Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
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Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) refers to the percentage of a seed lot that consists of the desired species and is viable (capable of germination).
Here's why PLS is crucial for native seeds:
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Accurate Planting:
- PLS helps determine the actual number of viable seeds in a given weight or volume of seed.
- This ensures you plant the correct amount of seed to achieve the desired density and success rate.
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Cost-Effectiveness:
- By knowing the PLS, you can avoid overspending on seed that may not germinate.
- This is especially important for native seeds, which can be more expensive than some cultivated varieties.
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Weed Control:
- PLS helps minimize the presence of weed seeds within the seed lot.
- This reduces competition for resources and ensures the successful establishment of the desired native plants.
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Ecological Restoration:
- Using high-quality native seeds with a high PLS is essential for successful ecological restoration projects.
- It helps to re-establish diverse and resilient plant communities that support local wildlife.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Eastern red cedar is an evergreen tree for open sun and relatively lean ground. It accommodates dry conditions and alkaline soils better than many conifers.
For Juniperus virginiana, choose full sun and mesic to dry soil. Recorded habitats include open upland woods; Rocky bluffs and wooded slopes; Woodland edges; Sandstone and limestone glades; Rocky cliffs; Stabilized sand dunes; Sandy savannas. Reported height: 30-80 ft.
Leave room for the mature branches beside paths and nearby plantings. Growth habit: evergreen tree with an oval to conical crown; reproduces by reseeding. Root structure: shallow, spreading woody roots.
Plant specifications & ecological relationships
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Mesic to dry |
| Height | 30-80 ft |
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Evergreen tree with an oval to conical crown; reproduces by reseeding |
|---|---|
| Root form | Shallow, spreading woody roots |
| Soil pH | Tolerates alkaline soil better than many other conifers; numerical limits are not established |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 2a–9b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Drought tolerance reported in cultivation guidance; establishment needs and duration are not specified. |
| Deer browsing | White-tailed deer browse foliage and twigs to a limited extent. |
| Salt tolerance | Salt tolerance reported in cultivation guidance; dose and exposure route are not specified. |
| Plant toxicity | Poison characteristics are reported; listed parts: flowers, fruits, leaves. Pet safety is not established. |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Juniperus virginiana |
|---|---|
| Other common names | red cedar; Eastern Redcedar |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified. |
| Plant family | Cupressaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 43600 |
Plant characteristics
Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar), although called a Cedar is actually a Juniper. They can lend interest and a delicate texture to any landscape. Plus as they age they take on a weathered, distinguished, almost bonsai look to them. The berries are an important food source for many songbirds because they are high in calorie content. Eastern Red Cedar can be used as a screen in many applications because of their dense year-round foliage, however, if you're really looking for the best native screen, take a look at the White Cedar. Eastern Red Cedar can be very long-lived up to three hundred years so this is an investment that keeps on giving. Certainly, a distinctive tree, particularly as they age.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associates
Illinois plant communities
Mesic black-soil prairie — central Illinois
Recorded at Prospect Cemetery Prairie (Ford County). INHS identifies these sites as remnants of this community.
Selected native plants from the same remnant records:
- Sorghastrum nutans
- Andropogon gerardii
- Sporobolus heterolepis
- Eryngium yuccifolium
- Silphium laciniatum
- Parthenium integrifolium
These inventories include edges and disturbed patches. Shared remnant records do not establish that every plant grows together in one microsite.
Other documented plant associations
These published associations show how this plant fits into natural vegetation. The region and community are identified for each list; moisture, shade and flooding can differ within a community.
Black-maple-dominated forest
Five stands summarized by the North Central Forest Experiment Station; exact localities unspecified
Other regional plant communities
These plants are named with this species in published vegetation accounts. Each list keeps its community and region; some records describe a shared vegetation type rather than neighboring plants in a measured plot. They are ecological records, not a planting recipe, and may include plants unsuitable for a particular garden.
- Eastern redcedar glades (Wisconsin): Amorpha canescens.
- Cedar glades (Wisconsin): Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardii, Euphorbia corollata, Amorpha canescens, Bouteloua hirsuta, Minuartia michauxii var. michauxii, Solidago nemoralis, Tilia americana, Betula populifolia, Juniperus communis.
- Grasslands, woodlands and shrublands (North American range synthesis; associations vary by region): Bouteloua curtipendula.
- Limestone cliffs and redcedar communities (Kentucky): Cercis canadensis.
- Grassland–woodland transitions (Northern and eastern prairie range): Dalea purpurea.
- Mixed pine and hardwood stands (Eastern North America): Pinus echinata, Pinus virginiana, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, Quercus velutina, Quercus marilandica, Carya spp., Juglans nigra.
