Also called:

Part of juniper  genus Juniperus in cypress / juniper / redwood  family Cupressaceae in 🌲︎ conifer  order Pinales.


Native to 🇺🇸 USA East, Midwest, and Great Plains, and 🇨🇦 Canada in southern Ontario.

🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48), 🗺 map (scroll down, in red), 🗺 map (North America, Central America),  Adobe Acrobat Reader file 🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).

Invasive > Hawai'i

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)

Juniperus hosts caterpillars of 41 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.
  Lots of food for 🐦︎ birds.

Use as small tree is a small yard (Pennsylvania).  Adobe Acrobat Reader file (page 54)   Planting info (SW Michigan).  Adobe Acrobat Reader file

Junipers are the winter host for 🍄︎⚕︎ fungal disease trellis rust (TR)  Gymnosporangium sabinae.  Adobe Acrobat Reader file

Which then transfers to nearby 🍐︎ pear  genus Pyrus as the ☀︎ summer host.  Then back again!

So in areas that may have this disease, do not plant these two hosts within 300 m (1000 ft) of each other!  (In most towns, 3 blocks, maybe.)

Male trees score most allergenic (10 out of 10) on the OPALS™ Ogren Plant Allergy Scale.  Female trees score least-allergenic (1 out of 10).

Poem to eastern red cedar from our local Conservation District forester.

Learn more about ◼︎ eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Gymnosperm database Michigan Flora (Minnesota) Wildflower Garden Minnesota Wildflowers Missouri Botanical Garden Native Plant Trust Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db USFS USFS Silvics Wikipedia