One of the most popular conifers among summer residents ornamental trees is thuja. This is an evergreen tree or shrub that belongs to the Cypress family. This family also includes such widespread conifers as cypress,. Young thujas have needle-like needles. The needles have a light green tint. Adults have scale-like foliage and are darker in color. A tree can develop for almost 100 years.
Most varieties are frost resistant. Colors Arborvitae are varied depending on the varieties. For example, wood can be blue or yellowish. There are tall three-meter thujas, as well as dwarf shrubs.
The western thuja is the most popular in Russia.
Western thuja: description and varieties
Western Thuja is a species. It can grow up to 20 meters, but in Russia the western thuja rarely grows above 7 meters. Crown shapes are:
- Globular.
A large number of varieties are grown western thuja. Among them are such common varieties: Smaragd, Barbant, Danika, Columna and others. However, some amateur gardeners look for less popular, but no less unusual varieties on gardening shelves. Below are the most common varieties with photos. Often gardeners and landscape designers, when deciding to plant thuja, ask the question: “Which one is better to plant in the country?”
Degroot Spire - a variety for lovers of sophistication
Degroot Spire- a varietal variety of western thuja. It has a unique columnar shape, has a narrow and straight crown and is considered the narrowest among the columnar species. The height of this crop is up to 3 meters. Degroot Spire is widespread in the West.
This is a tree - perfect option For landscape design and landscaping areas. For example, Degroot Spire will help to arrange any fence, even if its height reaches 5 meters. A tall but thin green wall will not take up much space on the site.
Thuja occidentalis Degroot Spire.
Degroot Spire has such advantages as frost resistance and undemanding soil conditions. It is better to plant a tree in places that are well lit by sunlight. The shadow makes the crown looser. The ideal soil for growing this variety is a combination of the following components:
- Sand;
- Peat;
- Listyev.
One bucket of water is enough for watering. Regular watering - once a week. In the spring the tree is fed. The soil needs to be mulched and loosened periodically. IN spring period The tree is covered to avoid sunburn. In winter, the crown needs to be tied with tape so that wet snow does not damage the crown.
Holmstrup - beauty from Denmark
Holmstrup is an evergreen shrub. The crown shape is columnar. A mature tree grows up to 4 meters in height. The crown color is rich green. In winter, the color of the needles does not change. The needles of the shrub are dense and consist of scales.
Thuja Holmstrup (“Holmstrup”).
This variety is frost-resistant, shade-tolerant and tolerates windy weather well. The shrub does not require high soil fertility. This bush is great option For Russia. It is best to plant it in places well lit by sunlight. Or you should choose places that are not too shaded.
The shrub is an excellent choice for planting in groups or individually. Hedges are rarely created using Holmstrup.
Fastigiata - a valuable variety for experienced gardeners
One of the varieties of narrow-shaped thujas is Fastigiata. This varietal variety was first grown in Germany. A mature tree grows up to 12 meters in height. It grows very quickly. Visually similar to cypress. The needles of the tree are soft and have a pleasant aroma. The cones are small in size.
Thuja occidentalis Fastigiata (“Fastigiata”).
This variety loves the sun and prefers fertile soil. In spring, it is advisable to cover young seedlings so that the spring sun does not damage them. To improve the soil structure, mulch it. Cut grass is used for mulching. In winter, spruce branches are used for mulching. Lapnik prevents the reproduction of mice.
With the help of Fastigiata, hedges are often formed. They are not only beautiful, but also do not take up much space. The varietal variety is not afraid of decorative haircuts. Designers use wood in large landscape compositions and use it in group plantings. It goes well with a variety of flowers and shrubs.
Yellow varieties of thuja occidentalis
They are extremely popular, refresh the landscape, and look great in any composition. Unfortunately, many of them are “capricious”. The most common varieties in Russia are described below.
Thuja occidentalis Yellow Ribon - for lovers of yellow thuja varieties
Yellow Ribon is a yellow variety of thuja. It is small in size. The crown shape is conical. An adult thuja has a height of up to 2 meters. It grows quite quickly. The crown is loose, so it is advisable to trim the tree regularly to give it density.
The needles of young trees have Orange color, becoming green as they mature. In winter, the crown turns brown. The sunny the place where this thuja grows, the brighter the color of the crown.
