Thuja occidentalis
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- THU-ya ock-sih-den-TAH-liss
- Description
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American arborvitae is a woody, needled evergreen tree in the cypress family (Cupressaceae) that is native to eastern and central Canada and the eastern and north-central portions of the United States. The species epithet, occidentalis, means from the Western world.
American arborvitae is a low-maintenance plant that tolerates clay soil, wet sites, black walnut, and air pollution. It grows best in moist, neutral to alkaline, well-drained loam. It does not tolerate dry or exposed, windy sites; the foliage can become winter-burned (yellow-brown). It grows well in full sun or partial shade, but in full shade, the foliage will thin out dramatically. This tree does best in soil with high moisture content and in areas with high atmospheric moisture. It is easily transplanted. It is susceptible to damage including stem breakage in winter from ice and snow accumulations.
Cultivars are typically globular, pyramidal, or columnar to conical in growth form. Its density crown provides nesting sites for songbirds. A distinctive feature of this tree is its dominant trunk. The bark is grayish-brown to reddish-brown with shallow furrows. Small oblong cones appear in the spring, mature to a brown color in the summer, and may persist. Use this tree in the landscape as a specimen in a foundation planting, recreational play area, native, or winter garden. Planted in groups it performs well as a hedge, privacy screen, or windbreak.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Damage from deer browsing can be a serious problem. Leaf miners may damage leaf tips. Bagworms, mealybugs, scales, and spider mites are occasional visitors. Canker can occasionally be a problem.
VIDEO created by Grant L. Thompson for “Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines for Landscaping” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Iowa State University.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Courtyard Garden Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Woods West Side Foundation Planting in Cabarrus County Michael McCarthy Memorial Garden, All Saints Episcopal, Concord
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Aurea Nana'
- 'DeGroots Spire'
narrow, columnar - 'Emerald Green'
narrow, columnar - 'Europe Gold'
- 'Filiformis'
- 'Golden Ball'
- 'Golden Globe'
- 'Hetz's Winter Green'
- 'Linesville'
- 'Nigra'
dark green foliage in winter months, narrow, columnar - 'Pendula'
weeping habit - 'Pumilia Sudworth'
- 'Pyramidalis Compacta'
- Sienna Sunset™
- 'Smaragd'
- 'Smart Guard'
- 'Spudwellii'
- 'Techny'
pyramidal, dark green
Dwarf conifer, scale-like foliage is arranged in dense flat layered sprays
Narrow pyramidal form with scale-like leaves in dense horizontal sprays that hold its color well through winter
A dwarf, dense, flattened, broad-globular cultivar that typically matures to only 3' tall
Golden-yellow juvenile foliage in summer; winter brings out a strong coppery color
Lemon-yellow foliage in the spring; winter the foliage will become more orange-yellow - 'Aurea Nana'
- 'Aurea Nana', 'DeGroots Spire', 'Emerald Green', 'Europe Gold', 'Filiformis', 'Golden Ball', 'Golden Globe', 'Hetz's Midget', 'Hetz's Winter Green', 'Holmstrup', 'Linesville', 'Little Gem', 'Nigra', 'Pendula', 'Pumilia Sudworth', 'Pyramidalis Compacta', 'Rheingold', Sienna Sunset™, 'Smaragd', 'Smart Guard', 'Spudwellii' , 'Sunkist', 'Techny'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Aurea Nana'
- 'DeGroots Spire'
narrow, columnar - 'Emerald Green'
narrow, columnar - 'Europe Gold'
- 'Filiformis'
- 'Golden Ball'
- 'Golden Globe'
- 'Hetz's Winter Green'
- 'Linesville'
- 'Nigra'
dark green foliage in winter months, narrow, columnar - 'Pendula'
weeping habit - 'Pumilia Sudworth'
- 'Pyramidalis Compacta'
- Sienna Sunset™
- 'Smaragd'
- 'Smart Guard'
- 'Spudwellii'
- 'Techny'
pyramidal, dark green
Dwarf conifer, scale-like foliage is arranged in dense flat layered sprays
Narrow pyramidal form with scale-like leaves in dense horizontal sprays that hold its color well through winter
A dwarf, dense, flattened, broad-globular cultivar that typically matures to only 3' tall
Golden-yellow juvenile foliage in summer; winter brings out a strong coppery color
Lemon-yellow foliage in the spring; winter the foliage will become more orange-yellow - 'Aurea Nana'
- 'Aurea Nana', 'DeGroots Spire', 'Emerald Green', 'Europe Gold', 'Filiformis', 'Golden Ball', 'Golden Globe', 'Hetz's Midget', 'Hetz's Winter Green', 'Holmstrup', 'Linesville', 'Little Gem', 'Nigra', 'Pendula', 'Pumilia Sudworth', 'Pyramidalis Compacta', 'Rheingold', Sienna Sunset™, 'Smaragd', 'Smart Guard', 'Spudwellii' , 'Sunkist', 'Techny'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Thuja
- Species:
- occidentalis
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The essential oils from this plant have been used in cleaners, insecticides, soaps, room sprays and hair care products. The young, inner bark of the new stems is known to have been used to make soup by the Ojibwa tribe. The wood is used in fencing and posts, cabin logs, lumber, poles, shingles, paneling, piling, lagging, pails, potato barrels, tubs, ties, boats, tanks, woodenware. Twigs have been used in some teas for relief of constipation and headache.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central & E. Canada to N. Central and Eastern North America
- Distribution:
- NC and TN, north through eastern Canada, and west to IL and WI.
- Wildlife Value:
- American arborvitae provides nesting sites for songbirds, as well as cover, especially in the winter, for white-tailed deer, which both feed on the branches and use them for shelter from the cold.
- Play Value:
- Fragrance
- Screening
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Nesting
- Wind Break
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Tolerates clay soil, wet sites, black walnut and air pollution.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The cone is oblong and light brown and measures 1/3 to 1/2 inches long It is yellow when young.
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Flowers:
- Flower Description:
- Conifer, non-flowering.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Slippery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are scale-like in adults, ovate, obtuse to bluntly acute, yellowish green to grayish green below bearing a pustular gland near the apex, appressed to branchlets in opposite pairs, each pair overlapping the adjacent pair above. The scale-like leaves are darker green on the upper surface and paler below, and they appear bronze colored during the winter months.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Red/Burgundy
- Surface/Attachment:
- Exfoliating
- Furrowed
- Bark Description:
- The attractive grayish brown to reddish-brown bark has shallow furrows. On mature trees, the bark exfoliates on the branches and trunks. A distinctive feature of this tree is its dominant trunk.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- The stems are thin and green to brown. They are resistant to breakage.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Garden for the Blind
- Native Garden
- Rock Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Pollution
- Wet Soil
