Pioneer Trees

Now that the deciduous trees have lost their colorful leaves, red cedars are more conspicuous across the Midwest landscape. These small, sun-loving evergreens are tolerant of poor soil and are thus the first trees to colonize rocky glades, forest clearings and abandoned farmland. Their berry-like cones are consumed by a variety of birds and small mammals, including bobwhites, mourning doves and field mice, which serve as vehicles to disperse the seeds. With time, the cedars fertilize the soil with their own debris, allowing the adjacent forest to invade the grove; shaded by the taller trees, the cedars die and their seeds must wait for man, storms or disease to open up the forest and permit their germination.