Eastern Red Cedars As An Invasive Species

[Okie Hog]

Eastern red cedars (Virginia cedars) were not a problem in the plains states until the settlers came along.   Wild fires kept cedars under control.   For many years fires have been suppressed and cedars have thrived.  

Cedars in oak forests inhibit acorn production because of their high water demands.   Cedars with their spreading and low branches cover a lot of area.   Two of my properties have cedar problems.  Every couple years i go on a crusade with a brush saw, cutting small cedars.  

On one 160 acre place i owned the cedars were growing among the mature oak trees.  Spent thousands of dollars with a rented machine cutting mature cedars and spraying the stumps.   With the cedars gone there was a very noticeable improvement in the ground moisture.   Acorn production increased dramatically.

Talked with a rancher whose grandfather remembered when a dry stream on the family property ran with water all year long.  The rancher bought a big tree cutter for a tractor and went at the cedars.  After removing over 600 mature cedars the stream ran again.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Can't you harvest them and make some coin while cutting them back? 
Lotsa uses for cedar... or, am I confusing species?

 

[exMember]

depends on the tree size. A lot out towards the east or the plains are short and stubby. Where I live, the cedars can get 20 feet + tall with 3 foot diameter trunks. I don't mind the cedar but I'll be clearing them from my plot later in the month. Got to replant it. She lasted 3 years and hardly any clover left this year.

 

[Okie Hog]

Can't you harvest them and make some coin while cutting them back? 

Sold a lot of cedar posts and some logs when i cleaned up the place east of I-35.

 

[oneshot1]

Here we sell Red Cedar for Lumber and Shavings.

oneshot

 

[Marty1]

Juniperus Virginiana( Eastern Red Cedar ) also grows indoors and is native to the Northeast.  Here's an ongoing bonsai project of mine.  My red cedar tree is now about 14" high.

 

[Sharpsman]

I've seen one place slightly west of Medicine Lodge, Kansas....must have been at least 1000 acres or so whereby the owner thereof hired a giant backhoe to come in and knock over all the cedars/dig up any remaining stump material and ground up same for shavings! These folks raise cattle and hate cedars worse than the devil hates holy water!! :affraid:

Cedars DO MAKE....a good place for a turkey hunter to blind up from and I've used them that way quite often! :bom: :cheers:

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

Juniperus Virginiana( Eastern Red Cedar ) also grows indoors and is native to the Northeast.  Here's an ongoing bonsai project of mine.  My red cedar tree is now about 14" high.

Marty? You get a lot of wind indoors that you need to stake your bonsai tree? :joker:

 

[RonRC]

We have the Tamarisk playing a similar invasive species role. They tend to grow on riparian lands (next to streams) and take up large amounts of groundwater and can impact natural systems and destroy native wildlife habitat. The Colorado River is an area that has been impacted for many decades. Now the tamarisk has spread to such an extent that it has altered the natural functions and processes of many stream floodplains though out the Rockies.
They were first brought to North America in the 1800s from Southern Europe or the eastern Mediterranean region. they were used as ornamentals and to stabilize stream banks with their dense thickets. Eradication efforts are underway.
Ron

 

[Marty1]

After all the work I put into it 'Colonel, it I don't want to lose it to a tornado!  :lol:

 

[Okie Hog]

Dealing with cedars is the most exasperating thing.   Big cedars with the low hanging limbs are a pain to cut with a chainsaw:  It was very time consuming.   The big Bobcat  shear worked very well.  

RonC is right about Tamarisk.   Here they call the stuff "salt cedar".   Tamarisk has  trashed ponds here. 

Luckily there is none on our property-yet!!