Enjoy this Florida native as your Christmas tree, then for years to come | Sally Scalera
If you’re considering adding a tree to your yard, there are many from which to choose, and they come in all different sizes. Some trees produce flowers, attract wildlife, have deciduous foliage or are evergreen.
One of our native trees, southern redcedar, Juniperus silicicola, is a wonderful evergreen tree that provides berries if it’s a female tree and bird nesting spots.
As a juvenile plant, the southern redcedar has a perfect Christmas tree shape, resembling a shrub rather than a tree. A young container-grown tree can be purchased, brought home, and decorated for the holidays. Instead of throwing the Christmas tree away in January, it can be planted in the yard in the spring and enjoyed for decades to come.
The southern redcedar is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 30-45 feet and a spread of 20-30 feet. The dense growth and attractive foliage make southern redcedar a good choice for screening a bad view, and its high salt tolerance makes it ideal for seaside locations. Cedar Key once had extensive southern redcedar forests before the lumber was harvested and the fragrant wood used for chests and pencils.
Southern redcedars can be planted in full sun or partial shade and grow in various soils, though growth may be poor in over-irrigated landscapes. It is best to purchase smaller trees versus larger trees, because they will require less water and time to become established.
Be sure to check the root ball for circling roots, which will affect the tree's ability to produce a healthy, extensive root system. If circling roots are visible around the outside of the root ball, cut the root ball to make it into the shape of a square.
A root must be cut off in a spot before it hits the side of the container and takes a turn. Otherwise, it will continually grow in a circling pattern.
It’s also detrimental to plant the root ball too deep. The top of the root ball can be even with the surrounding soil or a little bit above.
To give your newly planted tree (and shrubs, too) the best chance for a long life, add some granular mycorrhizae and beneficial bacteria into the planting hole. Companies that make granular inoculum include Plant Success and Xtreme Gardening. While you are at it, add some earthworm castings and charged biochar to the planting hole.
After the tree has been planted, it will require only three things: water, water and water.
When watering, apply one inch of water around the tree from the trunk to out past the root ball a few feet. Apply one inch of water every three days until the newly planted tree has established its new root system. You’ll know the tree is established when it begins to produce new growth.
At this point, the tree will do fine with little help from you.
Southern redcedar trees come in either male or female plants. Female plants will produce small, round, blue berries. Birds love the berries and will also nest in the tree. When purchasing a young tree in the nursery, there will be no way of knowing if the tree is male or female. Only mature trees flower, so it will take years to determine whether the tree will produce berries.
As young southern redcedars grow, it’s important to ensure they only have one central leader or trunk. If more than one branch reaches the same height, choose one to be the central leader and prune any other tall branches back about halfway, even if the branch grows vigorously out to the side.
A tree with a single trunk can handle windy conditions the best. I have seen a few southern redcedars with multiple trunks that have been torn apart by storms. The first trunk is ripped off in a storm, and then later, another storm blows down another trunk until, eventually, the tree is removed from the landscape.
Keep an eye on the tree as it grows, ensuring that only one central trunk grows the tallest and no side branches grow vigorously. That will increase the chances that the tree will live a long life.
Another idea that can protect your new tree, and even your house in the event of a hurricane, is to plant your southern redcedar in a group of trees. After studying the effects of 11 hurricanes that hit Florida and the effect on the trees and structures, our researchers found that a group of five trees protected each other and nearby buildings the best.
So, maybe you will want to plant southern redcedar among a group of other trees already in your yard or create a new tree island by planting four other trees with it. The recommendation is to plant five different species of trees in a cluster, but not in a row, 10 feet apart from each other. For more information on trees and hurricanes, follow this link: hort.ifas.ufl.edu/treesandhurricanes.
If you’re thinking of adding a new tree to your yard and buying a living Christmas tree, check out the southern redcedar trees at your local garden centers. You will have choices: Keep it inside and decorate it and then plant it outside, or plant it right away and decorate it.
Whichever you choose, you will be able to enjoy it for decades to come.
Sally Scalera is an urban horticulture agent and master gardener coordinator for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences. Email her at [email protected].
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida native southern redcedars make great living Christmas trees
