The bark of the Eastern Red Cedar is red to reddish-brown. The bark is thin, fibrous and shreddy. It is chronically shedding it's' bark in fibrous strands.

The Eastern Red Cedar was used for furniture, rail fences and log cabins as early as the colonists of Roanoke Island, Virginia.

The more modern use of the tree is for cedar chests cabinets, carvings and pencils. It is no longer used for pencils but was in the earliest manufacturer.

Cedar oil is obtained from the wood and leaves and is used for medicines and perfumes.