Troubleshooting
Eastern Red Cedar problems — and how to fix them
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is generally forgiving once you match its basics, but a few issues come up again and again. Here is what each one looks like, why it happens, and the fix.
Cedar-apple rust
Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae, a fungal disease requiring both eastern red cedar and apple or crabapple to complete its life cycle, produces orange gelatinous telial horns on cedar branches in wet spring weather. Remove galls before they mature, avoid planting near rosaceous trees, and apply preventive fungicide if both hosts are present.
Bagworm infestation
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (bagworm) can defoliate and eventually kill branches or entire plants if infestations are severe. Remove and destroy bags by hand in winter before eggs hatch. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray when small caterpillars first emerge in late spring.
Tip blight (Phomopsis)
Phomopsis tip blight causes brown, dying shoot tips especially on young or stressed plants in cool, wet spring conditions. Prune out affected shoots well below the infection zone and destroy the material. Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Apply copper-based fungicide as a preventive in wet springs.
Prevent eastern red cedar problems before they start
Most eastern red cedar issues are care-mismatch, not bad luck. Dial in the basics:
Looking for eastern red cedar in general rather than its problems? Read the full eastern red cedar care guide — light, water, soil and feeding.
Eastern Red Cedar problems — FAQ
Why is my eastern red cedar cedar-apple rust?
Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae, a fungal disease requiring both eastern red cedar and apple or crabapple to complete its life cycle, produces orange gelatinous telial horns on cedar branches in wet spring weather. Remove galls before they mature, avoid planting near rosaceous trees, and apply preventive fungicide if both hosts are present.
Why is my eastern red cedar bagworm infestation?
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis (bagworm) can defoliate and eventually kill branches or entire plants if infestations are severe. Remove and destroy bags by hand in winter before eggs hatch. Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray when small caterpillars first emerge in late spring.
Why is my eastern red cedar tip blight (phomopsis)?
Phomopsis tip blight causes brown, dying shoot tips especially on young or stressed plants in cool, wet spring conditions. Prune out affected shoots well below the infection zone and destroy the material. Improve air circulation and avoid overhead watering. Apply copper-based fungicide as a preventive in wet springs.