Evergreen Shrub Of The Day

Thuja occidentalis 'Little Gem'

Eastern Arborvitae, American Arborvitae, Siberian Arborvitae, Northern White Cedar, White Cedar

Type Shrub, woody plant

Hardy range 3A to 7B

Height 4' to 10' / 1.20m to 3.00m

Spread 5' to 6' / 1.60m to 1.80m

Growth rate Slow

Form Pyramidal

Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun

Persistence Evergreen

Bloom Color Yellow

Bloom Time Spring

Environment This plant tolerates some drought, flooding and a little salt. This plant will grow in dry to wet or submerged soil. Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay. The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.

Leaf Color Green

Fall Color Yellow

This plant has attractive fall colors.

Culture Notes Transplanting is moderately easy if plants are root-pruned and either balled and burlapped or potted. White-Cedar likes high humidity and tolerates wet soils and some drought, but not salt exposure of any kind. The foliage turns brownish in winter, especially on cultivars with colored foliage and on exposed sites open to the wind. Many of the natural stands in the United States have been cut. Some remain in isolated areas along rivers throughout the East. A 20-year-old plant was 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.

Foliage turns bright yellow-green or brown with the onset of cold winter temperatures.

Maintain adequate mulch area Be sure to clear all turf away from beneath the branches and mulch to the drip line (the edge of the branches), especially on young trees, to reduce competition with turf and weeds. This will allow roots to become well established and keep plants healthier. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size, since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. The tree can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of foliage. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located.

Planting and establishing shrubs The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.

Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.

Please feel free to comment on any post at any time all feedback is welcome and we’d love to hear it.