The variety is distinguished by its demanding growing conditions. The soil must be fertile and moist for the plant to delight with its beauty.
Thuja Yellow Ribbon.
Beautiful golden needles make this variety very valuable. In landscape design, Yellow Ribon thujas are used to form walls that have a rich yellow tint. They are planted in containers, and they are also used to create hedges and memorial walls.
Thuja Golden Globe - yellow balls for summer cottages
Golden Globe is notable for its slow growth. The crown shape of this coniferous crop is spherical. The height of an adult bush does not exceed 1 meter.
The needles are loose. Regular haircuts help achieve density. The ends of the shoots have a golden color; inside the crown the needles have green color. IN autumn period Over time, the needles take on a copper tint; in spring, they become golden again. To make the shrub happy with its golden color, it is recommended to plant it in sunny or slightly shaded places.
Thuja Golden Globe (“Golden Globe”).
This shrub does not require high soil fertility, but loves lime-rich soil. To avoid branches breaking off, the crown is tied up for the winter.
Shrubs are used in plantings in groups; they can also be planted individually. They are also used to create beautiful hedges and borders.
The most interesting varieties
Many other varieties of this crop are known. The following varieties are extremely popular: Brabant, Smaragd, Danika, Globoza. Specialty stores and nurseries also have more unique and less common varieties. Below are the names of the western thuja varieties and their brief descriptions.
Little Boy- this is a relatively new dwarf spherical variety. The height does not exceed 0.5 meters. Growth is slow. The needles of this thuja have an emerald color. Little Boy requires high soil fertility. Loves the sun, but is not averse to growing in partial shade. This thuja is used to create:
- Japanese gardens;
- Living borders.
Hoseri- This is an original variety originally from Poland. This is another dwarf globular tree species. The scale-like needles are dark green in color. In autumn, the needles take on a bronze hue. Hoseri loves moisture, is not picky about the soil and is shade-tolerant. This crop is also frost-resistant and not afraid of winds.
Mircem- This is another dwarf variety of thuja. Mature plant grows up to 80 cm. The needles have a bright yellow color, becoming bronze by autumn. Plant growth is slow. Due to its size, this thuja is an ideal option for rock gardens and planting in pots.
Question answer
For planting along fences, varieties such as Holmstrup, Fastigiata, Brabant, and Smaragd are often used.
Which thuja is the most unpretentious?
Many species of this crop are unpretentious. Brabant, Smaragd, Holmstrup are often chosen.
How much do thuja seedlings cost?
The price of one seedling is from 150 rubles and above.
I do rock gardens. How are thujas used in alpine slides?
Low-growing varieties are suitable for rock gardens. In Russia, the most popular are the dwarf species of western thuja. The following varieties are ideal: Danica, Golden Globe, Woodwardy, Philivormis. All of them have a spherical shape.
Is it possible to use thuja in mixborders?
Can. Despite the fact that mixborders require a wide variety of colors and shades, conifers are successfully used in mixborders. Thuja has many shades: green, blue and yellow.
Video review
A short and clear overview of some outstanding varieties. The information in the video is presented in a way that will be of interest to beginning gardeners.
Among the variety of varieties of thuja occidentalis, you can see aesthetic, spherical beauties grown in flowerpots. These are dwarf cypress trees, characterized by rapid growth - giant pyramidal or columnar plants.
Thuja occidentalis has many varieties that differ from each other in various characteristics. Let's highlight some of them.
By tallness:
- tall, from 5m and above;
- medium height, 3–5 m;
- short, 1–3 m;
- dwarf, less than 1 m.
Based on the shape of the crown, the following types of plants can be distinguished:
- pyramidal (cone-shaped);
- columnar;
- spherical.
There are thujas with the original color design needles: from blue to golden. Formative pruning can be used to give these plants various original shapes. Nature has provided enough options for landscaping park areas and personal plots.
Let's look at the most popular representatives of the thuja occidentalis family.
Brabant
Fast growing conical cultivar. Usually grows up to 4–5 m in height and 1.5–2 m in width, but individual mature trees grow up to 20 m, and the crown diameter is 4–5 m. Each year can add 30 cm vertically and 15 cm vertically horizontal. The color of the needles is bright green, with only a slight brownish tint appearing in winter.
