Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana description

Distribution map (USGS 1999.

Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana

Common Names

Eastern redcedar, cèdre rouge (Adams 1993).

Taxonomic notes

Syn: Juniperus virginiana var. crebra Fernald & Griscom; Sabina virginiana (Linnaeus) Antoine. It hybridizes with J. horizontalis and J. scopulorum. Reported hybridization with J. ashei has been refuted in subsequent studies (Adams 1993).

Description

"Trees to 30 m; crown narrowly erect (in young, fast-growing trees) to conic or occasionally round. Bark reddish brown. Branches erect, spreading, or pendulous. Scalelike leaves acute at apex. Pollen cones 3-4 mm. Seed cones globose to ovoid, 4-6(-7) mm. Seeds 2-4 mm. 2n = 22, 33" (Adams 1993).

Range

Canada: Ontario & Québec; USA: all states E from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota; at 0-1400 m in woods, old fields, glades, fencerows, and river swamps (Adams 1993).

Big Tree

Diameter 171 cm, height 17 m, crown spread 21 m, located in Lone Hill Church cemetery, Coffee County, GA; also, diameter 148 cm, height 27 m, crown spread 14 m, located in Coleman cemetery, Angelina National Forest, TX (American Forests 1996).

Oldest

Dendrochronology

Ethnobotany

The wood is used for production of eastern redcedarwood oil, fenceposts, and cedar chests (Adams 1993).