soil. Because of its resistance to听, the wood is often used for fence posts.听听avoid the aromatic wood, and therefore it is in demand as lining for clothes chests and closets, which are often denominated "cedar closets" and "". If correctly prepared, excellent听,听, and Native American听听can be made from it. It is marketed as "eastern redcedar" and "aromatic cedar". The best portions of the heartwood are one of the few woods that are suitable for making听, however the supply had so diminished by the 1940s that the wood of the听听largely replaced it.
Part of the commercially available cedar oil is produced by steam distillation from wood shavings. It contains a wide variety of terpenes. The three major components, alpha-,听听and听, constitute more than 60% of the essential oil.听The fruits also yield an essential oil which contains mostly D-Limonene.
The oil derived from foliage and twigs has two main constituents:听听and听.听One minor compound is the听, a non-听听.
Native American tribes have historically used poles of juniper wood to demarcate agreed tribal hunting territories. French traders named听, which denotes "red stick", from the reddish color of these poles. Some nations continue to use it ceremonially.[]
The听听series of听听that the pre-Columbian听听in western听听erected were constructed of massive logs of eastern juniper. One iteration of such a circle,听Woodhenge III, which is thought to have been constructed circa 1000 AD, had 48 posts in the circle of 410 feet (120听m) in diameter and a 49th pole in the center.
Among many Native American cultures, the smoke of burning eastern juniper is believed to expel evil spirits prior to conducting a ceremony, such as a healing ceremony.
During the听听drought of the 1930s, the Prairie States Forest Project encouraged farmers to plant shelterbelts, i. e. wind breaks, of eastern juniper throughout the Great Plains of the USA. The trees thrive in adverse conditions. Tolerant of both drought and cold, they grow well in rocky, sandy, and clayey soils. Competition between individual trees is minimal, and therefore they can be closely planted in rows, in which situation they still grow to full height, creating a solid windbreak in a short time.
A number of听听have been selected for听, including 'Canaertii' (narrow conical; female) 'Corcorcor' (with a dense, erect crown; female), 'Goldspire' (narrow conical with yellow foliage), and 'Kobold' (dwarf). Some cultivars previously listed under this species, notably 'Skyrocket', are actually cultivars of听J. scopulorum.
In the Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma听, eastern juniper is commonly used as a听.
This is the most widely used wood for making blocks for听. There are numerous properties that it possesses that make it uniquely suitable for this, such as good moisture absorption, low expansion when wet (so it does not crack the recorder head), and mild antiseptic properties.
Eastern Red Cedar is considered effective as a shelter-belt tree and for erosion control. Being coniferous, Red Cedar has dense evergreen foliage which makes it an ideal windbreak. The tree's extensive root system allows it to survive drought, and helps to retain surrounding topsoil during dry, windy conditions.