Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra'

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Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra'

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Kemper Code: C243

Common Name: American arborvitae
Zone: 3 to 7
Plant Type: Needled evergreen
Family: Cupressaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 20 to 30 feet
Spread: 5 to 10 feet
Bloom Time: -
Bloom Color: Non-flowering
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low

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Plant Culture and Characteristics

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Where is this species invasive in the US?

Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Somewhat wide range of soil tolerance, but prefers moist, neutral to alkaline, well-drained loams. Intolerant of dry conditions. Best in full sun, but generally appreciates some light afternoon shade in hot summer climates such as the St. Louis area. Avoid full shade where foliage density will substantially decrease. Avoid exposed, windy sites.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Thuja occidentalis, commonly known as American arborvitae, Eastern arborvitae, Eastern white cedar or Northern white cedar, is a dense, conical to narrow-pyramidal (sometimes maturing to broad-pyramidal), often single-trunked, evergreen tree that is native to eastern and central Canada south to northern Illinois, Ohio and New York with scattered populations further south in the Appalachians to North Carolina. ‘Nigra’ is a conical cultivar that will grow to 20-30’ tall and to 5-10’ wide. It features flattened sprays of dark green foliage that retain good green color throughout the year including winter. Seed cones are not particularly showy.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. Leaf blight may cause some foliage to spot and drop. Watch for canker. Leaf miner may damage leaf tips. Bagworms, mealybug, scales and spider mites are occasional visitors. Foliage may show some winter burn (turns yellow-brown) in exposed sites. Susceptible to damage/stem breakage in winter from ice and snow accumulations.

Uses:

Foundations, screens and hedges. Specimen.