Oakleif, I've often gazed longingly at those cedars. There's a big patch near the Clarksville airport, and I've seen another patch along the freeway at the AR/OK border. It seems to be Juniperus virginica, our common eastern red, but it's got to be a subspecies or variety. Someone should start growing these, as they are remarkable landscape trees. I know cedars are frowned upon due to the cedar-apple rust fungus that is bad for apples. On the cedar the fungus makes a wild bright orange star trek looking alien.

The odd cedars would be very slow growers, I assume, and this might be a problem for nurserymen. They would, however, be a wonderful substitute for Italian cypress which don't do well here at all. I wish someone at the University would go ahead and start working on these.

Thanks pauln, They do grow fairly fast. I've been watching those at the airport for several years and there are some more at the hwy21 exit (Walmart exit) of I-40. Would'nt it be great to find a new species?
vickie

Vickie,

There are several hybrid varieties of Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) that are rather columnar in growth habit, and you may be seeing one of them.

The variety 'Skyrocket" reaches a mature height of 25' to 35' while only spreading out 6' to 8' across.

The variety 'Brodie' gets about 25' tall and only 4' wide.

The variety 'Emerald Sentinel" is also columnar in form, but I don't know exactly how tall or wide it gets.

'Glauca' is a silvery-blue Eastern Red Cedar that is more columnar than pyramidal.

A different tree that is also very columnar and has a similar but not identical appearance is Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) 'Emerald' which gets 10-15 feet tall and only 3 to 4 feet wide.

Dawn

Thanks Dawn, I know they are'nt arborvitae. The originals are at least 25' tall and abt 4' wide.
The hybrids with our native red cedar are not quite as tall and wider. I love both kinds. I guess i'll have to go to the factory and ask if i can get a seedling.
vickie