Twigs: At first covered with a bluish white coating, becoming dull brown and with numerous short spurs. Buds round, small, ¹/₁₆″ long, dark red.
Fruit: A cone, about ¾″ long, egg-shaped, upright, often remains attached for several years after ripening in the fall.
General: Bark smooth at first, later becoming scaly, dark brown. A medium-sized tree. Only cone-bearing tree native to Pennsylvania that loses its needles annually. Found locally in moist situations. Wood used chiefly for paper pulp, lumber, posts and railroad ties. European larch (L. decidua) and Japanese larch (L. leptolepis) are more commonly planted in the State. [Eastern larch] is also known as tamarack.
EASTERN REDCEDAR
(Juniperus virginiana)
Leaves: [Evergreen], opposite, two types (often on the same tree): the older more common kinds are scale-like and only ¹/₁₆″-³/₃₂″ long, while the young sharp-pointed ones may be up to ¾″ in length; whitish lines on the upper surface.
Twigs: Slender, usually 4-sided, becoming reddish brown. Buds small and not readily noticeable.
Fruit: Bluish berry-like, covered with a whitish powder, about ¼″ in diameter; flesh sweet and resinous: contains 1-2 seeds. Ripens the first year.
General: Bark reddish brown, peeling off in stringy and flaky strips. Usually has a conical crown. Prefers limestone and shale soils. A small to medium-sized tree. Wood used chiefly for fence posts and “cedar chests.” Slow of growth; long-lived.
