Thuja occidentalis - American Arborvitae

Plant Expert:

Michael Dirr

Thuja occidentalis

Common Names:
American Arborvitae
Eastern Arborvitae
White Cedar

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Origin:
	Eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to North Carolina, Tennessee and Illinois

Sun/Water Requirements:

Requires full sun.
Dry to wet conditions.
Dirr says: "Best grown in areas with considerable atmospheric moisture as well as soil moisture.; requires a deep, well-drained soil; thrive in marshy loam. Occasionally, I read literature and see mention of shade tolerance. I don't believe it for a minute and neither does the plant for with time this species becomes thin, open and generally ratty in shade."

Climate / Hardiness Zones:
	Zone 3 to Zone 7 Dirr says: "Susceptible to strong wind, snow or ice damage; once established will take considerable heat and drought; all over Cadillac Mountain, Maine growing in rock crevices and exposed slopes. Not vigorous in the South."

Growth:
	Range: Grows from 15' to 30'. Dirr says: "dense, often broad-pyramidal tree with short, ascending branches to the ground which end in flat, spreading, horizontal sprays. 40 to 60' high, usually less, by 10 to 15' spread; realistically under cultivation 20 to 30' is more accurate. Tolerant of pruning."

Flowers:
	Season(s): Spring

Foliage:
	Needle Evergreen Color: Leaves are green in the summer and yellow, green and brown in the fall. Dirr says: "certain cultivars maintain green winter color better than the species in cold climates. "Emerald', 'Nigra' and 'Techny' are excellent for cold climates. Plant the superior cultivars."

Fruit:
	Color: Brown Season(s): Spring Dirr says: "cones oblong 1/3 to 1/2" long, light brown"

Landscape Value:
	Can be used as a hedge plant. Can be used as a grouping plant. Dirr says: "useful as a specimen or accent, good for hedges, shelter-belts, and commonly used as a foundation plant; at times over-used in landscape plantings."

Other:
	Is Resistant to Drought

Other Thuja occidentalis References & Articles:

Using Evergreens as Screens in Tennessee
A few good evergreen choices for use as screens in Tennessee include Leyland cypress, Japanese Cryptomeria, White Fir, Eastern Red Cedar and American Holly.

GrGiant.pmkr
Thuja 'Green Giant' The U.S. National Arboretum presents Thuja 'Green Giant', a large ... became confused with that of another arborvitae from the same source, T. occidentalis 'Giganteoides'.

Adirondack
... weeks in early spring before bursting forth in an annual explosion of large white "apple blossoms". ... , several showed field resistance to scab, cedar-apple rust, and powdery mildew when ...

The "Dark Side" of Conifers
... dry soils once they are established. Thuja species (Arborvitae) Thuja occidentalis (American arborvitae) (shown at right) and Thuja plicata (western red cedar) are both native conifers and are ...

Good Hedges Make Good Neighbors
... or, on a smaller scale, juniper, arborvitae, and the dwarf southern magnolia 'Little ... Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' (aka 'Emerald' or 'Emerald Green') — Full sun or partial shade, average ...

U.S. National Arboretum: Gardens: Pest Management Tips: October
Check for mites by holding a white sheet of paper underneath a branch and tap on the branch. ... They favor conifers: arborvitae, firs, spruce, junipers, and pines and can be one of the most ...

U.S. National Arboretum: Gardens: Pest Management Tips: October 2007
They favor conifers: arborvitae, firs, spruce, junipers, and pines and can be one of the most destructive pests of ... Use the white paper beat test to determine if the crawlers are present.

U.S. National Arboretum: Gardens: Pest Management Tips: October 2006
They favor conifers: arborvitae, firs, spruce, junipers, and pines and can be one of the most destructive pests of ... Use the white paper beat test to determine if the crawlers are present.

U.S. National Arboretum: Gardens: Pest Management Tips: April
The silken webs of Eastern tent caterpillar appear in early April. ... They have prominent blue strips with white spots on its back.

State Trees
Eastern white pine has a long history of timber use in the northeastern United States and ... The American holly is native across most of the eastern and central United States, where it is ...

U.S. National Arboretum: Gardens: Pest Management Tips: April 2007
The silken webs of Eastern tent caterpillar appear in early April. ... They have prominent blue strips with white spots on its back.

Pest Management Tips: July 2007
... can be a real nuisance on many trees, especially conifers like junipers, arborvitae, and Leyland cypress. ... Tap an infected branch over a sheet of white paper and with the aid of magnifying ...

Pest Management Tips: June 2006
... can be a real nuisance on many trees, especially conifers like junipers, arborvitae, and Leyland cypress. ... Tap an infected branch over a sheet of white paper and with the aid of magnifying ...

Pest Management Tips: June
In the eastern United States, bagworms can be a real nuisance on many trees, especially conifers like junipers, arborvitae, and Leyland cypress.

Pest Management Tips: June 2006
In the eastern United States, bagworms can be a real nuisance on many trees, especially conifers like junipers, arborvitae, and Leyland cypress.

Selecting Conifers for the Garden
The root tips should be creamy white or reddish in color - not black.

Pest Management Tips: June 2007
In the eastern United States, bagworms can be a real nuisance on many trees, especially conifers like junipers, arborvitae, and Leyland cypress.

Thuja occidentalis is hardy in these areas:

Allegan, MI	Alsip, IL	Athens, MI
Augusta, MI	Baltimore, MD	Bangor, MI
Battle Creek, MI	Bayside, NY	Bellmore, NY
Bellport, NY	Bethpage, NY	Blue Point, NY
Bohemia, NY	Brentwood, NY	Brightwaters, NY
Bronxville, NY	Brookhaven, NY	Canton, MI
Channahon, IL	Charlottesville, VA	Chicago Heights, IL
Chicago Ridge, IL	Chicago, IL	Cicero, IL
Cleveland, OH	Coal City, IL	College Point, NY
Conneaut, OH	Corona, NY	Crete, IL
Detroit, MI	Dewitt, MI	Dimondale, MI
Dolton, IL	Dorset, OH	Eagle, MI
East Claridon, OH	East Elmhurst, NY	East Greenville, PA
East Lansing, MI	East Texas, PA	Eastchester, NY
Easton, PA	Eaton Rapids, MI	Ecorse, MI
Edmore, MI	Elkins Park, PA	Elmhurst, NY
Elmwood Park, IL	Elyria, OH	Emmaus, PA
Evergreen Park, IL	Ferndale, MI	Flushing, NY
Forest Hills, NY	Fort Eustis, VA	Fresh Meadows, NY
Glen Burnie, MD	Grand Rapids, MI	Greenlawn, NY
Gwynn Oak, MD	Hamtramck, MI	Harper Woods, MI
Harrison Township, MI	Hastings On hudson, NY	Highland Park, MI
Holbrook, NY	Holtsville, NY	Hunt Valley, MD
Huntington Station, NY	Huntington, NY	Islandia, NY
Jackson Heights, NY	Kalamazoo, MI	Lakewood, OH
Landisburg, PA	Lawn, PA	Leasburg, NC
Lebanon, PA	Lemoyne, PA	Lewistown, PA
Lexington, NC	Liberty, NC	Linwood, NC
Little Neck, NY	Littleton, CO	Liverpool, PA
Loysville, PA	Lykens, PA	Macomb, MI
Marysville, MI	Maspeth, NY	Mcalisterville, PA
Melville, NY	Memphis, MI	Memphis, TN
Mentor, OH	Middle Village, NY	Middlefield, OH
Montville, OH

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