Introductory
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



ABBREVIATION : 
JUNSIL

SYNONYMS : 
   Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola (Small) Bailey
   J. v. var bermudiana Vassey
   J. lacayana Britt.
   J. bermudiana L.
   J. barbadensis L.
   Sabina silicicola Small


SCS PLANT CODE : 
   JUSI


COMMON NAMES : 
   southern redcedar
   redcedar
   sand cedar
   coast juniper
   eastern redcedar


TAXONOMY : 
The accepted scientific name for southern redcedar is Juniperus
silicicola (Small) Bailey [13,14,34].  However, a number of authors of
recent publications [1,4,5,6,12,17] contend that this entity is better
treated as J. virginiana var. silicicola.  Adams [1], who did a
multivariate analysis of morphological and chemical characteristics,
found that such analysis failed to separate the coastal populations
(silicicola) on the basis of scale leaf length, pollen cone length,
ovulate cone size, and twig size (characters used to distinguish
silicicola from virginiana).  Furthermore, although multivariate
analysis of terpenoid profiles gives discrete status to adjoining inland
and coastal groups, these groups are very close.  The coastal
populations tend to have cinnamon-colored rather than brownish bark, and
a rounded rather than pyramidal crown.  Also, eastern redcedar will
naturally hybridize with southern redcedar [15]


LIFE FORM : 
Tree

FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : 
No special status

OTHER STATUS : 



COMPILED BY AND DATE : 
Janet Sullivan, January 1993


LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : 
NO-ENTRY


AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : 
Sullivan, Janet. 1993. Juniperus silicicola. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
Southern redcedar is restricted to the outer coastal plain and barrier
islands of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico; it
ranges from North Carolina south to central Florida, across the Florida
peninsula and west along the Gulf coast to eastern Texas [24,31].


ECOSYSTEMS : 
   FRES13  Loblolly - shortleaf pine
   FRES14  Oak - pine
   FRES16  Oak - gum - cypress
   FRES41  Wet grasslands


STATES : 
     AL  FL  GA  LA  MS  NC  SC


ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : 
     CUIS  FOCA


BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
NO-ENTRY


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K080  Marl - everglades
   K090  Live oak - sea oats
   K111  Oak - hickory - pine forest
   K112  Southern mixed forest


SAF COVER TYPES : 
    73  Southern redcedar
    74  Cabbage palmetto
    81  Loblolly pine
    84  Slash pine
   104  Sweetbay - swamp tupelo - redbay


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
NO-ENTRY


HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
NO-ENTRY

VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
The wood of southern redcedar is close grained, light, soft, fragrant,
and very durable.  The wood is used for chests, wardrobes, closet
linings, flooring, and scientific instruments.  The decay-resistant
heartwood is valued for fenceposts.  Young trees are used as Christmas
trees [39].  Southern redcedar is commercially important but the supply
of timber is limited [36].

Southern redcedar was in great demand for pencil production in Florida
in the nineteenth century; the majority of the wood used by two large
pencil factories in the town of Cedar Key.  A hurricane in 1896 destroyed
these factories and terminated a major portion of such use [37].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Southern redcedar "berries" are used for food by birds (particularly
cedar waxwings, grosbeaks, and finches) and mammals (including the
armadillo, black bear, gray fox and opossum).  The twigs and foliage are
browsed by cottontail rabbits and by hoofed browsers [27,33].  Johnsen
and Alexander [18] list southern redcedar as useful for wildlife habitat
and for environmental forestry.  Junipers (Juniperus spp.) provide
important protective and nesting cover.  They are preferred nest sites
for chipping sparrows, robins, song sparrows and mockingbirds [27].  The
cover types that southern redcedar occurs in are important as nesting
habitat for many birds that feed in aquatic habitats.  Many migratory
birds occur in this habitat in winter [16].


PALATABILITY : 
Southern redcedar "berries" are highly palatable to many species of
birds and mammals [27].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Southern redcedar is valued as an ornamental, both for residential uses
and along roads [18,39].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Selective harvesting of southern redcedar in the nineteenth century for
pencil manufacturing essentially eliminated it as an overstory species.
Leaving the live oak (Quercus virginiana) overstory in place probably
prevented regeneration of southern redcedar, reducing its abundance in
coastal and inland forests [39].

Seeds of southern redcedar can either be sown in fall or spring, but
spring-sown seeds should be cold stratified [19,39].  Germination of
seeds takes from 4 to 5 weeks. The seedlings are sensitive to
overheating and should be placed under light shade [39].

Southern redcedar can be propagated by cuttings or grafting [39].

