Arborvitae trees are a favorite of residential and commercial landscapers across cold and temperate climates in North America. Over the last century, they have become integral parts of the urban and suburban American landscape. Along with sequoias, douglas fir, eucalyptus, and redwoods, the western red cedar is one of the tallest trees in the world.
It can grow to be nearly feet tall and 1, years old. Western red cedar wood is rot-resistant with clear grain, making it ideal for construction. Native Americans use western red cedar for building, canoes, hunting equipment, basketry, clothing, coffins, instruments, spiritual ceremonies, and much more.
While the western red cedar gave arborvitae their namesake, the eastern arborvitae Thuja occidentalis is actually the more commonly used species for landscaping. A stand of old-growth western red cedar in the Pacific Northwest.
All arborvitae trees are in the genus Thuja. This is a small genus of coniferous, evergreen trees; it only contains five species of trees. All Thuja species live in northern temperate zones that have decently cold winters. Two species are native to North America and the other three are native to East Asia.
Humans have bred Thuja occidentalis and Thuja plicata for specific traits that make them successful landscaping plants. They are easy to install, are thuja solitär bred maintenance, grow well when planted densely together, and are an inexpensive plant option.
These trees are usually used for privacy screens, landscaping accents, and windbreaks. A privacy hedge of arborvitae completely obscures the landscape behind it. The most common use of the arborvitae is as a privacy hedge. Typically, many of these trees are planted just a few feet apart from each other in a line.
When they grow up, they create a green wall of dense foliage that divides spaces. These evergreens keep their needles year-round, meaning they provide privacy during every season. They also tend to grow rather quickly, up to three vertical feet per year.
Due to their year-round foliage, quick growth habit, and ease of care, landscapers often use arborvitae when installing a visual barrier. Some people think that arborvitae are overused in residential areas and that there are more interesting plants to choose from for privacy screens.
Some of the attributes that make arborvitae successful privacy hedges also make them effective windbreaks. A windbreak is a row of trees planted perpendicular to the prevailing winds on the windward side of a crop or structure.
Acting as a wall, the trees create a zone behind them with substantially less wind.