Q: I found this young tree growing right next to the house. I relocated to the spot shown. Can you tell me what type of evergreen it is? It’s planted 15-18 feet from the creek and will occasionally flood; do I need to move it? And last, It has a great purple color to it now, is there a way to enhance that?

A: It’s an Eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana. It’s common along Sothern fence rows because birds eat and spread the seeds. The purple color is common in winter on young trees but it won’t be quite so noticeable as it gets bigger.

Redcedar wood was in great demand in the early 1800’s when pencils were first manufactured in the Americas. The wood is light weight, with a straight grain that is easy to shape.

Redcedar is a tough native tree but despite being native, it doesn’t like being flooded. The mature size is 40 feet tall and 25 feet wide. You need to keep that in mind because I think it needs to be moved. You should have no problem moving it now.

See Pencil History

Trees and Flooding

redcedar

redcedar