Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Hybrid arborvitae
Thuja standishii × plicata
arborvitae in a garden planting. Landscape view of the upright evergreen trees; use the close-up categories for identification.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadecultivar413 from Fallbrook, California ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Problems to recognize in WNC gardens. These are documented susceptibilities, not a local outbreak report or a diagnosis. Weather, elevation and growing conditions change the risk.
Diseases & similar-looking injury
Root rot in poorly drained soil is a concern. Occasional cankers can cause branch browning.
Insects to recognize
Bagworms, spider mites and scale may damage foliage.
When to look
Look for small developing bags in early summer and fine stippling during dry weather.
A useful first step
Check drainage and soil moisture, then examine foliage for the actual pest. Brown foliage alone does not identify root rot or mites.
More growing details
Read the leaves
Opposite scales overlap on flattened sprays. Foliage supports arborvitae identification but usually not this hybrid by itself.
Read the bark
Fibrous reddish-brown bark develops strips and shallow furrows.
Fruit & seed
Small elongated cones have overlapping thin scales, unlike juniper's fleshy blue cones.
Winter character
Evergreen fan-like sprays make winter comparison possible.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
WNC Notes
A cultivated arborvitae hybrid. Allow room for its mature screen and avoid persistently saturated roots.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
40–60
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
12–18
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Evergreen
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate–high
Drought Tolerance
Moderate
At Lynn’s Nursery · Green Giant
Thuja 'Green Giant' Summer/Fall 2026 catalog. Confirm current availability with the nursery. Mature height × width: 30–40 ft × 12–18 ft. Light: Full sun to part shade. Habit: Fast, pyramidal evergreen. Flowers & season: Non-showy cones. Tall screen; allow long-term width.
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
arborvitae in a garden planting. Landscape view of the upright evergreen trees; use the close-up categories for identification.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadecultivar413 from Fallbrook, California ↗ · CC BY 2.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Leaf closeup. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDavid J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Small cones among arborvitae foliage — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeDavid J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.
Your margin of the garden.
Saved only in this browser on this device. Export your notes from My garden in the library.
.jpg){kind=link}