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Arborvitae

Thuja (THOO-yuh)

Family: Cupressaceae Native Understory

This genus is native to both North America and parts of East Asia. The evergreen leaves and pyramidal shape lend to its use as an ornamental tree. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: See the fact sheet for potential insect problems to the left VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 36 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 2 - Understory
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Chamaecyparis
Fills a similar niche Chamaecyparis Juniperus virginiana Taxus

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Broad; Dense; Pyramidal
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf arrangement
Other/more complex
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant; Long-lasting
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Small, scale-like leaves. Can be distinguished from Chamaecyparis by the lack of white markings underneath the leaves. Older leaves also have raised glands near the tip.
Flower color
Brown/Copper
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
No true flowers– pollen cones are small and grow from the tips of the branches.
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
No true fruit– female cones are oval-shaped, brown, and take a long time to develop. They open up to a flared shape.
Bark color
Dark Brown
Bark detail
Brown to red-brown, fibrous bark.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America, parts of East Asia
Distribution
Introduced to Europe
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#conifer #evergreen tree #evergreen #tsc-cg #tsc #cpp #hortcontest
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.