Eastern Redcedar
Juniperus virginiana
Family: Cupressaceae
Natural History
Branch of eastern redcedar | Photo credit: Larry Korhnak, University of Florida
Eastern redcedar (sometimes called pencil-cedar) is the most widespread juniper in the eastern United States. The tree was once the primary wood used to make pencils, but has been replaced with cheaper woods and synthetic materials.
The popular Gulf Coast town of Cedar Key, Florida was named for its historic abundance of redcedar, and was once home to a large pencil factory. The factory was shut down when all the cedar trees in the area were harvested.