Botanical Name: Thuja plicata
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Common Name: Western Arborvitae  
Plant photo of: Thuja plicata
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Water Saving Tip:

Water-wise plants can be beautiful as well as practical.

Take your 'My List' Hydrozone Report to a landscape designer, or local nursery, when selecting and purchasing plants.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Tree, Conifer

 

Height Range

40-60', 60-100'

 

Flower Color

n/a

 

Flower Season

n/a

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Red

 

Fruit Color

Brown

 

Fruit Season

Persistent

Sun

Full

 

Water

High

 

Growth Rate

Moderate, Slow

 

Soil Type

Clay, Loam

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Fall Color, Specimen, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, Lawn, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Screen, Wind Break

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer:
  • Description

  • Notes

Western Arborvitae is native to the Northwest, an evergreen growing 50 to 70 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide, though usually not that large in cultivation, especially here. Its form is pyramidal, with branches to the ground and it has a medium texture. Adaptable to many climate zones. Many designer cultivar forms available. Leaves are scale-like, glossy dark green, and aromatic. Though evergreen, it sometimes turns a yellowish-green to brown in the winter. Small cones. Reddish-brown furrowed bark.
Grow in loamy, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of both acidic and alkaline soils. Tolerant of being sheared, though using selective pruning methods will support a more natural form and result in less work. Synonomous with Western Red Cedar.