This week across northwest Louisiana you might notice a color change in half of our eastern red cedars (
Juniperus virginiana). The male trees of this species are producing multitudes of tiny yellow cones, resulting in an overall change of appearance. Our tree of the week is one such specimen. The individual pictured below is a young eastern red cedar, a little more than 15 years of age, growing in unmistakably man-made conditions. It is changing color, too.
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| Our tree of the week grows on an island in the Mickle Hall parking lot. Initially, the tree volunteered somewhere in the arboretum and was transplanted to a container. Sometime around 2006, Professor Ed Leuck planted the little eastern red cedar in this concrete culvert. It was planted with the hope of making the culvert more conspicuous, thereby reducing vehicular damage and damage to the culvert. |
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| As evinced by the photographs, the tree does not have much
room to grow. It is unknown how much soil and surface area the tree has
access to below the concrete. We positively know that this little spot
does not have its own irrigation unit, so once a month during the
summer, a water hose must be brought out to this concrete box. The
eastern red cedar was selected for this spot because of its drought
tolerance, but we don't want to push our luck! |
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| The knobbiness of the trunk shows that our eastern red cedar has endured much pruning over the years. Its drooping branches have been removed to make way for the vehicles. |
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| This week, this eastern red cedar is of special interest for its golden hue. All of the branches are covered in yellow male cones, resulting in an overall change of color, from dark green to unpolished gold. |
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| The small cones are numerous and appear in clusters. The cones develop from the tips of the branchlets. |
