Eastern Juniper or Red Cedar

We have a lot of Red Cedar in North East Texas. They can grow into huge trees.

The first picture is the tiny pollen cones which appear in late winter and early spring. The second picture is of the cedar in late summer and fall. It has blue-purple berries with seeds inside. The berries are a great food source for birds, one, was actually named after this tree, the Cedar Waxing. Others include bluebirds and even turkeys. Many mammals also feed off these berries.

The Red Cedar has a wonderful aroma to it's wood, although some people have severe allergies to cedar, especially the cedar pollen. Cedars are dioecious, pollen seed cones and berries are found on different trees. You will not find both on the same tree. Also some insecticides are made from cedar oils.

Click on pictures and see the pollen cones, they look like tiny pine cones.