Identifying Characteristics
| Size/Form: | Eastern redcedar is a small to medium-sized evergreen, with a short, bushy trunk and dense, low branches. The trees have a tapered, narrowly pyramidal shape and grow to heights of 40 to 50 feet, with trunks 1 to 2 feet in diameter. The root system is deep. |
| Leaves: | The trees produce two types of leaves. Young leaves are awl-shaped, oppositely arranged and stick out along small branches. Older leaves are tiny, scale-like, triangular-shaped, and appressed (closely over-lapping) in a 2 or 4-ranked pattern along the branches. Both are dark to light green in color, but the older leaves have a silvery-white cast. All leaves turn brown eventually and may persist on the tree for several seasons. |
| Twigs: | The twigs are angled and reddish-brown. |
| Bark: | The bark is reddish-brown and shreds easily into long, thin strips. |
| Pollen/Seed Cones: | The eastern redcedar is a dioecious species but may occasionally be monoecious. The yellow-brown male pollen cones are small and occur in large groups. The female seed cones are light blue-green in color. |
| Seeds: | The seed is about ¼ inch wide, with a waxy, blue, resinous coating. The seeds are about 1/6 inch long, sharp pointed, and wingless, and they persist on the tree through winter. |
Similar Trees on the Florida 4-H Forest Ecology Contest List:
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