Arborvitae trees are a beloved choice for creating structure, privacy, and year round color in the landscape, offering a blend of soft, feathery foliage and remarkably diverse forms. These evergreen conifers, members of the cypress family, provide a practical solution for screening unsightly views while adding consistent texture to the garden regardless of the season. Understanding the various types of arborvitae trees available is essential for selecting the perfect specimen to enhance your outdoor space without overwhelming it. From towering columns to rounded globes and cascading groundcovers, the range of shapes and sizes ensures a suitable option exists for nearly every design need.
The appeal of arborvitae lies not only in their reliability but also in their adaptability to different garden roles, whether as a stately focal point, a uniform hedge, or a gentle backdrop. When planning your planting, familiarizing yourself with the different species and cultivars allows you to match the tree’s mature dimensions and growth habits to your specific space and maintenance expectations. This guide explores the primary categories of arborvitae, helping you navigate the options to make confident, informed choices for your landscape. By focusing on the distinct characteristics of each type, you can create a harmonious and thriving outdoor environment tailored to your vision.
Columnar and Fastigiate Forms
Columnar arborvitae are defined by their strikingly narrow, upright growth habit, which makes them ideal for tight spaces, entryway framing, or creating visual vertical accents in the garden. Unlike broader cultivars, these trees add height and structure without consuming excessive square footage, making them a practical choice for modern landscapes and small urban yards. Their clean lines provide a formal elegance that pairs beautifully with contemporary architecture or symmetrical garden designs.
Thuja occidentalis 'Columnaris'
Recognized as one of the most classic columnar varieties, Thuja occidentalis 'Columnaris' exhibits a dense, slow to medium rate of growth that allows it to maintain its refined shape for many years. Its rich green foliage maintains excellent color throughout the winter, providing reliable structure when many other plants have faded. This cultivar is particularly valued for its consistent form and adaptability to a variety of soil conditions, provided the drainage is adequate.
Thuja occidentalis 'Fastigiata'
Another standout in the columnar category is Thuja occidentalis 'Fastigiata', which is celebrated for its extremely upright and tightly columnar silhouette. Gardeners often utilize this variety to create a living wall or a series of repeated elements that establish a strong sense of order and rhythm in the landscape. While it requires protection from harsh winter winds to prevent desiccation, its low maintenance needs and dramatic presence make it a favorite for adding sophistication to any setting.
Rounded and Globe Shaped Types
For those seeking a softer, more informal look, rounded and globe shaped arborvitae offer a sense of balance and charm that contrasts beautifully with vertical structures in the garden. These varieties grow wider than they do tall, creating lush, mounded specimens that serve as excellent focal points or anchor plants in mixed borders. Their non aggressive footprint makes them suitable for residential lots where space is at a premium.
Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold'
Notable for its unique seasonal color transitions, Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold' begins as a bright chartreuse in spring, matures to a rich gold in summer, and turns a coppery bronze during the colder months. This slow growing cultivar maintains a perfectly rounded habit without the need for pruning, making it an ideal choice for gardeners who prefer a natural, low intervention appearance. Its vibrant foliage provides year round interest that enliven garden beds and borders.
Thuja occidentalis 'Little Gem'
Contrasting with its larger relatives, Thuja occidentalis 'Little Gem' is a dwarf variety that forms a compact, dense sphere, making it perfect for small gardens, rockeries, or container planting on patios and decks. Its diminutive size does not compromise its visual impact, as it delivers the same feathery texture and evergreen structure in a package that is easy to maintain. This versatility allows it to integrate seamlessly into both traditional and contemporary garden schemes.
Spreading and Ground Cover Variants
Spreading varieties of arborvitae are invaluable for covering large areas, stabilizing slopes, or creating a low growing evergreen carpet that reduces the need for mulch. These types typically have a horizontal growth pattern that hugs the ground, providing excellent weed suppression and year round color. They are an effective solution for areas where vertical growth would be impractical or undesirable.
Thuja plicata 'Hockanum'
Thuja plicata 'Hockanum' stands out among spreading types due to its remarkably fast growth rate and ability to form a dense, broad mat of foliage. This cultivar is exceptionally hardy and tolerant of heat and humidity, making it a robust choice for regions with challenging summer conditions. Its rapid coverage makes it a practical option for erosion control on banks or filling in large empty spaces quickly and effectively.
Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Gaiety'
Adding a touch of drama with its variegated foliage, Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Gaiety' features creamy white edges surrounding deep green needles, creating a striking visual effect that brightens shaded areas. This spreading groundcover type thrives in partial shade where many other evergreens struggle, offering color and texture when it is needed most. It serves as an excellent alternative to flowering groundcovers, providing structure throughout the entire year.
Dwarf and Miniature Cultivars
Homeowners with limited space or those looking for intricate landscaping details often turn to dwarf and miniature arborvitae cultivars. These slow growing versions deliver the iconic evergreen form of larger trees without the overwhelming scale, allowing for precise design control. They are ideal for use in fairy gardens, miniature landscapes, or as slow evolving accents on patios and walkways.
Thuja occidentalis 'Rotorua'
Thuja occidentalis 'Rotorua' is a celebrated dwarf shrub that remains extremely compact, rarely exceeding a few feet in height and width. Its soft, billowy texture and vibrant green color make it a tactile and visually appealing choice for the front of a border or as a small specimen plant. Because of its slow growth, it requires very little pruning, saving time and effort in maintenance.
Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy'
True to its name, Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy' possesses a distinctive rounded, plush appearance that resembles a teddy bear, complete with densely packed, velvety foliage. This miniature type is perfect for adding a touch of whimsy to the garden while maintaining a neat and orderly profile. It is particularly well suited for containers, allowing you to bring a touch of classic evergreen charm to outdoor living spaces.
Exploring these distinct types of arborvitae trees reveals how versatile these evergreens truly are in the landscape, capable of fulfilling roles from grand statement pieces to subtle ground hugging accents. Matching the growth habit and mature size of the tree to your specific spatial requirements and aesthetic goals ensures long term satisfaction and healthy growth. Observing how the form, color, and texture of each variety interact with your existing plantings will help you create a cohesive and dynamic garden. Taking the time to select the right type guarantees that your arborvitae will become a beautiful and enduring feature in your outdoor environment for years to come.