Also known as red juniper
Contact your local forestry field office before collecting to confirm whether there is still a need, get collection tips, or ask about potential collection locations and opportunities. Be sure to check regulations and follow safe practices. Access current seed and cone pricing.
Cone identification
Ripe cones are berry like, bluish-white and about one-quarter inch or the size of a standard pencil eraser. You may have to rub waxy white coat off to see the color.
Predicted collection window: late September to November.
Ripe red cedar cones are about one-quarter inch in diameter and bluish-white in color.
How to collect ripe cones
Collect only ripe cones that are free of damage.
Only collect from trees of natural origin, not from trees purchased at a nursery.
Hand-pick or strip from standing trees. Avoid collecting leaves and branches.
You may be able to shake cones from trees onto ground tarps.
Perform a quality check: slice a few cones in half to see if they contain one to two hard, light brown seed coats with a firm white embryo.
Do not collect cones that are completely green or are outside of the collection window. Berries can persist all winter, but seeds within the berries are eaten by wildlife.
Quick tree identification
Red cedar has two types of leaves: dark green and scalelike, clasping the stem in four ranks and young growth on vigorous shoots or branches in deep shade that is narrow, sharp-pointed, spreading and whitened underneath.
Red cedar bark is thin, reddish brown and peels off in long, shreddy strips. These trees are mostly located in southern Minnesota, on dry, gravelly soil, and rocky ledges or in open, dry habitats like abandoned fields and pastures.
Forecasting
Big cone crops occur every two to three years.
Cones develop in late spring and mature in fall.
Look for unripe cones, which look like green berries, starting in mid-May to prepare for late fall collection.
Handling and storage
Store berry like cones in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area to reduce mold. If the flesh dries and shrivels on the cone, it can be very difficult to remove.
Deliver them to a forestry area office as soon as possible. Contact your local forestry field office to schedule a drop-off.
Do not collect cones that are completely green or are outside of the collection window. Berries can persist all winter, but seeds within the berries are eaten by wildlife.
Look-alike species to avoid
🚫 Variety of cultivars. Please do not collect from trees purchased at a commercial nursery.