Platycladus orientalis     
Oriental arborvitae   
Cupressaceae Family     

Form: dense, conical or columnar tree
Seasonality: evergreen

old specimens of Platycladus orientalis

Size: 18-25ft, spread 10ft
Leaves: scale-like, grouped in flat plates
Flowers: insignificant
Fruit: bluish cones, ovate, knobby, 6-8 segments
Stems/Trunks: dense foliage, trunk usually not visible
Range/Origin: unknown, probably China
Hardiness: to single digits or lower

LANDSCAPE VALUE:

• formal hedge
• specimen
• foundation plantings

CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Exposure: full sun
• Water: drought tolerant when mature; best on 2-3 irrigations per month
• Soil: uniform, deep, prepared soil is helpful
• Propagation: vegetative cuttings
• Maintenance: low; plants have a tendency to collect dust and look dirty

NOTES:

flat, plate-like leaf form (above) and fruiting cones (below)

aka Arborvitae

an old landscaping plant, not currently in much demand

does not do well in Tucson, at the limit of its range here

many different cultivars available, offering choices of foliage color, dwarf sizes, etc.

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This page was first created August 29, 2001 and last modified June 1, 2006.

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Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net

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