Mountain cedar is a tree with a common name full of contradictions. The tree is not a cedar at all, and its native range is central Texas, not known for its mountains. What is mountain cedar? In fact, trees called mountain cedar are actually ashe juniper trees. For more mountain cedar information, including facts about mountain cedar pollen and allergies, read on.
What is Mountain Cedar?
Juniperus ashei has many common names. It is called ashe juniper and mountain cedar, but also rock cedar, Mexican juniper, and Texas cedar.
This native juniper tree is an evergreen and is not very tall. It can present as a large shrub or a small tree, rarely exceeding 25 feet (7.5 m.) tall. Its primary habitat is central Texas but it also grows in the wild in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and northern Mexico.
Mountain Cedar Information
The ashe juniper trees have rounded crowns as they mature. The trunks of these trees often branch from the base, and the dark bark exfoliates in strips. The leaves on these trees look like scales. However, they are green during the growing season and hold onto the color through winter.
Some ashe juniper trees are male and others are female plants. The male trees bear mountain cedar pollen cones at the tips of the branches. Fruiting cones that look like berries appear on female trees. They provide food for wildlife.
Mountain Cedar Allergies
The male pollen appears in tiny amber cones, about the size of rice grains. There are many of them, covering the tops of the trees. In a rainy year, the trees produce tons of pollen. The cones begin to appear in December. In a short time, any breath of wind causes clouds of pollen near the trees.
Mountain cedar pollen causes an unpleasant allergic reaction in some people. Some call it “cedar fever.” It can be an annoyance and even dreadful, causing red eyes, a runny nose, itchy ears, incessant sneezing, and a sort of fatigue that prevents the sufferer from having any energy.
Those who suffer from mountain cedar allergies often end up visiting a doctor specializing in allergies. Shots are available that help about three-quarters of sufferers. Whether or not they are cured though, these people are not likely to start growing mountain cedar trees of their own.
-
How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes In The Garden: 9 Natural Ways To Make Them Buzz Off!How to get rid of mosquitoes is on the minds of people in the summer in almost every region of the world. Learn how to repel the pests without toxic chemicals.
-
Monkey Orchid Care: How To Grow This Fascinating SpeciesThe monkey orchid bears a remarkable resemblance to its namesake and, with a little know-how, can be successfully grown as a houseplant.
-
How To Grow A Potted Juniper: Caring For Juniper Trees In ContainersSmall juniper trees grow well in containers. Click here for information on how to care for potted junipers.
-
Japanese Juniper Care – How To Grow A Japanese Juniper PlantIf you want a "set and forget" type of plant, Japanese juniper care is minimal and easy once established. For more information about this shrub of low heights and how to grow it in your garden, click the following article.
-
Are All Juniper Berries Edible – Is It Safe To Eat Juniper BerriesJuniper berries have been used as a strong flavoring for wine, mead, and other alcoholic beverages, as well as a spice for meats, stews, sauerkraut, and other dishes. Upon reading this, you may be wondering are all juniper berries edible? Click here for that answer.
-
Juniper Berry Uses – What To Do With Juniper BerriesGiven that they are prolific and the fruit looks so much like a berry, the natural question is ‘can you eat juniper berries?” If so, what do you do with juniper berries? Click on the following article to find out how to use juniper berries along with some useful juniper berry recipes.
-
Juniper Berry Harvest Tips: How To Pick Juniper BerriesThere are about 40 species of juniper, most of which produce toxic berries. But for the educated eye, Juniperus communis, has edible, pleasantly pungent berries. Click this article for tips on how to pick juniper berries and how to recognize safe juniper plants.
-
Growing Juniper ‘Blue Star’ – Learn About Blue Star Juniper PlantsWith a name like "Blue Star," this juniper sounds as American as apple pie but, in fact, it is native to Afghanistan, the Himalayas, and western China. Gardeners love Blue Star for its thick, starry, blue-green foliage and its graceful rounded habit. Learn more here.
-
Can You Prune An Overgrown Juniper – Tips For Overgrown Juniper PruningJuniper shrubs and trees are a great asset to landscaping. But sometimes, like the best things in life, they get away from us. What was once a smart shrub is now a wild, overgrown monster. So what can you do with a juniper that?s gotten out of hand? Find out here.
-
Wichita Blue Juniper Care: Tips For Growing Wichita Blue JunipersWichita Blue juniper trees have an attractive broad-pyramid form that works well in a screen or hedge. With gorgeous silver-blue foliage all year long, these cultivars turn heads wherever they are planted. For more Wichita Blue juniper information, click here.
