J. virginiana is a slow growing evergreen tree found in Virginia, North/South Carolina, Tennessee, central Kentucky, and northern Alabama. Cedar trees were considered symbols of fertility and abundancy in the Bible. Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist Dioscorides and Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher Galen reported cedar's resin was used to preserve the body from putrification. The name Cedrus derives from the Arabic word kedron, meaning "power." As a herbal remedy, decoctions of leaves, bark, twigs, and seeds were used to treat various illness, including coughs, bronchitis, rheumatis, venereal warts, and skin rashes. The Plains Indians used cedarwood as one of the ingredients for an incense mixture for sacred ceremonies and seances, while the Native Americans west of the Mississipi believed cedar would protect them. The wood - especially from older trees with a reddish heartwood - is prized for making furniture. Cedarwood has also been used as an insect repellent.