- Rocky ridges (Northeastern United States): Carya ovata, Ostrya virginiana, Amelanchier arborea, Schizachyrium scoparium, Carex eburnea, Antennaria parlinii.
- Grassland and shrub associates (Prairie region; account synthesis): Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii, Bouteloua curtipendula, Bouteloua gracilis, Pascopyrum smithii, Sorghastrum nutans, Panicum virgatum, Solidago nemoralis, Euphorbia corollata, Rhus glabra, Amorpha canescens, Toxicodendron radicans, Symphoricarpos albus, Shepherdia argentea, Prunus virginiana, Juniperus communis, Cornus racemosa, Ribes spp..
- Cedar glades (Kentucky): Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium, Aristida purpurea, Sorghastrum nutans, Allium cernuum, Baptisia australis, Lespedeza capitata, Euphorbia corollata, Chamaesyce maculata, Gaura filipes, Leavenworthia torulosa, Leavenworthia uniflora, Portulaca oleracea, Cyperus squarrosus, Sedum pulchellum.
- Redcedar-savanna understory (Ontario): Rhus aromatica.
- Redcedar woodland herbs and shrubs (Eastern North America; account synthesis): Rhus aromatica.
- Bluestem prairie (Kansas): Rhus glabra.
- Remnant upland tallgrass prairie (West-central Missouri): Rudbeckia hirta.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FACU |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 0 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Colorado; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Caterpillars & other plant-feeding insects
This plant has published caterpillar host records for the butterflies and moths listed below. These are larval feeding relationships, separate from adult nectar visits. The records span a North American literature compilation and do not establish that every insect occurs locally or uses only this plant.
Moths
- Argyresthia affinis — Juniper Leafminer
- Argyresthia freyella
- Coleotechnites albicostata — White-Edged Coleotechnites
- Coleotechnites australis
- Coleotechnites obliquistrigella
- Coleotechnites occidentis
- Dichomeris marginella — Juniper Webber Moth, Juniper Webworm (listed as introduced in the source)
- Digrammia atrofasciata — Broad-Lined Angle
- Digrammia continuata — Curve-Lined Angle
- Eacles imperialis — Imperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Periploca nigra — Juniper Twig Girder
Other insect & wildlife relationships
Caterpillars this plant can feed
Juniper Hairstreak; Imperial Moth.
- Fruit and shelter: Songbirds and small mammals eat the fleshy cones; the evergreen crown offers winter cover.
Additional published species records; Illinois insect occurrence is not established by this account. These records do not guarantee that every insect occurs at your planting site.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Eastern Red Cedar?
Juniperus virginiana performs best in full sun with dry to dry-mesic (rocky bluffs, glades & pastures) conditions. It thrives in authentic regional soil types ranging from sandy loam to well-drained clay loams.
How do I germinate and establish Eastern Red Cedar from seed?
Seed of Juniperus virginiana has a germination code of C(60). For best results, sow seed in late fall/winter for natural outdoor freeze-thaw stratification, or cold-moist stratify in refrigeration for 30 to 60 days before spring indoor propagation.
Is Eastern Red Cedar deer and herbivore resistant?
Yes. Native plants adapted to Midwestern habitats naturally produce protective secondary compounds and fibrous textures that make them highly resistant to deer, rabbits, and other grazing herbivores.
When should I expect Eastern Red Cedar to emerge and bloom?
Established plants break dormancy in spring as soil temperatures warm, developing vigorous foliage before blooming in their seasonal window to provide vital nectar when native pollinators need it most.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Illinois communities & local records: INHS: Loda, Prospect and Weston prairie records.
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online; USACE National Wetland Plant List.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA Forest Service: black maple; USDA Forest Service: Amorpha canescens; USDA Forest Service: Bouteloua curtipendula; USDA Forest Service: Cercis canadensis; USDA Forest Service: Dalea purpurea; USDA Forest Service: Juniperus virginiana; USDA Forest Service: Rhus aromatica; USDA Forest Service: Rhus glabra; USDA Forest Service: Rudbeckia hirta; USDA NRCS PLANTS; USDA Forest Service: species review; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Wildlife records: Shropshire & Tallamy: caterpillar hosts (2025).
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Data attribution & reuse
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Caterpillar host records: Shropshire, K.J. & Tallamy, D.W. (2025), Lepidoptera of North America, Supplement 1. Contains information from this database made available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). Natural Communities selected species-level records and screened source qualifications. The complete selection and transformation instructions for this page are available below under the same license.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
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Seed Shipping & Care
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