This time of year, the Eastern Red Cedar around Lake Martin sticks out like a sore thumb … if it was a green thumb. That’s because Eastern Red Cedars are one of the few evergreen trees common in our winter forests that are not members of the pine, holly or magnolia families. Unfortunately, this tree isn’t a cedar either.
The Eastern Red Cedar is actually a juniper. Its scientific name, Juniperus virginiana, leaves no room for doubt.
kAm%96C6 2C6 ?@ 4652C EC66D[ >6>36CD @7 E96 k6>mr65CFDk^6>m 86?FD[ ?2E:G6 E@ }@CE9 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmqFE H2J 324< :? `dec[ pCE9FC q2C=@H6 2?5 !9:==:A p>25FD[ H9@ 925 ;FDE 2CC:G65 @? #@2?@<6 xD=2?5[ ':C8:?:2[ 7C@> tFC@A6[ C6A@CE65 E92E E96 }6H (@C=5 925 “E96 E2==6DE 2?5 C6556DE 4652CD :? E96 H@C=5]” p?5 E96 ?2>6 DEF4<]k^Am
kAm%92E H2D 2 3:8 562= 3642FD6 ‘4652CD’ 92G6 2 C6AFE2E:@? @7 36:?8 G2=F23=6 EC66D D:?46 E96:C H@@5 :D G6CJ C6D:DE2?E E@ C@E]k^Am
kAmr@=@?:2= H@@5H@C<6CD 8@E 3FDJ >2<:?8 t2DE6C? #65 r652CD :?E@ 2== EJA6D @7 =@?8\=2DE:?8 AC@5F4ED E92E ?66565 E@ DE2?5 FA E@ E96 6=6>6?ED @G6C E:>6i 423:?D[ 76?46 A@DED[ 4@77:?D 2?5 7FC?:EFC6 E@ ?2>6 2 76H]k^Am
kAmu@C @G6C 2 46?EFCJ :? E96 `g__D 2?5 62C=J `h__D[ C65 4652C H@@5 3642>6 E96 AC:>2CJ H@@5 FD65 7@C >2<:?8 A6?4:=D :? }@CE9 p>6C:42]k^Am
kAmt2DE6C? #65 r652CD 2C6 4@>>@?] x? 724E[ E96J >2<6 FA E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 EC66D :? >2?J 2C62D @7 E96 DE2E6[ 6DA64:2==J H6DE 46?EC2= p=232>2]k^Am
kAmw6C6 2C@F?5 {2<6 |2CE:?[ E96J >2<6 FA 2 D>2==6C A@CE:@? @7 E96 @G6C2== 7@C6DE] qFE 24C@DD :ED ?2E:G6 C2?86 @7 bf DE2E6D DEC6E49:?8 7C@> E96 62DE6C? D623@2C5 E@ %6I2D 2?5 7C@> r2?252 E@ u=@C:52[ E96 t2DE6C? #65 r652C 92D E96 F?5:DAFE65 E:E=6 @7 E96 >@DE H:56=J 5:DEC:3FE65 4@?:76C :? E96 7@C6DE]k^Am
kAm~?6 C62D@? :D E92E E9:D EC66 42? =:G6 :? >@DE EJA6D @7 D@:=Di H2E6C\9@=5:?8 4=2J[ H6==\5C2:?65 D2?5J 2?5 =@2>J D@:=D[ C:49 D@:=D[ A@@C D@:=D[ 2=<2=:?6 D@:=[ C@4<J D@:=D 2?5 H6E[ DH2>AJ D@:=D[ 6G6? D2=EJ >2CD96D 2?5 4@2DE2= D2?5 5F?6D] xE 42? 92?5=6 7=@@5D 2?5 5C@F89ED 2?5 :D <?@H? 2D 2 A:@?66C EC66 E92E H:== 36 @?6 @7 E96 7:CDE E@ 8C@H :? 232?5@?65 7:6=5D 2?5 4=62C\4FE 2C62D] xE E9C:G6D :? w2C5:?6DD +@?6D a E9C@F89 h]k^Am
