Eastern Redcedar

Eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana, is a conifer of the family Cupressaceae and, despite its common name, a juniper rather than a true cedar, native to a wide swath of eastern North America. A hardy pioneer species, it readily colonizes abandoned fields and disturbed ground, and its aromatic, decay-resistant reddish heartwood has long been used for cedar chests, closet linings and pencils, prized for naturally repelling moths and insects.