Brabant - frost-resistant variety, easily withstands winter cold, is not picky about growing conditions. It takes root more easily on moist, light, nutrient-rich soils, but with proper care it can also be grown on dry soils. The plant is light-loving, but it is better to provide it with balance sunlight and shade in a place protected from strong winds. Excellent for cutting.
From a single tree you can create a real masterpiece decorative garden art: ball, cone, pyramid, etc. A group of plants can form a dense hedge, either free-growing or trimmed.
Emerald
Thuja pyramidal shape. The plant resembles Brabant in size and shape, but grows much more slowly, up to 10 cm per year. The needles have a rich dark green color and do not change color throughout the year. Smaragd prefers highly fertile soil and regular watering, but drought has an adverse effect on the plant.
This variety is best placed in the light or in an area with partial shade. Smaragd is a frost-resistant variety of thuja, but it is better to grow it in places protected from the winds. Trimming a thuja is easy and, given its slow growth, lasts a long time.
Although the hedge from Smaragd is not continuous (the tops of the crown do not close together), with a planting interval of 0.5–0.7 m, you can get a beautiful “southern landscape”.
Widely used both as a single growing plant and in group plantings. Compositions with various members of the family and other plants look impressive and original.
Fastigiata
Fast-growing (30 cm per year) columnar Thuja Fastigiata V middle lane Russia grows up to 6 m in height and has a narrow, dense crown. Thuja branches are pressed tightly to the trunk, the needles are soft to the touch, with a strong characteristic odor, dark green in color. The color of the plant practically does not change with the changing seasons.
Fastigiata grows best in sunny locations with loamy, moist and fertile soils. The variety is frost-resistant, the crown should be protected young tree from the sun's rays in late winter - in early spring to avoid burns.
Tolerates shaping haircut well. To make the plant take root easier and faster, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the trunk. This way, moisture will be retained and the soil structure will not become compacted.
Western Thuja Fastigiata is excellent for creating living screens, creating a tall, dense, green wall that is opaque to view while taking up little space. The plant is used in single and group plantings, in panoramic compositions. This thuja variety is a long-livers, with a lifespan of up to 200 years.
Columna
Columnar-shaped tree grows up to 5–6 m in height and 1.2–1.3 m in width. The needles are scaly, have a dark green rich color that remains unchanged all year round. A plant with a dense crown, which is formed by short shoots extending horizontally.
The plant is fast growing, adding up to 20 cm per year. This type of thuja is winter-hardy, undemanding to soil composition, but develops better on medium-fertile soil with moderate moisture content. The attitude towards drought is critical, the ideal location is places with partial shade. If necessary, you can carry out a shaping haircut. Sunburn can damage the needles, so it is better to cover the plant for the period winter - early spring.
Columnar thuja Columna is used to create a free-growing hedge with an interval of 0.6–07 m between plants. To give Columna the desired shape, a topiary haircut is suitable. Used for arranging alleys and in compositions with other plants.
Sunkist
Thuja occidentalis Sunkist- a very interesting and beautiful variety of cypress. The shrub has a pyramidal shape and grows up to 4–5 m in height with a crown diameter of 1.5–2 m, and has a somewhat tousled appearance. Growth is slow - about 10 cm per year. The golden color gives the plant a special charm. The needles of thuja Sunkist are large, golden-yellow in color, and glisten in the sun.
The most favorable place for growing is sunny or partial shade. In the shade, the color of the needles becomes green, and the crown loses density.
The variety is unpretentious to the conditions, but prefers fertile and moist soil. Thuja Sunkist is not afraid of cold weather and wind. To prevent sunburn from damaging the needles, it is recommended to cover the crown for the winter and leave it in this position until the ground thaws.
This variety is ideal as a hedge with a golden yellow color that looks great against darker plants. Sunkist is great for decorating alleys and as decorative elements in various landscape compositions. Looks good alone standing plant. Using a topiary haircut, it can be given the appearance of various geometric shapes.