kAmt2DE6C? #65 r652CD 2C6 2=D@ E@=6C2?E @7 9:89 H:?5D[ H9:49 =65 E96> E@ 36 H:56=J A=2?E65 :? E96 &]$] E@ 4C62E6 H:?5 3C62<D FD65 E@ 4@F?E6C24E E96 5FDE 3@H= 4@?5:E:@?D :? E96 `hb_D]k^Am
kAm%9:D EC66 DE2CED @FE =:76 H:E9 2 =@?8 E2AC@@E[ 3FE 2D :E >2EFC6D[ :E AC@5F46D >2DD6D @7 D92==@H C@@ED E92E 2==@H :E E@ DE2J FAC:89E :? C@4<J 2C62D H:E9 =:EE=6 E@AD@:=]k^Am
kAmxE 8C@HD ` E@ a 766E A6C J62C @? 2 D:?8=6 ECF?< 2?5[ H:E9 ?@ 4@>A6E:E:@?[ H:== 56G6=@A 2 AJC2>:5 @C 4@=F>? D92A6] %9:D EC66 :D G6CJ 252AE23=6 2?5 H:== AC@5F46 3C2?496D H96C6G6C :E 42? 86E E96 D:I 9@FCD @7 DF?=:89E A6C 52J :E ?665D[ 7:==:?8 :? @A6? 2C62D 2?5 6G6? HC2AA:?8 2C@F?5 @E96C EC66D]k^Am
kAmp >2EFC6 t2DE6C? #65 r652C :D c_ E@ d_ 766E E2== WE9@F89 G6CJ @=5 EC66D 4@F=5 C6249 g_ 766E E2==X 2?5 g E@ a_ 766E H:56]k^Am
kAm%96 ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@? t2DE6C? #65 r652C :D =@42E65 :? {@?6 w:== |6E9@5:DE r9FC49 r6>6E6CJ :? r@7766 r@F?EJ[ v6@C8:2] xE DE2?5D df 766E E2==[ 2?5 :ED 4C@H? :D fd 766E H:56]k^Am
kAm|2=6 2?5 76>2=6 EC66D 2C6 D6A2C2E6 2?5 5:DE:?4E] x? =2E6 H:?E6C[ 3@E9 EC66D 3=@@> 3FE E96 76>2=6 AC@5F46D 8C66? 7=@H6CD 2?5 E96 >2=6 7=@H6CD 2C6 J6==@H] u6>2=6 EC66D >2<6 3=F6 ‘36CC:6D’ E92E 2C6 24EF2==J D>2==[ 7=6D9J 4@?6D :? E96 DAC:?8[ H9:=6 E96 >2=6 EC66D >2<6 3C@H?[ A@==6?\7:==65 4@?6D] (:?5 DAC625D E96 A@==6? 7C@> >2=6D E@ E96 76>2=6D]k^Am
kAm%96 7@=:286 @7 E9:D EC66 :D D42=6J 2?5 DE:4<J 2?5 42? 36 7:?6 @C 4@2CD6] xE :D 8C66?:D9 2?5 42? G2CJ 7C@> 8C2J\8C66? E@ 3=F6\8C66?] xE 42? 36 3C:89E 8C66? @C 52C<] x? E96 H:?E6C >@?E9D[ :E 42? 2AA62C 3C@?K6\8C66?]k^Am
kAm#65 4652C 962CE H@@5 :D[ :? 724E[ 2 362FE:7F= C65 2?5 4@?E2:?D 2? @:= E92E :D 2 ?2EFC2= :?D64E C6A6==6?E] %92E’D H9J >2?J @=5 4=@D6ED[ H2C5C@36D[ 496DED 2?5 ECF?<D H6C6 =:?65 H:E9 t2DE6C? #65 r652C – :E AC@E64ED H@@=6? 4=@E9:?8 7C@> >@E9D] %96 2C@>2E:4 H@@5 :D 2=D@ D92G65 2?5 FD65 2D <6??6= 3655:?8 E@ AC@E64E 72>:=J A6ED 7C@> 7=62D]k^Am
