Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Flowering Trees, Bushes and Shrubs of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

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Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
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(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 02) The Eastern red cedar is quite common and is found from Maine to Florida. Some varieties can grow 100 feet tall. They can be easily distinguished from other evergreen trees because of their conical shape and succulent branchy "leaves"; they do not have "needles" as do pine, fir, and spruce. The eastern red cedar also have berries rather than cones.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 05) This in an Eastern red cedar growing in a vacant lot on the side of the road. Note its distinctive conical shape with up-swept branches and the proliferation of berries.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 03) In this enlarged photo we can see the details of the Eastern red cedar's "leaf" structure and berries. We have not been able to find anything in the literature concerning the possible transition structure of the cedar from a needle bearing tree with cones to one with leaves and fruit. Sometimes I look at things like this and think it's just another example of God having fun in His creation process - "If I just "tweak" this DNA a little bit..."

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 01) We found this Eastern red cedar tree to be very interesting because of its double berries, which were as numerous as the round single ones. We were unable to determine whether or not this is a different variety or a deformity, though we suspect the latter.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 06) As we were walking, the large quantity of berries on this eastern red cedar attracted our attention, so we took a few photos.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 06a) In this photo we have a closer look at some of the eastern red cedar berry clusters.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 07) This is another close up look at a cluster of eastern red cedar berries.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 07a) Another interesting aspect of the eastern red cedar is that when we look closely no two of its berries seem to be exactly the same.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 08) This is another eastern red cedar that is very heavily covered with berries. We suspect that the proliferation of berries has something to do with environmental conditions, but we are not sure what those conditions are. It will take some more study.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 09) By comparing this photo of an eastern red cedar with the previous photo, we can easily see the dramatic difference in the quantity of berries. The quantity of berries on this tree is slightly less than we normally observe.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 09a) While some of the berry clusters on this eastern red cedar are nearly normal in size, others are quite sparse, even to the point of having only one berry.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 10) This eastern red cedar growing on the edge of the woods has normal clusters of berries.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 11) This is another look at an eastern red cedar.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 12) In this photo, we have a look at a portion of an eastern red cedar.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 12a) At a distance, some eastern red cedars can look sort of "straggly", but when we look closer, they are quite beautiful with their frilly evergreen leaves, and berries.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 13) In the Spring, the eastern red cedar take on a yellow tint from their pollen.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 13a) The flowers of the eastern red cedar are Dioecious, meaning that there are separate male and female plants; but occasionally they are Monoecious, meaning that an eastern red cedar tree may have both sexes in the same tree; males are small, yellow-brown, occurring in large groups; females are light blue-green. Pollen is produced by the male, and berries are produced by the female.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 14) This is another look at the male flowers of an eastern red cedar. The leaves are very small, with two types of leaves (often on the same tree), scale-like leaves 1/16 inch long, dark green, with 4 sides held tightly to twig and longer (1/4 inch), dark blue-green needle-like leaves that are more common on young trees and fast growing shoots.

(Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) - 15) This is another look at the pollen covered male flowers of the eastern red cedar.

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Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) Flowering Trees, Bushes and Shrubs of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) Table of Contents

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Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Flowering Trees, Bushes and Shrubs of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Table of Contents