North Carolina Botanical Garden

Plant Index

Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Genus:
Family:

Thuja occidentalis

Thuja occidentalis L.

american arborvitae, flat cedar, northern white cedar

Synonym(s): Thuja occidentalis f. malonyana, Thuja occidentalis var. fastigiata, Thuja occidentalis var. nigra, Thuja occidentalis var. pyramidalis
Cultivar(s): Dwarf Globe Form, Emerald, Filiformis, George Peabody, Hetz Midget, Holmstrupii, Hoseri, Nana, Ohlendorfii, Rheingold

Thuja occidentalis (American Arborvitae)

Image ID: 5354
Image by: Hardin, J.W.
Image Collection: Herbarium Collection

PLANT INDEX

ID_PLANT: THOC2
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Thuja occidentalis
Include in WOTAS: 0
Publish to Web: 1
Last Modified: 2019-08-30

CULTIVAR INDEX

Cult_id	Cultivar_name	Action
1603	Dwarf Globe Form	View
1604	Emerald	View
1605	Filiformis	View
1606	George Peabody	View
1607	Hetz Midget	View
1608	Holmstrupii	View
1609	Hoseri	View
1610	Nana	View
1611	Ohlendorfii	View
1612	Rheingold	View

GENUS INDEX

GENUS CODE: THUJA
GENUS SCIENTIFIC: Thuja
GENUS AUTHORITY: L.
GENUS COMMON: Arborvitae
GENUS SUMMARY: A genus of 5 species, trees, of e. North America, w. North America, and e. Asia.
GENUS IDENTIFICATION:
GENUS REFERENCES: Chambers in FNA (1993b); Page in Kramer & Green (1990).

FAMILY INDEX

FAMILY CODE: CUPRES
FAMILY SCIENTIFIC: Cupressaceae
FAMILY AUTHORITY: Bartlett 1830
FAMILY COMMON: Cypress Family
FAMILY SUMMARY: A family of about 29 genera and about 130 species. Recent studies indicate that the separation of the Taxodiaceae from the Cupressaceae is not warranted, and they are here combined (Gadek et al. 2000; Brunsfeld et al. 1994). The subfamilial classification used here follows Gadek et al. (2000).
FAMILY REFERENCE: Farjon (2005); Hart & Price (1990); Hardin (1971b); Watson & Eckenwalder in FNA (1993b); Page in Kramer & Green (1990).

NCBG DESCRIPTIVES

INTRO:
STEMS:
LEAVES:
INFLORESCENCE:
FLOWERS:
FRUITS:
COMMENTS:
HEIGHT: 20-40 ft.

DURATION: Perennial
HABIT: Tree

LEAF ARRANGEMENT:
LEAF COMPLEXITY: Simple
LEAF RETENTION: Evergreen

FLORAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMMETRY:
BLOOM TIME: Mar-Apr

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
			x

BLOOM COLOR: Not Applicable

White	Red	Pink	Orange	Yellow	Green	Blue	Lavender	Purple	Violet	Brown	Not Applicable
											x

FRUITING PERIOD:

DISTRIBUTION
HABITAT TYPE:
NATIVE RANGE:

HORTICULTURAL
Plant Sale Text:

Bloom Table Text:

NCBG Location:

Cultural Notes:

SOIL MOISTURE: Dry, Average, Moist/Wet
LIGHT EXPOSURE: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
MINIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
MAXIMUM HARDINESS ZONE:
GERMINATION CODE:
WILDLIFE VALUE:
DEER RESISTANCE:

GRIM ACCESSIONS

acc_id	acc_num	acc_dt	coll_id	Action
570	1985-0199			View
571	1985-0200			View
572	1985-0201			View
573	1985-0202			View
574	1985-0203			View
575	1985-0205			View
576	1985-0206			View
588	1985-0221			View
1419	1986-1199			View
3072	1989-0022			View
3170	1990-0003			View
3840	1991-0535			View

