Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor' (Eastern Red Cedar)

Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor' is a well-regarded eastern red cedar cultivar which offers an attractive and columnar growth habit up to 15-25' feet tall, but only 3-4' wide, making it a great medium sized juniper for hedges, privacy screens, or specimen planting. With its feathery green scale-like foliage, 'Taylor' junipers lend elegance and verticality to the landscape, but this cultivar is much more hardy than its delicate looks would suggest. Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor' is tolerant of poor, dry soils including especially rocky sites and those polluted with black walnut phytochemicals; 'Taylor' is additionally resistant to both drought and soil erosion, with its dense, fibrous roots making it a great addition to breezy sites as a wind-break.

As a dioecious plant, male redcedars will produce pollen cones through the spring and summer, while female plants produce berry-like structures in the late summer and fall which are highly attractive to native songbirds including the cedar waxwing; this cultivar is an all-male form which does not produce the telltale berry-like cones that the plant is occasionally known for. While the absence of berries may make 'Taylor' junipers slightly less desirable to birds, their even foliage makes them perfect for grouping to form a border hedge where birds can nest and find plenty of shelter from the elements; in addition, while they don't produce flowers, juniper trees also make an excellent addition for pollinator garden borders, where butterfly larvae can feed on their foliage. 'Taylor' is not at all picky about soil type, as long as it's relatively dry and well draining, and these trees make for an excellent native inclusion in a variety of garden and landscape locations.