Red Cedar

The tree we call red cedar is not actually a cedar. It’s a species of juniper, Juniperus virginiana. Widely distributed throughout the eastern United States, red cedar is the dominant evergreen conifer in St. Martin Parish forests. (Pine trees have not flourished here as they have in other parts of the state.) Red cedar leaves retain their dark green color through winter, and along with dwarf palmetto, live oak and wax myrtle, keep Atchafalaya forests green any month of the year. Its fragrant berries are prized by birds and small mammals—skunks, opposums, robins, bluebirds, and especially cedar waxwings, who take their name from their connection to this tree.