GRIM PLANTINGS

plt_num	acc_id	loc_num	pers_num	inst_dt	Action
1213	570	165	NCBG staff	1978-11-09	View
1214	571	165	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1215	572	165	NCBG staff	1981-10-13	View
1216	573	165	NCBG staff	1981-11-30	View
1217	574	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1218	575	165	NCBG staff	1980-05-05	View
1219	576	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1235	588	165	NCBG staff	1982-02-11	View
1236	588	198	NCBG staff	1982-02-11	View
1237	588	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
1238	588	198	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
2481	1419	89	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
5097	3072	177	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View
5320	3170	177	NCBG staff	1982-11-04	View
6149	3840	199	NCBG staff	0000-00-00	View

USDA PLANTS DATABASE

USDA Symbol: THOC2
USDA Common Name: Arborvitae
Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Distribution: USA (CT, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV), CAN (MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Tree

NATIONAL WETLAND INDICATOR STATUS

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FACW				FACW	FACW		FACW	FACW

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2016 National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.3 (Lichvar, R.W., D.L. Banks, W.N. Kirchner, and N.C. Melvin. 2016. The National Wetland Plant List: 2016 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2016-30: 1-17. Published 28 April 2016. ISSN 2153 733X). Regions: AGCP-Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, AK-Alaska, AW-Arid West, CB-Caribbean, EMP-Eastern Mountains and Piedmont, GP-Great Plains, HI-Hawaii, MW-Midwest, NCNE-Northcentral and Northeast, WMCV-Western Mountains, Valleys & Coast

2018 Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species of North Carolina

NHP ID	S RANK	ROUNDED S RANK	G RANK	ROUNDED G RANK	STATE STATUS	FEDERAL STATUS
15312	SNR	SNR	G5	G5	W3

This information is derived from the 2018 North Carolina Natural Heritage Program List of Rare Plant Species.

WEAKLEY FLORA

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Thuja occidentalis
COMMON NAME: American Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar, Flat Cedar
SYNONYMY: [= C, F, FNA, G, Il, K, Pa, RAB, S, Tn, Va, W, WV]
PHENOLOGY: Mar-Apr.
HABITAT: Dry limestone, dolostone, and calcareous sandstone cliffs, talus, and boulderfields, rarely in our area in calcareous swamps, also planted and persisting around old homesites and cemeteries (mainly in the Mountains).
COMMENTS: NS, Hudson Bay, and MB south to PA (where considered strictly introduced by Rhoads & Block 2007), OH, n. IN, n. IL, and in the mountains to WV, w. VA, and e. TN. This species is alleged by various authors to have occurred as a native species in nw. NC on limestone bluffs in Alleghany, Ashe, and/or Burke counties, but it has not been relocated in this century, and little apparently suitable habitat occurs in NC.
RANGE MAP: Thuja occidentalis.png

Key to Map Symbols

ABOUT FAMILY (Weakley Flora)
Cupressaceae Bartlett 1830 (Cypress Family)
SUMMARY: A family of about 29 genera and about 130 species. Recent studies indicate that the separation of the Taxodiaceae from the Cupressaceae is not warranted, and they are here combined (Gadek et al. 2000; Brunsfeld et al. 1994). The subfamilial classification used here follows Gadek et al. (2000).
REFERENCE: Farjon (2005); Hart & Price (1990); Hardin (1971b); Watson & Eckenwalder in FNA (1993b); Page in Kramer & Green (1990).

ABOUT GENUS (Weakley Flora)
Thuja L. (Arborvitae)
SUMMARY: A genus of 5 species, trees, of e. North America, w. North America, and e. Asia.
REFERENCE: Chambers in FNA (1993b); Page in Kramer & Green (1990).

HERBARIUM RESOURCES

SERNEC: Find Thuja occidentalis in Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)
UNC SERNEC: Find Thuja occidentalis in University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Herbarium - Southeast Regional Network of Experts and Collections (if available)

WEB RESOURCES

USDA: Find Thuja occidentalis in USDA Plants
NPIN: Find Thuja occidentalis in NPIN Database
FNA: Find Thuja occidentalis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Thuja occidentalis

IMAGE USE RECORDS

ID IMAGE: 5354 - Primary Image FloraQuest Plant Detail Page (Landscape Preferred)
ID IMAGE1: 5354 - Primary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE2: 0 - Secondary Image WOTAS
ID IMAGE3: 5354 - Primary Image Plant Sale Sign (Landscape Only)
ID IMAGE4: 0 - Primary Image New Plant Sale Label (Portrait Only)