Fifty Common Trees of New York 



19 



10. RED CEDAR 



(Juniperus virginiana Linnaeus) 



Bed cedar, a small-sized, slow-growing forest tree, is common to the 

 poor, dry soils of the lower Hudson and Mohawk Valleys, is not common 

 in the higher Adirondack region, and is infrequent in central and western 

 New York, except on barren soils 

 adjoining the Finger Lakes. It is 

 found growing only in open woods 

 and pastures where plenty of sun- 

 light is obtained. The wood is 

 soft, light, fragrant, brittle, dull 

 red in color with contrasting white 

 sap wood, extremely durable in 

 contact with the soil, and is easily 

 worked. It is largely used in the 

 manufacture of pencils, cedar 

 chests, cabinet work, and interior 

 finish. As a post wood, it has few 

 superiors. 



Bark — light reddish brown in 

 color, separating in long, narrow 

 shreddy strips fringed along the 

 edges. 



Twigs — generally 4-sided on mature trees, green in color from the 

 covering of minute leaves, not flattened or arranged in fan-shaped 

 clusters, becoming reddish brown in color after the fall of the leaves. 



Winter ~buds — minute, covered by the overlapping scale-like leaves. 



Leaves — various shades of green to reddish brown in color, persistent 

 from three to four years, 2 kinds: (1) scale-like, closely over-lapping, 

 opposite in pairs, giving the twig a 4-sided appearance; (2) awl-shaped, 

 from % to % inch long, usually on young trees or more vigorous shoots 

 and yellowish green to light bluish green in color, very sharp-pointed. 



Fruit — a berry-like cone, % inch in diameter, light blue in color, with 

 bloom at maturity in the autumn of the first year. Fruit remains on the 

 tree during the winter, highly prized by birds. Seeds — from 1 to 2, 

 wingless, brown in color, covered with a thin, sweet flesh with resinous 

 flavor. 



RED CEDAR 



Natural size 



