Those of us here in central Texas are plagued with this annual issue. I have gotten somewhat used to it over the years but my son just sold the property next door + with all the cedar dozing/ eradication (thank God for that!? the uprooted cedars are throwing tons of pollen into the air. My respiratory system so far is holding up (Linda's has not) but my eye issues has not. They feel like they are on fire + alternate between dry + weepy. Has anyone had the same experience? BTW, it could be worse; the wildfires in Bastrop are a very REAL problem!

The juniper population is high in my state too. The plant is very successful in spreading. I spend much of my winter cutting them down and pulling up seedlings. They will ruin a fence line in no time. I'll be ring barking some big ones soon.

Birds enjoy the berries and poop out the seeds. These trees come in males and females. The males, of course are the pollen providers and do not make berries. Juniper have a fungus that infects and demolishes most orchard fruit trees. One reason apple orchards are very rare in my area.

Most of the ranches around here do not practice active eradication of them. Some will doze them out if they are putting up or replacing fence. Far as pollen issues, I haven't noticed any but sometimes I have to pop an Allegra when the oaks flower.

My daughter went to Texas State University for about one month. She never got over "Cedar Fever" and transferred to Texas Tech. https://today.tamu.edu/2021/12...ver-season-in-texas/

I've always suffered from various allergies. North Texas has few cedars but when the wind comes from the south I suffer terribly from Central Texas cedar. My nemesis locally is broom weed and we have lots of it.

I am in the Central Tex cedar and after the cold front came thru a week ago with up to 45 miles per hr. On Thursday I mailed a package in the post office and the lady working the counter had a bad hack with the mask down below the nose. I had a mask on and I was thinking that I hope she didn't have the covid 19, but in after 4 days I was feeling like a bad cold. So we went down to the fast clinic check and set in the car and after 1 hr wait they read the paper report required and they called us to go inside to talk to the Dr. That is when they made the test and came back with a positive for both of us. We are in the 5 day lock down and not feeling too bad. I think we are over the bad time, but will go back in a couple of days for another test. We had the JJ vac and this years flu shot. The Dr ordered meds Azithromycin and Albuterol sulfate spray for us. I hope we are taking the correct meds. Dr said we probably have one of the lesser type of virus infections.

Why do people call junipers cedars? Where I live we have single seed junipers and pinon pine. Because of the prolonged drought and climate change all the pinons are dying and before long the only trees left will be the junipers. Most of these grow into what looks like big bushes but some do turn into nice trees. I have read that some of the really old ones may actually be some of the oldest living trees on the planet.
And at the right time of the year the pollen will drive your allergies over the top.
C.G.B.

What we here in central Texas call cedars are in fact Western Junipers. I have a theory that can't really be proven about their poliferency in our part of central Texas. This area was settled largely by German immigrants. Juniper berries are a staple in making good sauerkraut. I can envision some frau throwing out the leftovers into the yard + the rest (+the birds) is history. There is also the rumor that chewing on the female trees berries with help with the allergic reaction to the pollen. As an aside, Les, I'm glad that you're o.K.

Junipers were historically controlled by fires. They are typically a plant that is found on rocky outcrops and such. The suppression of fires has allowed them to proliferate.

One of the good things about them is they have the decency to die if cut close to the ground and don't sucker back up. Dealing with the 'carcasses' is what I dislike. They are prickly and slow to break down. I do stack them to make hides for rabbits and birds.

Junipers here do not decay or rot. THe stumps will last forever. The old timers cut them for fence posts. I have pulled some out of the ground that were over 100 years old and the interior wood looked and smelled like it had just been cut.
C.G.B.

The roots will rot out in about three years where I am but I believe I have easterns. The interior wood is red. It is very heavy when wet and dries super light weight. Very aromatic wood.

I can push stumps out with my tractor, like I said, in about three years. I leave the stumps if these things are growing in my woodland areas but do cut them flush to the ground in fence lines and open areas. I have removed countless numbers of them.