Growing Eastern Arborvitae, Plus Exciting New Varieties
We love these four new arborvitae!
Eastern arborvitae, or Thuja occidentalis, are garden favorites for their evergreen leaves, which provide color and texture in the garden all year long. The species itself is a needled evergreen native to eastern Canada and the northeastern United States, where it grows on lakesides and open hills. Selective breeding has given gardeners a wide range of options in arborvitae; cultivars come in all shapes and sizes, with foliage in gold, reddish tones and all shades of green.
How to grow eastern arborvitae
No matter the cultivar, all eastern arborvitae thrive with even moisture and good drainage. They are fairly low maintenance but need ample water while getting established in the garden.
Do not let arborvitae dry out heading into winter. To avoid winter burn, which occurs when winds strip the foliage of moisture, choose a sheltered site or wrap exposed new plantings, which lack deep roots. Water the plant in any winter warm spells.
Full sun keeps eastern arborvitae’s foliage dense and its branching compact, although part sun will also suffice (and in the South a few hours of shade are beneficial). In more shade, growth becomes loose and straggly.
Fun new cultivars of eastern arborvitae
Here are some recently released arborvitae cultivars to consider for your garden:
Planet Earth arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘RutThu4’)
This arborvitae grows in a perfectly round shape, demanding no shearing to keep it looking perfect. The flat sprays of medium-green leaves provide fine texture. Planet Earth performs equally well in warm and cold climates, although it will turn bronze in the latter’s winter. With its ball-like form, it makes a good structural element in mixed borders and foundation plantings, or it can be planted as a mid-height hedge.
Size and habit: This is a globular arborvitae that stands three to five feet tall and wide.
Additional growing notes: Planet Earth shows good resistance to Passalora needle blight (also called Cercospora needle blight), a fungal disease that causes certain conifers’ foliage to brown and drop. Zones 4–8.
Tall Guy arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Rutzhu5’)
The aptly named Tall Guy is a columnar arborvitae that grows high but not terribly wide, making it a nice vertical accent among lower-growing shrubs or at the corner of the house. This cultivar maintains a single leader, or main trunk, so it does not develop the loose, gappy growth that can appear on upright arborvitaes with competing stems. The scaly foliage remains emerald green year-round.
Size and habit: Tall Guy grows as a cylinder 8 to 12 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide.
Additional growing notes: Coming from the same breeding program as Planet Earth, Tall Guy also resists Passalora needle blight. Zones 4–8.
Lemon Burst arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘RutThu3’)
This is a roughly triangular shrub that boasts bright yellow foliage throughout the growing season. In cold winters, Lemon Burst turns attractive shades of orange.
Size and habit: Lemon Burst is broad at the base and tapered at the top, forming a stout cone four to six feet tall and three to four feet at its widest point.
Additional growing notes: Resistant to Passalora needle blight.
Sting arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘SMNTOO’)
For an extremely skinny evergreen accent, there’s Sting, which can squeeze into the tightest garden space imaginable, given its width of 18 inches. Its unique silhouette should inspire creative placement be it with a single specimen or a quirky grouping of multiple Stings.
Size and habit: This arborvitae reaches 15 to 20 feet tall and 12 to 18 inches wide.
Additional growing notes: Zones 3–8.
Golden Child arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Mirjam’)
With its small size and vivid foliage, Golden Child is an excellent candidate for a container. New growth is sunny yellow, maturing to lemon-lime. In winter the foliage may take on a bronze tone, especially in colder zones.
Size and habit: Golden Child has a round shape and grows 18 to 24 inches tall and wide.
Additional growing notes: Golden Child is most likely to succeed as a year-round container plant in Zones 6 and warmer. Choose a pot that withstands your annual lowest temperature and take care to keep the soil moist through the growing season and in any thaws. Planted in the ground, Golden Child is suitable for Zones 4 through 8.
Photo credits: Sting arborvitae courtesy of Proven Winners; Golden Child arborvitae courtesy of Monrovia; Planet Earth, Tall Guy and Lemon Burst arborvitae courtesy of First Editions
