EASTERN RED CEDAR

Native to Georgia

Family: Cupressaceae

Native American Uses:

• Medicinal:

  Tribes used the berries, leaves, and roots for various remedies, including treating respiratory issues, coughs, and even as a sedative. 

• Ceremonial:

  The wood was burned during purification and ritual ceremonies, and cedar boughs were used for bedding. 

• Practical:

  Cedar wood was used for crafting tools like lance shafts, bows, flutes, and canoes.The bark was woven into mats for various purposes. 

  European Settler Uses:

• Construction: The rot-resistant wood was ideal for fence posts, furniture, and even coffins. 

• Pencils: For over a century, the eastern red cedar was the wood of choice for pencils, earning it the nickname "pencil cedar". 

• Aromatic Properties: The fragrant wood was used in chests and closets to repel moths.