Thuja — 4 species
Botanical species in the genus Thuja recorded in the PlantPeers database.
Thuja occidentalis
Thuja occidentalis
Family: Cupressaceae
Cultivation
Thuja occidentalis occupies a geographical range touching in the north on the subarctic taiga-tundra interface and in the south it extends well into the belt of deciduous angiosperm forests. It is a very hardy tree, tolerating very cold winters with temperatures down to -46°c. In cold weather the leaves turn brown, becoming green again in the spring.
Full cultivation guide →Thuja plicata
Thuja plicata
Family: Cupressaceae
Cultivation
Thuja plicata is found in two, more or less disjunct areas, each with their own distinct climate - the Pacific coastal mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Pacific coastal mountains experience high rainfall levels (up to 6,600mm per annum with the majority falling in winter) and mild winters. Here, in the wet forests amongst many other giant species such as the Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), Thuja plicata can be up to 75 metres tall and live for more than 1,000 years.
Full cultivation guide →Thuja standishii
Thuja standishii
Family: Cupressaceae
Cultivation
Thuja standishii is native to the subalpine and upper cool temperate forests of central and southern Japan, where it is known to tolerate winter temperatures down to around -20°c. Plants are tolerant of regular trimming, so long as this does not go back into the old wood. This species was in the past regarded as one of the 'five trees of Kiso' or 'Tome-ki' (preserved trees) which meant they were the property of the Emperors of the Tokugawa dynasty in the 17th and 18th centuries and not to be used by common people.
Full cultivation guide →Thuja sutchuenensis
Thuja sutchuenensis
Family: Cupressaceae
Cultivation
Thuja sutchuenensis is found in a warm temperate and humid climate with a mean annual precipitation around 1,400mm. The climate is humid warm temperate, with a January mean of 2.4°c, a July mean of 24.8°c, and a mean annual precipitation of 1,418mm. The tree grows in the wild in mountain yellow-brown earth that has developed from limestone - it is rich in organic matter (2. 3-3%); with a thick humus layer (around 20cm deep); and a pH in the range 6.2 - 7.
Full cultivation guide →