Golden Globe
Thuja occidentalis Golden Globe grows to 1–1.2 m in diameter, adding 10 cm per year. It has vertical arrangement flat and dense shoots forming a crown. The plant has an interesting color: the tips of the needles, which receive more sun, are golden in color, and the leaves inside are green. IN winter time the bush takes on a copper shade, and in the spring returns to its original, golden color. The root system of the plant is located close to the surface of the earth, and is intolerant of dense and overly wet soil.
Golden Globe prefers bright sunny areas, but does not shy away from shade, taking on a rich green color. The plant is frost-resistant, but it must be protected from bright sunlight with the arrival of spring. There is no need to trim the thuja, but in the spring it will be useful to do sanitary pruning.
Using Thuja Golden Globe, low hedges or borders look beautiful. Globular plants perfectly complement various decorative compositions.
Globoza
Another spherical bush, only much larger in size - up to 1.5 m in width and the same in height. It grows very slowly - 5 cm per year, but its life expectancy reaches 200 years. It has soft, large, scaly needles, the color of which varies from light green (spring), to dark green (summer) and brownish (winter).
It grows better on moist, but without stagnant water, fertile loams.
A plant with a dense crown, which is recommended to be pruned every two years for rejuvenation. Globoza is a frost-resistant and shade-tolerant variety of thuja. In winter, it is recommended to protect young plants from the destructive effects of heavy snow cover, for which the crown is tied up or a frame is built over it.
Plants are used both singly growing and in groups. They are used to equip hedges and borders, look expressive in rock gardens, and container growing is gaining popularity for decorating balconies and terraces.
Holmstrup
Thuja Holmstrup is a columnar variety.. A mature tree can measure 2–3 m in height and 1–1.2 m in width. The plant is slender with a dense columnar shape even without pruning. The crown with a dense scaly shape is dark green in color and does not change at all times of the year.
Thuja is tolerant to various types soil, but the most favorable for it is fertile, moist, loamy soil. It grows better in sunny and semi-shaded areas, tolerates shade, but at the same time becomes less lush and beautiful. Holmstrup is a frost-resistant plant.
It has become widespread as living fences, as part of garden and park ensembles, low alleys and single plantings. Tolerates the urban environment very well.
Teddy
Teddy is a dwarf ornamental plant with a spherical crown, which consists of thin, densely spaced shoots. At a young age, needle-shaped needles are soft and not prickly, but over time they become tougher. The height of a mature plant is only 40 x 30 cm in height and length, respectively. The needles are dark green (bronze in autumn).
The plant is demanding of fertile soil and does not like drought, this also applies to soil and air humidity. Thuja Teddy is photophilous, prefers sunny places or partial shade, but needs shelter from the sun in early spring, when there is a risk of sunburn. Despite its small size, the plant is frost-resistant.
The scope of application is small areas, rock gardens and alpine slides, grown in flowerpots to decorate balconies.
Conclusion
The homeland of the western thuja is North America . The family has many varieties, including tall, medium, small and dwarf plants. The shape of the crown can be pyramidal, columnar, or spherical. Color palette plants are quite diverse, some varieties of western thuja change color with the changing seasons, others remain unchanged.
When choosing a plant, you should take into account not only its size, shape and color, but also other features inherent in each variety, for example:
If you take into account all these factors when choosing, planting and caring for the western thuja, then these beautiful plants will take their rightful place in any park or garden ensemble.
