Arborvitae, also known as White Cedar, is a popular plant for evergreen screening and hedging. Due to its hardiness and year-round appeal, it is also frequently used in foundation plantings and mixed borders. It comes in a tremendous range of sizes and forms, ranging from 18” compact balls to towering 50’ giants. Arborvitae is an evergreen that has supple, fan-like foliage that provides a softer appearance than needled evergreens.
To help you to select the Arborvitae that will work best in your garden or landscape, we’ve put together a comparison chart, which you can find below.
| Cultivar | Size | Botanical Name | Growth Rate | Hardiness | Special Characteristics | Winter Color |
| Amber Gold | 15’H x 3’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Jantar’ PP22,296 | Moderate | Zone 4 | Lime green foliage edged in bright yellow | Amber gold |
| Anna’s Magic Ball® | 1’H x 1’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Anna Van Vloten’ PP25,868 | Slow | Zone 3 | Yellow foliage, super compact | Yellow |
| DeGroot’s Spire | 28’H x 3’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘DeGroot’s Spire’ | Moderate | Zone 3 | Very narrow, distinctive twisted foliage | Green |
| Fire Chief™ | 3’H x 3’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Congabe’ PP19,009 | Slow | Zone 5 | Red tipped foliage, compact | Orange |
| Full Speed A Hedge®/American Pillar | 20’H x 4’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘American Pillar’ PP20,209 | Fast | Zone 4 | Rapid growth, narrow habit | Green |
| Green Giant | 50’H x 15’W | Thuja x plicata ‘Green Giant’ | Fast | Zone 5 | Very fast growing/Deer resistant | Bronze |
| Hetz Midget | 2’H x 3’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’ | Slow | Zone 3 | Dense compact globe | Bronze |
| Holmstrup | 5’H x 2’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Holmstrup’ | Moderate | Zone 3 | Compact, upright | Green |
| Junior Giant | 18’H x 10’W | Thuja x plicata ‘Junior Giant’ PP31297 | Moderate | Zone 5 | Great for screening/Deer resistant | Bronze/Green |
| Lemon Burst® | 5’H x 3’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘RutThu3’ PPAF | Moderate | Zone 4 | Yellow foliage, broadly pyramidal | Orange |
| Little Giant | 4’H x 4’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’ | Slow | Zone 3 | Natural globe shape | Green |
| Mr Bowling Ball® | 2’H x 2’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Bobazam’ | Slow | Zone 4 | Compact habit, feathery foliage | |
| North Pole® | 12’H x 4’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Art Boe’ PP 22,174 | Fast | Zone 3 | Very narrow, strongly pyramidal | Dark green |
| Northern Spire | 16’H x 4’W | Thuja x plicata ‘Northern Spire’ PP31,298 | Moderate | Zone | Dense columnar habit/Deer resistant | Bronze |
| Planet Earth® | 4’H x 4’W | Thuja occidentalis ”RutThu4′ PPAF | Slow | Zone 4 | Perfectly round, dense | Bronze |
| Smaragd/Emerald Green | 20’H x 5’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ | Moderate | Zone 3 | Upright, narrow form | Green |
| Spring Grove® | 25’H x 10’W | Thuja plicata ‘Grovepli’ | Fast | Zone 5 | Highly resistant to deer browsing | Dark Green |
| Technito® | 10’H x 4’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘BailJohn’ PP15,850 | Moderate | Zone 3 | Dense, compact, pyramidal | Dark green |
| Techny | 15’H x 6’W | Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’ | Fast | Zone 3 | Compact, broad-based, upright, pyramidal | Dark green |
| Whipcord | 4’H x 4’W | Thuja x plicata ‘Whipcord’ | Slow | Zone 5 | Pendulous whipcord-like foliage/Deer Resistant | Bronze |
Deer Browsing
The only real weakness of Arborvitae as a landscape plant is the fact that it is vulnerable to deer browsing, particularly during the winter months. Deer repellents or physical barriers, such as burlap or wire wrap, will offer protection from winter browsing. The Western Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) is resistant to deer damage and hybrids with T. plicata parentage are less likely to suffer deer damage than other Arborvitae.
Arborvitae in a Nutshell:
- Mature height: 2’-50’, depending on variety
- Mature spread: 2’-15’, depending on variety
- Light requirement: Full sun to light shade
- Growth form: Dense compact globe to tall narrow column, depending on variety
- USDA Hardiness Zone: Zone 3-5, depending on variety
- Foliage Color: Depending on variety includes brilliant yellow, emerald green, amber/orange, and dark green. Some varieties take on a bronze tone during the winter months but green up again in spring.
- Water Requirements: Average. Make sure to water well before ground freezes so that plants can pull moisture from soil during winter thaws, which minimizes winter burn of the evergreen foliage.
- Growth Rate: Inches to feet per year, depending on variety
- Maintenance: Low maintenance. Most naturally keep an attractive, dense form. Pruning, if desired, should be done in late spring or early summer. Never remove any more than 1/3 of the live foliage. Arborvitae, like most conifers, are intolerant of hard pruning and will not produce new growth on older bare branches, so don’t cut into the brown part of the plant.
Especially valuable for:
- Screening
- Hedges
- Foundation plantings (dwarf varieties)
- Birds (winter shelter & food source)
By Zannah Crowe
