Is it possible to tell if your Eastern Red cedar sapling is straight species or cultivar - Ask Extension
Hi there,
I received a few 1 gallon Eastern Red Cedars as a gift, and we're unsure if they are straight species or one of the cultivars. I wanted to...
Knowledgebase
Is it possible to tell if your Eastern Red cedar sapling is straight species or cultivar #927006
Asked March 29, 2026, 1:11 PM EDT
Hi there,
I received a few 1 gallon Eastern Red Cedars as a gift, and we're unsure if they are straight species or one of the cultivars. I wanted to check and see if it was possible to ID when they are this young, the tallest is only about a foot tall. Are there any characteristics to be on the lookout for to help make the distinction? We have a large yard, but not 3 straight species large. We do need a privacy hedge, so some of the cultivars look ideal, but the straight will eventually outgrow the spot we need them with that many. Thanks for your help!
Montgomery County Maryland
Expert Response
If the person who gifted you the plants isn't able to tell you where they came from (so you can ask the nursery if they know what the plant's origin is), there isn't any way to tell at this point what their genetics are (species vs. known cultivar). However, given how young the plants are, we doubt they are a cultivar, since even though they'd be that young at some point due to propagation techniques, we haven't seen cultivars for sale that young, only species (and usually those are started from seed).
Miri
Miri
