# Arborvitaes (*thuja*)

Arborvitaes are evergreen trees that have beautiful, soft foliage! They grow tall and provide shelter for many animals in the forest.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Arborvitaes typically grow in forests and are often found in gardens and parks.
- **Also known as:** Eastern Arborvitae, Thuja, Western Arborvitae

![Arborvitaes](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Thuja_occidentalis_%28eastern_arbor_vitae_tree%29_%28Natural_Bridge_State_Park%252C_Virginia%252C_USA%29_2_%2827804946205%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thuja_occidentalis_%28eastern_arbor_vitae_tree%29_%28Natural_Bridge_State_Park%252C_Virginia%252C_USA%29_2_%2827804946205%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Arborvitaes has dense, scale-like leaves that are typically bright green to yellowish-green, often flattened into fan-like sprays. Its overall shape is usually conical or pyramidal, making it a distinct evergreen in many landscapes.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Genus:** Thuja

## Interesting facts

- "Arborvitae" means "tree of life" because its leaves saved sailors from scurvy long ago!
- Some species can grow over 60 feet tall, making them taller than a 5-story building!
- Their wood has a super fresh, cedar-like scent, especially when cut or bruised!
- They keep their green scales all winter long, even when most other trees are completely bare!

## Special abilities

- **Evergreen Shelter:** Arborvitaes has thick, evergreen foliage that helps it provide year-round shelter for many small animals from harsh weather.
- **Rot-Resistant Wood:** Arborvitaes can produce natural oils in its wood that helps it resist decay and last longer in wet conditions.
- **Windbreak Wall:** Arborvitaes has dense, closely packed branches that help it create effective windbreaks, protecting homes and other plants.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 300-1200 cm
- **Spread:** 150-400 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse its evergreen foliage, especially in winter.
- **Shelter:** [Eastern Gray Squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Squirrels build nests and find refuge in its dense branches.
- **Shelter:** [Northern Cardinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-cardinal) (*Cardinalis cardinalis*) — Cardinals often nest and seek cover within its thick foliage.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Arborvitaes?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Arborvitaes?

300-1200 cm

### How wide does Arborvitaes spread?

150-400 cm

### When does Arborvitaes bloom?

Spring

### Is Arborvitaes edible?

No

### Is Arborvitaes toxic?

Mild

### What is Arborvitaes's lifecycle?

Perennial

### How is Arborvitaes pollinated?

Wind

## Where to spot

- [Forstbaumschule (Kiel)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/forstbaumschule-kiel) — Schleswig-Holstein, DE · Park
- [Potomac Hills Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/potomac-hills-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Arborvitaes: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/arborvitaes)