Red Cedar: Friend or Foe? Exploring Management and Markets

This video explores the pros and cons of Eastern red cedar trees. Known as an aggressive native, if not managed well, the species can spread and become a nuisance, potentially causing a negative impact on the landscape. Yet, if managed well, red cedars offer many benefits. Research indicates red cedars improve soil quality and play an important role in sequestering carbon. Red cedars are hearty and survive extreme weather conditions, providing valuable shelter and food for wildlife. The rot-resistant wood is used for stream bank stabilization and has timber value. Researchers continue to develop new ways of using red cedar chemical compounds, including uses for medicine.

Extension Agroforestry Education Team:
Diomy S. Zamora and Gary Wyatt

Featuring, in order of appearance:
Tom Sauer, Soil Scientist, United States Department of Agriculture Ag Research Service, Iowa State University
Nicholas Snavely, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Assistant Area Wildlife Manager
Gary Gohmann, Clearview Elementary School Forest Co-Chair
Andrea Kay Coulter, Clearview Elementary School Forest Co-Chair
Ken Ramler, Cedar Wood Carving Artist

Video produced and directed by Audrey Favorito

[CiaofCleburne]

I have 17 acres in Missouri in an old forest that’s been left unmanaged. There are many red cedars on my property and I absolutely love them. I’m currently removing small understory saplings of various types to allow my cedars to spread out. I’ve also cut away many if the lower branches because of the overcrowding. Its so beautiful against the backdrop of our pond. So much wildlife in and among our trees.

[IsleOfFeldspar]

I love ‘em. They’re beautiful and can grow on poor sites. The wood looks and smells wonderful. I know they wipe out the apple, but apple isn’t native. I planted one near my front door and appreciate it every day.

[e.miller]

As eastern and western red cedar are not cedars, but junipers, they share characteristics with other junipers. While they provide organic matter to the soil around them their "leaves" tend to not break down into humus and act as a deterant to grasses. Some birds and squirrels use the bark for nesting. The wood is brittle so that they don't do well ice buildup in the winter.

[alessandrotozzi]

Charcoal of Eastern Red Cedar is very useful for making black powder. 🤠🧨

[IsabelRodriguez-nvue]

Thank you very much for this video and the information shared about this tree. Good images and illustrations. Truly helpful in understanding its characteristics and very interesting.

[jesseknox]

Look im a landowner in south east Iowa. I have sheared 20 acres and just got done mulching 20 acres this year. You have provided markets for potential use and it is a beautiful wood, but my question is: if theres a demand why aren't loggers knocking on my door for cedar? I have had 3 different foresters telling me "cedars are not worth your time". Over the past 10 years of trying to find a market for a decent price Ive come to the conclusion cedars have a market but there is such a huge supply the price is not worth your time. Im interested in oak management, prairie management, oak savanna not trying to make a few bucks off a cedar tree.

Only good market i have heard of is for slickback cedars. Size of a steering wheel and clean no branches the first 12'. All I have is shrubby cedars. I have 5 that meet that requirement out of 40 acres. Ill keep them, but all i had was a barren wasteland for no turkey broods, no fawns, no quail habitat for a long period of time. If theres a place with solid numbers you have my attention, but were losing valuable habitat and eastern red cedars diminish habitat return and future oak-hickory than its worth.

[Gnarmarmilla]

The birds brought me 9 of these via there droppings on my little half acre property here near the lower Kaskaskia river near Baldwin, Illinois. I love them, they’re so beautiful. It’s been amazing how they have been surviving in the under story and covered beneath some shrubs on my property, I think they are being sustained by an arbuscular mycorrhizal root network.
Thank you for the information, this is very interesting. I want to visit Minnesota, in so thankful that you people haven’t let people devour your forest like so much of the world. Please keep it beautiful and rewild the places that man has destroyed, for the sake of all mankind.
Peace and blessings to you

[Marta_is_here]

That’s juniper…it has juniper berries.
Why is it called cedar?

[KieraCameron]

If you don't like it, make it into tongue and groove flooring and sell it to me.