Hands In The Dirt: Red Cedar

Photo and article by Donna Iverson 

Red Cedar will surprise you. First, it’s the only native evergreen growing wild through the Midwest, including Michigan. And it’s not a cedar, it’s a Juniper, (Juniperus virginiana). 

Red Cedar is one of four plants sacred to the Native Americans. The others are sweetgrass, tobacco, and sage. 

Often planted as a landscape shrub, Red Cedar trees grow to about 18 feet in twenty years.  The native shrub/tree likes full sun and can tolerate dry soil. In fact, it is extremely drought resistant. Red Cedar makes a great windbreak or visual barrier if one is needed.

In the wild, it is found along woodland edges, on prairies, in meadows and pastures, where farmers often remove it because it sucks up groundwater. It is a succession tree, meaning it is one of the first trees to grow in land marred by fire or land clearing.  

A member of the Cypress family, it is not related to the ancient cedars of Europe which are members of the Pine family. The Cedars of Lebanon mentioned in the Bible are now an endangered species.

You can identify the Midwest native cedar by its flat triangular leaves which have scales. The bark is reddish brown and female plants have blue berries, which are actually the seed cones.

​The wood is used to make pencils, fences, furniture, paneling and log cabins. The wood repels pests and mold. Young wood produces an aromatic oil that is used in medicine. It is a vital food source for cedar waxwings.

It attracts other birds and mammals as well, who seek out its berries, shelter, and nesting spots.  Rabbits are especially fond of hiding underneath its branches.  On the downside, it repels bees and butterflies so if you are focusing on pollinators, best to avoid planting Red Cedars.

As for foragers, Red Cedar is a wild edible.  But beware.  There are several toxic lookalikes….Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus,  but if you are sure that what you have is Juniperus virginiana, then it’s twig sprigs can be used for a soothing throat tea and it’s berries for flavoring meat dishes.