Eastern redcedar is native to the eastern half of the United States, from Maine west to New York, Quebec, Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota south to Nebraska and Texas east through Florida and Georgia. Eastern redcedar has the widest distribution of any other conifer in the eastern United States. It can reach heights of 120 feet and 4 feet in diameter. It grows very slowly, trees that are 20 years old are only about 20 feet tall with a diameter of 3 inches.
Older trees have wide, fluted, buttressed bases.
The sapwood may be in stripes, alternating with stripes of heartwood. The wood is moderately low in strength and stiffness, but it is high in shock resistance. It shrinks little during drying and is good dimensional stability. It is easy to work and has moderate hardness. It splits easily, and has good nailing and gluing properties.