Eastern Red Cedar Christmas Tree

By sharon brown sharran december 25 2012.

Eastern red cedar christmas tree. Eastern red cedar is native to north america. For best growth plant eastern red cedar in deep moist well draining soils although it tolerates both wetland and dry rocky sites too. Juniperus virginiana is a dense slow growing coniferous evergreen tree that may never become more than a bush on poor soil but is ordinarily from 5 20 m or 16 66 ft tall with a short trunk 30 100 cm or 12 39 inches in diameter rarely to 27 m or 89 ft in height and 170 cm or 67 inches in diameter. This evergreen isn t a true cedar.

It s a member of the juniper family. It makes an attractive christmas tree with probably the most pleasing aroma of any tree. It s one of several evergreen species grown on florida christmas tree farms. The eastern redcedar is an ancient tree dating to aboriginal america where fossil evidence indicates it covered large portions of the continent.

Its not a true cedar but is a member of the juniper family. The eastern red cedar tree range. Arthur barlowe and phillip amadus were quoted as saying the trees were the tallest and reddest cedars in the world when they arrived at roanoke island in 1564. Red cedar goes by many common names including southern red cedar eastern red cedar and even pencil cedar more on that later.

Eastern red cedar. The red cedar range extends from southeastern canada down to the gulf of mexico. To the west native red cedar tree range only occurs east of the great plains but has been successfully spread toward the west by natural regeneration from planted trees. Unlike some species that must be pruned regularly to maintain the traditional cone shape the eastern red cedar comes by its pyramidal crown naturally.

Prior to the availability of plantation grown christmas trees wild eastern redcedars were the tree of choice for many in the south. Eastern red cedar juniperus virginiana eastern red cedar is considered the traditional southern christmas tree by many people who can still remember going out in the woods for one as a child. The oldest tree reported from west virginia was 940 years old. Early explorers took note of the tree.

These cold hardy adaptable evergreen trees serve many purposes in the landscape especially in sites that are dry alkaline or windy. Eastern red cedar because of its broad growing tolerances makes an exceptional windbreak tree in regions with lots of wind intense or long lasting summer heat or bitter winter cold. About a week or two before christmas my dad would say anybody want a christmas tree this year that was the signal for a trip up the mountain to find the very best christmas tree that would fit into our living room. Its pleasing form makes red cedar also popular as a cut or living christmas tree.

It also was the signal.