description
Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen coniferous tree, in
the cypress family Cupressaceae.
Thuja is a small tree, growing only to a height of 30-65 feet (roughly 10–20 meters). The trunk
diameter averages 1 1/3 feet (0.4 meters), though on occasion it can reach heights of nearly 100 feet (roughly 30 meters) tall and be 5 feet (1.6 meters) in diameter.
More usually, tree is often stunted or prostrate.
The thuja tree's bark is red-brown and furrowed. It peels in narrow, longitudinal
strips. Its foliage forms in flat sprays (fan-like branches) and with small scale-like leaves.
Its cones are slender and yellow-green with 6-8 overlapping scales; they ripen brown.
common names & nomenclature
Arborvitae is Latin for "tree of life". It should be noted that despite the various “cedar” related
common names, this plant is not related to true cedar.
Also known as:
arborvitae, white cedar, northern white cedar, yellow cedar, swamp cedar,
false white cedar, eastern white cedar, atlantic white cedar, american
arborvitae, eastern arborvitae