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Taylor Eastern Redcedar

Juniperus virginiana (jew-NIP-er-us ver-jin-ee-AY-nah)

Family: Cupressaceae Unknown Understory

Taylor Eastern red cedar is a tall narrow cultivar tree in the Cupressaceae (cypress) family. This tree will grow 20-25 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide with attractive blue-green foliage. Taylor cedar is an adaptable tree that tolerates poor conditions in full to partial sun. The only thing that it doesn't tolerate is wet soil. Do not give this tree much fertilizer or plant in humus-rich soil. It is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant and poor soils tolerant. Use as a screen or as an accent along a driveway or at entrances. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Typically problem-free but Cedar apple rust can occur. See the "Pests of Conifers" fact sheet to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common juniper diseases and insect pests. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Juniperus virginiana .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 42 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Cupressus sempervirens Hesperocyparis glabra Syringa pubescens subsp. pubescens

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Columnar; Erect
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Scale-like foliage is blue-green to gray-green and aromatic.
Flower detail
No flowers
Fruit detail
This is a male tree so no blue berry-like cones are produced
Bark detail
Dark gray to brown bark that exfoliates in thin strips
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Pool/Hardscape; Small Space; Vertical Spaces; Walkways
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Accent; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#narrow form #columnar #drought tolerant #needled evergreen #deer resistant #landscape plant sleuths course #hedge #accent #poor soil tolerant #screen
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Drought; Dry Soil; Poor Soil
Particularly resistant to
deer
Fire risk
high flammability

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.