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Eastern White Cedar
Thuja occidentalis

a.k.a. Arborvitae

An evergreen conifer up to 60' tall, usually cone shaped, with wide, spreading branches and aromatic. Well suited for screens, aromatic plantings, restorations, rain gardens, upland buffers and wildlife shelterbelts. This slow-growing species can be damaged by extreme drought and overbrowsing by deer. Tolerates clay soils.

USDA symbol: THOC2

General Information

Plant TypeTree
Height10 to 40 feet
Light ExposureSun
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorYellow, Green
Eastern White Cedar (Eastern White Cedar<div><em class="small">Thuja occidentalis</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Wildflowers (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceHigh
General Resilience7
Salt ToleranceMedium
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Medium

Bloom MonthsApril to May

Project Planning

Project TypeErosion Control, Rain Garden, Restoration, Upland Buffer
Coefficient of Conservatism10
Herbivore SensitivityMedium
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadSlow
Soil StabilizationDeep
Vegetative ReproductionAbsent

Range

CountyAitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kandiyohi, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Pine, Roseau, St. Louis, Washington, Winona
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands