Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
- Widest range of any eastern conifer (i.e. leaves stay on the tree in winter), this evergreen has a columnar shape and reaches 40-60 feet in height
- Leaves are prickly, awl-shaped and are aromatic when crushed
- Bark is distinct reddish-brown that easily shreds off in strips
- Fruit is a soft bluish-green and berrylike maturing in the fall
- Multiple uses: Christmas trees, cedar oil for perfumes, furniture—especially cedar chests, cedar closets, fence posts and berries are favored by wildlife including the cedar waxwing
Fun Fact: The first water lines in Huntsville back in 1827 were eight foot cedar logs that were hollowed out and joined together to make “water pipes”
Big Tree Tour on Terry Trail TREE #3 = 16 inch diameter
Continue the Tree Tour!
This tour was created in partnership with:
Land Trust of North Alabama
Society of American Foresters – Mountain Lakes Chapter
U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station
Alabama A&M Forestry & Ecology Center