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Eastern Red Cedar
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This hardy, aromatic tree is the most widely distributed
eastern conifer, ranging from 40 to 60 ft. in height. This species has
distinctly male and female trees. Red cedar can be dangerous to apple orchards
because it acts as an alternate host for the fungal disease, cedar-apple
rust.
NEEDLES: Some scalelike; others 3-sided; in pairs in four rows TWIGS: Four-sided and slender BARK: Reddish-brown; thin and fibrous; shreddy HABITAT: Calcareous sites; floodplains and swamps; abandoned fields and fencerows. USES: The fragrant, rose-brown heartwood is used to make "hopechests,"
gerbil cages lining, and lead pencils. The dry outer bark is excellent
tinder. The wood and leaves provide an oil used for medicine or perfume.
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