Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- THU-ya ock-sih-den-TAH-liss
- Description
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Rheingold Arborvitae is an evergreen shrub in the cypress family. As a young shrub, it has a dense globose form with golden-yellow juvenile foliage in summer. Winter brings out a strong coppery color. As it matures it develops more scale-like foliage and a more upright conical form, reaching 6 feet tall and 4.5 feet wide in 10 years.
The shrub is adaptable to different soil types and acidity but prefers moist well-drained loams in sun to light shade with some protection from the wind. It may be used as a foundation plant, in borders, or mass plantings. Deer will browse this shrub.
VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Thuja
- Species:
- occidentalis
- Family:
- Cupressaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Conical
- Rounded
- 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)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- NC Region:
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Needled Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Rough
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Leaf Type:
- Needles
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Yellow-green scale-like foliage turns coppery in winter.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Mass Planting