| Danica(Danika) An ideal ball from a young age, it grows no more than 60 cm. It grows slowly, at 20 years the height is about 50 cm. The needles are thick, soft, shiny, light green, slightly bronze in winter. Prefers sun and partial shade, is undemanding to the soil, tolerates dryness and excess moisture. Wintering under the snow, it practically does not suffer from spring burns. |
 Dumosa(Dumosa) The crown is flattened or slightly rounded, height and diameter 1 m. At the top there are many vertical thin shoots 10-15 cm long. The needles are green all year round. |
 Globosa(Globoza) The shrub is spherical in shape, diameter and height no more than 2 m. The crown is dense and grows evenly in all directions. The needles are green in summer, brownish or grayish in winter. It grows slowly. More than other thujas, it needs frequent watering; rejuvenating pruning is recommended every 2 years. Its shape is first round, later cone-shaped, and can reach 2 m in height. The needles are matte green, brownish in winter. |
 Golden Globe(Golden Globe) The shrub is round in shape, 1 m in height and in diameter. It grows slowly, 8-10 cm per year. The needles are golden yellow and acquire a copper tint in autumn. Prefers sun or partial shade. Haircut enhances the density of the crown. |
 Little Champion(Little Champion) Dwarf thuja of round shape. The ends of the branches droop slightly. At first it grows quickly, but upon reaching 50 cm the growth slows down. The needles are bright green, turning slightly brown in winter. |
 Recurva Nana(Recurva Nana) The name translates as “low curved”. The branches are curved, the ends of the young shoots are twisted. The crown is thick, terry, reminiscent of moss. |
 Stolwijk(Stolvik) Shrub up to 1.5 m with a hemispherical crown. The lower part is dense, the upper part is sparse and consists of several trunks. The needles are green, the young growth is yellow-white. Loves the sun and fertile, moist soil, does not tolerate dry air. |
 Tiny Tim(Tiny Tim) Very beautiful dwarf form with a rounded crown. It grows slowly, rarely growing more than 1 m. The branches are short and form lacy spirals. The needles are dark green and turn brown in winter. Photophilous. |
 Woodwardii(Wudvari) It is a dense ball, its height and diameter are 1.5 m. The needles are dark green and do not change color in winter. It grows slowly. Very harsh winters The ends of annual shoots may freeze. |
Western thuja varieties of original form
Today, thujas with an original form of shoots are highly valued, for example, Cristata(Cristata), meaning "combed". This is a beautiful slender tree about 3 m high with a narrow, uneven crown, the branches are curved and directed upward, the needles are grayish-green.
No less interesting Spiralis(Spiralis), graceful, with a narrow conical or columnar crown and a long sharp tip, grows up to 5 m. The surface of the crown is very wavy, because the lateral branches are twisted in a spiral, the needles are bluish-green. In terms of growth rate, it is ahead of all garden forms.
Thuja cascade looks unusual Filiformis(Filiformis, “thread-like”). It has a thick, rounded crown and long hanging shoots. 
Coniferous plants are becoming more and more popular. And one of the main roles in landscaping is played by thuja, the types and varieties with photos of which amaze with the variety of shapes, sizes and amazingly elegant colors. The ancestors of modern thujas were wild North American shrubs, first systematized and described by Carl Linnaeus.
If in nature it is evergreen more often it looks like a large shrub or tree as tall as a multi-story building, then they are more often planted in squares and gardens dwarf varieties no higher than a meter. Thanks to the efforts of breeders, the dense crown of wild plants has become pyramidal and round, ovoid or columnar.
The species, called Thuja occidentalis, or, in the photo, has expanded significantly since the end of the 18th century due to ornamental plants, significantly different from the first specimens discovered from the north of the American continent.
Summer residents and professional landscape designers have at their disposal not only thujas with green and silver needles, but also variegated or golden plants. Therefore, before planning to plant conifers on your site, it is useful to:
- study the proposed varieties, types and photos of thuja;
- compare their strengths and weaknesses;
- create all conditions for active growth and long life of plants.
Along with thuja occidentalis, other species of this conifer are used in landscaping. Most often this is thuja foldata, as well as a biota called thuja orientalis due to its Asian origin.
Thuja western Danica (T. occidentalis Danica)
Among the most popular varieties is the thuja Danica shown in the photo with a very compact dense crown in the shape of a ball. Small, almost dwarf plant ideal for low borders, single and group plantings on spacious lawns or in secluded corners of the garden, against a background of more large trees, and even flowers.
With a height of 60 cm, the diameter of the crown of the thuja Danika is 80–100 cm. The strongly branching shoots are covered with soft scaly needles, which in the warm season are painted in bright light green tones, and by autumn it becomes reddish-bronze. The Danish variety, bred in 1948, is characterized by very slow growth, so the thuja retains its shape well even without cutting.
The advantages of the conifer include frost resistance, the ability to grow in partial shade and not be subject to spring burns, which seriously spoil the appearance.
Thuja occidentalis Mirjam
Thuja occidentalis turned out to be an excellent material for breeders to work with. Today, already beloved varieties such as Danica become the ancestors of modern varieties. You will notice that photos of this species and the thuja variety Miriam have many similar features.
