Return to Library Home Page


Scientific: Platycladus orientalis (Synonym: Thuja orientalis)
Common: oriental arborvitae
Family: Cupressaceae
Origin: China and Korea

Pronounciation: Plat-tee-CLA-dus or-ee-en-TAL-is

Hardiness zones
Sunset
All zones
USDA 5-11

Landscape Use: Oriental arborvitae is a conspicuous landscape plant for that formal mesic landscape appearance, nostalgic gardens, parks, background, screen, foundation and entry plantings, informal hedge. Overall, its effective use is dependent on cultivar selection.

Form & Character: Upright, dense and rounded to somewhat open with age, juniper like, oriental, older specimens usually end up being trained into larger upright trees with densely foliated crowns.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, narrowleaf perennial shrub to small tree, slow to moderate growth rate, eventual height varies from 3 to 30 feet with equal spread depending on cultivar selection.

Foliage/Texture: Mostly light green, appressed scale-like leaves to 1/8-inch long arrayed in a vertical plane; fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers inconspicuous clusters, fruits clustered, grayish green small cones, scales closed until fruit fully ripe and ready to disperse seeds, monoecious.

Seasonal Color: Foliage turns brownish purple in cold winter areas.

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun

Soil: Tolerant

Watering: Regular water best, tolerates only some desert drought.

Pruning: Light shearing to none. Overgrown specimens after many decades will inevitable be crown raised into some type of arborescent habit revealing a complex trunk and schaffold branch architecture.

Propagation: Seed, though asexually by cutting is most common.

Disease and Pests: Spider mites

Additional comments: Oriental arborvitae was a popular Phoenix landscape plant during the early to mid-20th century. Today, oriental arborvitae is usually associated with older Phoenix neighborhoods and old-style landscape design themes. Based on my observations, their presence in Phoenix landscapes is usually reserved for "senior landscapes". They are often found in an overgrown state having been planted decades ago as a foundation corner plant. In time, they typically become massive visual green blobs.

There are many cultivars of different vigor and foliar color, some variegated. Some of the more notable cultivars include:

  1. 'Aureus' and 'Aureus Nana' - golden yellow foliage
  2. 'Berkmanii' - dwarf, compact, globe shaped
  3. 'Beverlyensis' - Upright, golden yellow foliage
  4. 'Blue Cone' - blue green foliage'
  5. 'Bonita' - dark green rounded and dwarf
  6. 'Minima Glauca' - dwarf blue foliage

Some sage advice: My final take home message about oriental arborvitae for you nostalgic garden lovers is.....USE DWARF CULTIVARS!