Southern redcedar can be infested by cedar-apple rust (Gymnosporangium
juniperi-virginianae) and consequently should not be planted near apple
orchards [27].  Bagworms (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) have been
observed feeding on the foliage [28].  Eastern redcedar can be heavily
damaged by cedar blight (Phormopsis juniperovora); presumably the blight
can also attack southern redcedar [39].  Junipers are also susceptible
to various wood rots [39].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : 
Southern redcedar is a native, dioecious evergreen tree.  The average
height in secondary forests is 30 to 50 feet (9-15 m) [31,36,39].  The
Texas champion tree is 75 feet tall [31].  Some of the virgin redcedar
stands along the Apalachee Bay in Florida may have been over 100 feet
tall (30 m).  It is possible that second-growth forests of this
slow-growing, long-lived species have not yet reached mature height
[36,39].  When southern redcedar is grown in the open, the branches
spread to form a broad irregular crown, with the upper branches erect
and the lower branches pendulous.  In more crowded stands, southern
redcedar tends to have a more symmetrical, narrow, pointed crown [36].
As are other junipers, southern redcedar is aromatic [36].  The bark of
southern redcedar is thin and shreddy [36,39].  The mature ovulate cones
are berrylike and bright blue [29].  The root system is shallow [31].


RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : 
   Phanerophyte


REGENERATION PROCESSES : 
Sexual reproduction:  The seeds of southern redcedar have dormant
embryos; germination may be delayed until the second or third spring
after seeds are mature [3].  Cold stratification hastens germination; it
is also likely that scarification by passage through animal digestive
tracts is also effective [39].  Data on frequency of good seed crops are
lacking.  Eastern redcedar is known to produce some seeds every year,
with irregular heavy seed crops; it is likely that southern redcedar
behaves in a similar fashion.  Seed dispersal is usually by birds.
Cleaned seeds average from 37,000 to 55,000 per pound
(81,600-121,300/kg) [18,39].

Eastern redcedar is reported as a nonsprouting species; southern
redcedar is probably similar, although Godfrey [12] mentions sprouting
of young trees after injury.


SITE CHARACTERISTICS : 
Southern redcedar almost always occurs within 30 miles (50 km) of
seawater or in areas with shallow water tables [31,39].  Although it
usually occurs on sandy, moist but not saturated soils, it occasionally
occurs on acidic clay soils in Texas [31,39].  Southern redcedar may be
found on soil types that include Alfisols, Entisols, Inceptisols,
Spodosols, and Ultisols [39].  Southern redcedar occurs on calcareous
hammocks, coastal hammocks, brackish flats, shell middens, dunes,
bluffs, and secondary woods, and will colonize dredge spoil islands
[4,5,6,39].  Southern redcedar is found inland in river swamps and along
stream and creek margins in low woods [36].

Southern redcedar is abundant in hydric hammock communities in Florida,
most often occurring with cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) and live oak
in areas between pine flatwoods and freshwater marshes [35].

Southern redcedar occurs in oak (Quercus virginiana, Q. marilandica)
scrub and in live oak forests that are established on the backdunes of
barrier islands off the east coast of the Florida peninsula [19].

Overstory associates not listed in Distribution and Occurrence include
spruce pine (Pinus glabra), live oak, laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia),
southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), American holly (Ilex opaca)
[21,39].  Understory associates include yaupon (Ilex vomitoris),
southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera), devilwood (Osmanthus americanus),
Carolina laurelcherry (Prunus caroliniana), beautyberry (Callicarpa
americana), bumelia (Bumelia spp.), tree sparkleberry (Vaccinium
arboreum), muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia), and greenbriers (Smilax
spp.) [39].


SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : 
Facultative Seral Species

Southern redcedar is classified as intolerant to very intolerant of
shade, although it can become established in partial shade.  The dense
shade of hardwoods may retard reestablishment of cedar-dominated
maritime forests [39].  Southern redcedar tends to occur in open forests
or on sand dunes where light is not limiting.

Southern redcedar is not an early colonizer of sand dunes; it is usually
found in established dune communities such as oak scrub or live oak,
inland of the foredunes [19].


SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : 
Southern redcedar pollen is shed from staminate cones in January and
February; ovulate conelets are pollinated at this time and mature slowly
through the spring and summer.  Ovulate conelets are mature by October
to November of their first year; conelets persist into winter, but most
are eaten by birds [5,6,12,39].  Seeds are dormant and germination of
seeds occurs in the spring, although it may be delayed 2 to 3 years
[39].

FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : 
Southern redcedar occurs on outer coastal sites that rarely burn.  Fire
is considered the worst natural enemy of eastern redcedar; southern
redcedar is similar to eastern redcedar in that it has thin bark and
shallow roots which are easily damaged by fire.  It is probable that
southern redcedar is equally susceptible to fire damage and mortality
[23,40].  On inland sites where it is a minor species and fires are more
frequent, southern redcedar suffers damage and mortality due to fire.
However, at current levels of fire suppression, fire damage may be less
prevalent now then in the past [39].


POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : 
   Tree without adventitious-bud root crown
   Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : 
Southern redcedar seedlings and saplings are killed by light-severity
fire [23,39].  Mature trees are also easily damaged or killed by fire
[39,40].


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : 
NO-ENTRY


PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : 
Southern redcedar is probably a nonsprouting species, since the closely
related eastern redcedar is nonsprouting [23].  Godfrey [12], however,
mentions the existence of sprouts of damaged saplings or seedlings.
Further information is lacking.

As a result of fire suppression, eastern redcedar has colonized areas
where it has not existed for a long time, and it is probable that
southern redcedar would do the same if hardwood invaders are controlled
[34].  Southern redcedar seeds are dispersed by birds and could colonize
opened areas.


DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : 
NO-ENTRY


FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
NO-ENTRY

REFERENCES
SPECIES: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar 



REFERENCES : 

 .  Adams, R. P. 1975. Statistical character weighing and similarity,
       stability [in numerical taxonomy  tested on Juniperus]. Brittonia. 27:
       305-316.  [19790]

 .  Adams, Robert P. 1986. Geographic variation in Juniperus silicicola & J.
       virginiana of the southeastern U.S.: multivariate analyses of morphology
       & terpenoids. Taxon. 35(1): 61-75.  [19792]

 .  Bush, C. S.; Martin, J. F. 1968. Native trees and plants for Florida
       landscaping. Agric. Bull. 193. Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of
       Agriculture. 133 p.  [19798]

 .  Clewell, Andre F. 1985. Guide to the vascular plants of the Florida
       Panhandle. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State University Press. 605 p. 
       [13124]

 .  Duncan, Wilbur H.; Duncan, Marion B. 1987. The Smithsonian guide to
       seaside plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts from Louisiana to
       Massachusetts, exclusive of lower peninsular Florida. Washington, DC:
       Smithsonian Institution Press. 409 p.  [12906]

 .  Duncan, Wilbur H.; Duncan, Marion B. 1988. Trees of the southeastern
       United States. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press. 322 p. 
       [12764]

 .  Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
       Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p.  [905]

 .  Ferguson, E. R.; Lawson, E. R.; Maple, W. R.; Mesavage, C. 1968.
       Managing eastern redcedar. Res. Pap. SO-37. New Orleans, LA: U.S.
       Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment
       Station. 14 p.  [19813]

 .  Fernald, Merritt Lyndon. 1950. Gray's manual of botany. [Corrections
       supplied by R. C. Rollins]. Portland, OR: Dioscorides Press. 1632 p.
       (Dudley, Theodore R., gen. ed.; Biosystematics, Floristic & Phylogeny
       Series; vol. 2).  [14935]

.  Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
       1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range
       ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p.  [998]

.  Gill, T. G.; Phelps, R. B. 1969. Wood used in manufacturing industries.
       Statistical Bulletin 440. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. [pages unknown].  [19794]

.  Godfrey, Robert K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern
       Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. Athens, GA: The University of
       Georgia Press. 734 p.  [10239]

.  Hall, M. T. 1952. A hybrid swarm in Juniperus. Evolution. 6: 347-366. 
       [19793]

.  Hall, Marion T. 1952. Variation and hybridization in Juniperus. Missouri
       Botanical Gardens Annual. 39: 1-64.  [19795]

.  Hall, Marion T. 1961. Notes on cultivated junipers. Butler University
       Botanical Studies. 14: 73-90.  [19796]

.  Hamel, Paul B.; LeGrand, Harry E., Jr.; Lennartz, Michael R.;
       Gauthreaux, Sidney A., Jr. 1982. Bird-habitat relationships on
       southeastern forest lands. Gen. Tech. Rep. SE-22. Asheville, NC: U.S.
       Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest
       Experiment Station. 417 p.  [15423]

.  Hart, Jeffrey A.; Price, Robert A. 1990. The genera of Cupressaceae
       (including Taxodiaceae) in the southeastern United States. Journal of
       the Arnold Arboretum. 71(3): 275-322.  [14597]