The plant, obtained thanks to the noticed and fixed mutation of the needles, is a direct descendant of the Danish variety. It has the same compact spherical crown with a diameter of up to 80 cm, small annual growth and excellent endurance.
The main difference between Thuja Miriam is the yellow-green summer color of the scaly needles, which turns brownish in winter.
Thuja Miriam is recommended for soils with a slightly acidic reaction. Until the plant takes root, the soil is kept moist. In the future, the shrub becomes more resistant to drought, but grows better with regular watering. Ephedra fits perfectly into the landscape Japanese garden, will be appropriate at the foot alpine slide or against the rich greenery of larger crops.
Thuja western Rheingold (T. occidentalis Rheingold)
Golden needles and an attractive wide-conical crown are the reasons why Thuja Reingold enjoys special attention from the owners country houses. In the original color of the shrub, bronze tones appear with cold weather, which in no way spoil either the appearance of the thuja or the entire landscape. This variety is classified as dwarf. Only in very old plants can the crown grow up to 2.5 meters in height. This, due to the slow growth rate, occurs only 15–20 years after planting.
The shrub is equally good as a tapeworm and as part of a decorative hedge. The young plant takes root in a container and perfectly decorates terraces, loggias and balconies. Thin, flexible shoots of this thuja variety tolerate pruning well, which helps maintain a beautiful crown shape and healthy appearance of the needles.
Thuja western Spiralis (T. occidentalis Spiralis)
Pyramid thujas and varieties with a narrow conical crown are indispensable for hedges that maintain their beauty and functionality throughout the year. Today, gardeners have many similar plants at their disposal, and Thuja Spiralis is one of them.
This conifer is characterized by an original, spirally convoluted shape of shoots, which gave the variety its name. The crown of an adult specimen has the shape of a narrow cone and reaches a height of 3 meters. The branches are densely covered with scaly needles of a rich green hue.
Since this thuja grows faster than other closely related plants, the shrubs require regular pruning and proper selection of planting sites. In the shade, the thuja becomes loose and loses its correct shape.
Thuja western Golden Tuffet (T. occidentalis Golden Tuffet)
Another dwarf shrub with a spherical crown is distinguished by bright yellow needles, which lag behind the thin shoots drooping at the ends and acquire a warm, reddish-brown or orange tone in cold weather.
For Thuja Golden Taffet to show its best qualities, a well-lit area with moderately fertile loose soil is selected for her. If the crown of the bush remains in the shade for a long time, its color will fade and lose most of its attractiveness.
In the garden, a plant of this species and variety, as in the thuja photo, will perfectly decorate a rocky corner, a border, a small lawn next to heathers, tall flowering perennials that do not obscure small bright conifers.
Western thuja (T. occidentalis var. ericoides)
IN favorable conditions heather forms dense dense thickets. Thuja heather does not have this ability, but the shrubs have much in common in shape. The multi-stemmed branched crown of the conifer, growing, becomes an irregular ball with a diameter of about a meter.
The shoots are covered with soft needle-like needles, which in the upper part of the bush have a bright green or yellowish color. On perennial wood, the greenery is painted in calmer silvery or grayish shades.
A characteristic feature of the variety is its unusual winter color with a predominance of purple and brown colors.
Thuja western Yantar (T. occidentalis Jantar)
Yellow tint summer and bright, honey-amber color of winter needles is a characteristic feature of thuja Yantar with a cynic crown height of 1.8 to 3.5 meters. Although this variety relatively recently became available to conifer lovers, thanks to the density of the crown, its original color and unpretentiousness, the plant has already found many admirers.
Thuja is winter-hardy and easily adapts to the conditions of a modern city. The shrub does not suffer from active spring sun and with a growth of about 10–20 cm per year, it maintains the correct natural shape.
Thuja Yantar is suitable for growing both outdoors and in containers. In this case, the plant will decorate a spacious open terrace, balcony or paved area near the house.
Thuja western Mr. Bowling Ball (T. occidentalis Mr. Bowling Ball)
Dwarf thuja Bowling Ball with an openwork spherical crown attracts attention not only small in size, but also with silvery thin needles, leaving the impression of lightness and tenderness. In autumn, bronze strokes appear on the shoots, which persist until spring.
