Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Red Cedar is a tough, irrepressible evergreen that can survive where other plants cannot. To Native Americans the Eastern red cedar was and still is used in ceremonies. Regarded as a holy tree, it has often been burned in purification rituals and sweat lodges. When burned, cedar acts as a purifier, cleansing the area in which it is burned and emitting a pleasant scent. Male trees produce thousands of tiny brown cones, while female trees are often covered in rich blue cones that are a favorite of many birds. A native tree, it is tolerant of heat, salt and a wide range of soils. It grows up to 40 to 50 feet and produces rounded fruit that is actually a cone. It grows in a pyramidal shape and is sun-loving.