Eastern Red Cedar Male

Description:

Evergreen, aromatic tree with trunk often angled and buttressed at base and narrow, compact, columnar crown; sometimes becoming broad and irregular. Pyramidal when young, Eastern red-cedar mature form is quite variable. This evergreen usually grows 30-40 ft. but can reach 90 ft. Fragrant, scale-like foliage can be coarse or fine-cut, and varies in color from gray-green to blue-green to light- or dark-green. All colors tend to brown in winter. Pale blue fruits occur on female plants. Soft, silvery bark covers the single trunk. Eastern red cedar is a very diverse species ranging from Canada to the Southern USA. It grows in almost any soil type, but thrives in ones that are deep, moist and well-drained. It can tolerate shade only when very young, otherwise it should not be planted on shady sites. Trees are either male or female: the male produces the yellow pollen that can be a major contributor to alleries in some people; the female produces dark blue fruit from late fall to early winter. The wood is extremely aromatic and is what cedar chests and cedar-lined closets are made from. It is also resistant to decay when in contact with the soil, making it a favorite of pioneers for fenceposts.

Habitat:

Riparian woods along Lake Lewisville.

Notes:

This time of year, male red cedars turn a rusty shade due to the amount of pollen they are producing. If you give a branch a thump, or if a strong gust of wind hits the tree, a yellow cloud of pollen floats on the air.