Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
American arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis
Whole tree — Thuja occidentalis. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeMark Robinson ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo 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
Look along the flat spray for paired scale leaves. Foliage identifies the arborvitae group better than the named cultivar.
Read the bark
Fibrous reddish-gray bark peels in narrow strips.
Fruit & seed
Small tan elongated cones have several pairs of overlapping scales.
Winter character
Evergreen flattened sprays and cone structure remain visible.
Origin & place
A cultivar of an eastern North American species. Current NC floristic treatment questions whether northern white cedar was ever native in NC.
WNC Notes
An evergreen arborvitae with varied garden forms. Check expected mature size, deer pressure and drainage before planting.
Sun Exposure
Full sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
40–60
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
10–15
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Evergreen
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Low
At Lynn’s Nursery · Emerald Green
Thuja occidentalis Summer/Fall 2026 catalog. Confirm current availability with the nursery. Mature height × width: 10–15 ft × 3–4 ft. Light: Full sun to part shade. Habit: Narrow, upright evergreen. Flowers & season: Non-showy cones. Tight evergreen screen; winter-burn risk in exposed sites.
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.
Whole tree — Thuja occidentalis. Species reference; the photographed specimen does not confirm the named variety. Age, pruning, and site affect its shape.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeMark Robinson ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Leaves. Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.☀ Full sun · ◐ Part sun or part shadeCrusier ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
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