.  Johnsen, Thomas N., Jr.; Alexander, Robert A. 1974. Juniperus L.
       juniper. In: Schopmeyer, C. S., tech. coord. Seeds of woody plants in
       the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service: 460-469.  [1268]

.  Johnson, Ann F.; Barbour, Michael G. 1990. Dunes and maritime forests.
       In: Myers, Ronald L.; Ewel, John J., eds. Ecosystems of Florida.
       Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Press: 430-480.  [17394]

.  Kartesz, John T.; Kartesz, Rosemarie. 1980. A synonymized checklist of
       the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. Volume
       II: The biota of North America. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North
       Carolina Press; in confederation with Anne H. Lindsey and C. Richie
       Bell, North Carolina Botanical Garden. 500 p.  [6954]

.  Kossuth, Susan V.; Michael, J. L. 1990. Pinus glabra Walt.  spruce pine.
       In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators.
       Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654..
       Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 355-358.
       [13195]

.  Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation
       of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
       American Geographical Society. 77 p.  [1384]

.  Lawson, Edwin R. 1990. Juniperus virginiana L.  eastern redcedar. In:
       Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical coordinators. Silvics
       of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric. Handb. 654. Washington, DC:
       U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 131-140.  [13378]

.  Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1971. Atlas of the United States trees. Volume 1.
       Conifers and important hardwoods. Misc. Publ. 1146. Washington, DC: U.S.
       Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 320 p.  [1462]

.  Little, Elbert L., Jr. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native
       and naturalized). Agric. Handb. 541. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 375 p.  [2952]

.  Lyon, L. Jack; Stickney, Peter F. 1976. Early vegetal succession
       following large northern Rocky Mountain wildfires. In: Proceedings, Tall
       Timbers fire ecology conference and Intermountain Fire Research Council
       fire and land management symposium; 1974 October 8-10; Missoula, MT. No.
       14. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station: 355-373.  [1496]

.  Martin, Alexander C.; Zim, Herbert S.; Nelson, Arnold L. 1951. American
       wildlife and plants. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. 500 p. 
       [4021]

.  Poe, S. L.; Reinart, James A. 1980. Arthropods associated with topical
       urban landscape plants. VI. Southern redcedar, Juniperus silicicola
       (Small) Bailey. In: Proceedings, Southern Nurseryman's Association
       research conference; [Date of conference unknown]; Nashville, TN. [Place
       of publication unknown]. [Publisher unknown]. 121-122.  [19791]

.  Radford, Albert E.; Ahles, Harry E.; Bell, C. Ritchie. 1968. Manual of
       the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of
       North Carolina Press. 1183 p.  [7606]

.  Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
       geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p.  [2843]

.  Simpson, Benny J. 1988. A field guide to Texas trees. Austin, TX: Texas
       Monthly Press. 372 p.  [11708]

.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982.
       National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
       SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p.  [11573]

.  Van Dersal, William R. 1938. Native woody plants of the United States,
       their erosion-control and wildlife values. Washington, DC: U.S.
       Department of Agriculture. 362 p.  [4240]

.  Van Haverbeke, David F.; Read, Ralph A. 1976. Genetics of eastern
       redcedar. Res. Pap. WO-32. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
       Agriculture, Forest Service. 17 p.  [9220]

.  Vince, Susan W.; Humphrey, Stephen R.; Simons, Robert W. 1989. The
       ecology of hydric hammocks:  A community profile. Biological Rep.
       85(7.26). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and
       Wildlife Service, Research and Development. 82 p.  [17976]

.  Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest.
       Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p.  [7707]

.  Ward, Daniel B. 1989. Commercial utilization of Atlantic white cedar
       (Chamaecyparis thyoides, Cupressaceae). Economic Botany. 43(3): 386-415.
       [9674]

.  Webb, R. S. 1990. Growing redcedar in Florida. Circular of the Florida
       cooperative extension service. The Service. GainesvilleGainesville, FL. 
       [19797]

.  Wilhite, L. P. 1990. Juniperus silicicola (Small) Bailey  southern
       redcedar. In: Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H., technical
       coordinators. Silvics of North America. Volume 1. Conifers. Agric.
       Handb. 654. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest
       Service: 127-130.  [13377]

.  Wright, Henry A.; Bailey, Arthur W. 1982. Fire ecology: United States
       and southern Canada. New York: John Wiley & Sons. 501 p.  [2620]

.  Silba, J. 1984. A new combination in Juniperus barbadensis L.
       Phytologia. 56: 339-341.  [19814]

Related categories for Species: Juniperus silicicola | Southern Redcedar