Juniperus virginiana
Southern Red Cedar
- Family: Cupressaceae
- Form: Evergreen coniferous tree reaching 50 feet tall x 20 feet wide, low-branching, oval to pyramidal.
- Leaves: Opposite. Juvenile leaves are green, awl-like, and 0.25 inches long. Adult leaves are dark green, scale-like, and overlapping (4-ranked). Coniferous scent when crushed.
- Stem/Bark: Reddish to dark brown, exfoliating bark peels off in strips leaving a reddish color.
- Flower: Dioecious, yellow staminate cones turning brown when about to release pollen, greenish pistillate cones.
- Fruit: Drupe-like, containing single seed and turning blue when ripe, glaucous.
- Comments: Confusion exists in the literature as to whether J. virginiana and J. silicicola are distinct species or if J. silicicola is a variety of J. virginiana. J. silicicola is native to the southern counties in Florida and reportedly shorter in height with more drooping branches (Adams 1986).
- Additional Resources:
UF IFAS Extension Native Plant Fact Sheet Listings
Wikipedia Link