kAmw6C6 :? E96 566A $@FE9[ t2DE6C? #65 r652CD H6C6 EC25:E:@?2==J FD65 2D r9C:DE>2D EC66D 367@C6 >@56C? EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 3C@F89E 72DE6C\8C@H:?8 DACF46D E@ E96 $@FE9 E92E 925 DE@FE6C 3C2?496D 36EE6C DF:E65 E@ 9@=5:?8 FA 962GJ r9C:DE>2D @C?2>6?ED]k^Am
kAmt2DE6C? #65 r652CD 2C6 :>A@CE2?E E@ >2?J 3:C5D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 4652C H2IH:?8[ H9:49 E2<6D :ED ?2>6 7C@> E96 EC66] |2?J @E96C 3:C5D 2?5 D>2== >2>>2=D 2=D@ 62E E96 36CC:6D[ E2<6 D96=E6C :? E96 EC66’D 3C2?496D 2?5 FD6 :ED EH:8D 7@C ?6DE:?8 >2E6C:2=]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96 36CC:6D 2C6 >:=5=J E@I:4 E@ A6@A=6[ }2E:G6 p>6C:42?D 92G6 FD65 E96> 7@C 46?EFC:6D 7@C 2 ?F>36C @7 >65:4:?2= AFCA@D6D[ :?4=F5:?8 >2<:?8 E62 E@ EC62E 4@F89D 2?5 496H:?8 E96> E@ EC62E 42?<6C D@C6D] rC66<D 2?5 r9@4E2HD :? @FC 2C62 5C2?< @:= 7C@> C65 4652C 36CC:6D E@ EC62E 5JD6?E6CJ] #65 4652C 4@?4@4E:@?D H6C6 2=D@ FD65 E@ EC62E 4@=5D 2?5 C96F>2E:D> 2?5 E@ AC@>@E6 C64@G6CJ 7C@> 49:=53:CE9] qFC?:?8 t2DE6C? #65 r652C =62G6D 2?5 EH:8D AC@5F465 2 D>@<6 E92E H2D :?92=65 E@ EC62E 3C@?49:E:D 2?5 4@=5D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 A6@A=6 E@52J >2<6 2 E62 7C@> 36CCJ\=6DD EH:8D D:>>6C65 :? H2E6C 7@C `_ >:?FE6D 2?5 DEC2:?65 3FE[ 282:?[ :E :D >:=5=J E@I:4 2?5 D9@F=5 @?=J 36 FD65 :? D>2== BF2?E:E:6D] x?86DE:?8 E@@ >F49 t2DE6C? #65 r652C H:== 42FD6 5:2CC962]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 >@DE 72>@FD FD6D @7 ;F?:A6C ‘36CC:6D’ :D E@ 7=2G@C 8:?[ 3FE E92E :D 7C@> 2 C6=2E65 EC66[ ?@E E96 t2DE6C? #65 r652C]k^Am
kAm~E96C 4@>>@? ?2>6D 7@C E96 t2DE6C? #65 r652C :?4=F56 #65 yF?:A6C[ !6?4:= r652C[ #65 $2G:?[ q2E@? #@F86 WH9:49 >62?D ʻC65 DE:4<̓ :? uC6?49X[ ':C8:?:2 yF?:A6C] $@>6E:>6D J@F H:== D66 :ED ?2>6 HC:EE6? 2D @?6 H@C5i #654652C]k^Am
kAmk6>m$@>6 :?7@C>2E:@? 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6 42>6 7C@> E96 {25J q:C5 y@9?D@? (:=57=@H6C r6?E6C[ E96 !:65>@?E |2DE6C v2C56?6CD 2?5 E96 pC3@C s2J u@F?52E:@?]k^6>m k^Am





