‘Rheingold’ arborvitae is a woody, evergreen shrub in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is a cultivar of the American arborvitae. This shrub is widely adaptable to a variety of soil types. It does not tolerate dry or exposed, windy sites. It grows well in full sun or partial shade. Avoid full shade, though, or the foliage will thin out dramatically. As a young shrub, ‘Rheingold’ arborvitae 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 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide in 10 years. This shrub may be used as a foundation plant, in borders, or in mass plantings. Its coppery color in winter makes it ideal for winter gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Damage from deer browsing can be a serious problem. Leaf miners may damage leaf tips. Bagworms, mealy bugs, scales, and spider mites are occasional visitors. Canker can occasionally be a problem. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Thuja occidentalis .
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 withThuja occidentalis 'Sunkist'
Fills a similar nicheChamaecyparis pisifera 'Squarrosa'Hylotelephium cauticolaThuja occidentalis 'Sunkist'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
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
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Conical; Rounded
Texture
Fine
Foliage
Needled Evergreen
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Needles
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Yellow-green scale-like foliage turns coppery in winter.
Fall color
Brown/Copper
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Landscape theme
Rock Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Border; Foundation Planting; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#evergreen #gold #winter color bronze #fall color #yellow needles #winter garden #deer browsing plant #accent
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Pests of Conifers; Mealybugs; Juniper Scale Insect; Bagworms in Ornamental Landscapes; Arborvitae Leafminer