Like most miniature varieties, this thuja has a very low growth rate. Therefore, only by 10–15 years does the plant reach a diameter of 70–90 cm. The shrub does not need frequent pruning; it is enough to remove damaged shoots in the spring and slightly adjust the spherical shape.
Thuja occidentalis Little Champion (T. occidentalis Little Champion)
Character traits thuja Little Champion has a rounded-ovoid crown shape and green scaly needles, which turn brownish-brown in winter. The variety is classified as miniature, almost dwarf. By the age of 10, the shrub reaches a height of no more than one and a half meters. Over the course of a year, the plant does not add more than 6–10 cm and can be used both in group plantings and as a single plant at the base of large stones, next to coniferous or deciduous trees. Thuja of this variety will make a free-form border or an excellent potted plant.
Thuja Little Champion tolerates pruning well, but does not need frequent pruning. The plant is unpretentious, survives winters without serious losses, and tolerates urban air pollution and irregular droughts.
Thuja western Filiformis (T. occidentalis Filiformis)
Most varieties of western thuja have highly branched shoots, but there are exceptions. These include the decorative thuja Filiformis with original thread-like branches, thanks to which the shrub takes on the appearance of a small haystack. Light green scaly needles tightly fit the drooping shoots and emphasize the unusual nature of the plant.
The slow-growing coniferous crop is sun-loving, does not tolerate long and regular dry periods, but does not look oppressed when grown in a tub or in urban conditions. By the age of 10 years, the broad-pyramidal thuja reaches a height of 1.5–2 meters with almost the same crown diameter. Thuja Foliformis is versatile and thanks to unusual beauty will definitely become a bright star in the garden.
Thuja western Wagneri (T. occidentalis Wagneri)
This variety of thuja with gray-green needles is suitable for growing in regions with cold winters. The high frost resistance of the plant is not its only advantage. Thuja Wagneri has a dense, ovoid crown thanks to many thin, abundantly branched shoots. It holds its natural shape perfectly and does not require labor-intensive care.
When planting a shrub, you need to take into account that an adult specimen reaches a height of 3.5 meters, and its crown grows up to one and a half meters wide.
To prevent such a voluminous plant from losing its attractiveness in the spring, it is tied up in the fall. This will protect the thuja shoots from breaking and drying out.
Thuja western Little Giant (T. occidentalis Little Giant)
Little giant. This name of this thuja variety is fully justified, because the spherical crown of the Little Giant thuja does not exceed half a meter in height, but so beautiful plant it is impossible not to notice even among the most luxurious flowers and trees.
The dwarf form of conifer is one of the smallest. She holds it up great natural look dense sphere. In summer, the thuja is dressed in bright green needles, which change color to brown with cold weather.
Thuja western Fastigiata (T. occidentalis Fastigiata)
Resembling Thuja Fastigiata, thanks to its upward-pointing shoots, it has the shape of a dense column. A powerful plant with green, fragrant needles never changes color, tolerates frost without visible loss and can grow up to 6 meters in height.
According to the description of the variety, thuja is ideal for, which will successfully hide the area from prying eyes, but will not take up much space.
Thuja western Sunkist (T. occidentalis Sunkist)
Thuja with golden needles is one of the most original jewelry garden They do not lose their beauty in winter and look great next to their green counterparts. Thuja occidentalis Sunkist has very bright lemon-yellow summer needles. In winter, the dense crown of the bush becomes darker, almost bronze.
Due to its slow growth and good adaptability, the shrub does not need frequent deep pruning. At the age of 10, the coniferous crop grows up to 2 meters. The maximum height of this thuja is three meters, which allows Sunkist to be used for living walls and spectacular green sculptures.
Thuja Can-Can (T. plicata Can-Can)
The cone-shaped thuja Kankan, like other varieties of folded thuja, demonstrates high winter hardiness and extreme unpretentiousness. The shrub, about one and a half meters high, is covered with dense glossy needles, dark green on perennial wood and lighter, brighter at the ends of the shoots. The variety has a rare ability for thuja. It retains its color throughout the year, while the average annual growth of the shrub does not exceed 10 cm.
Thuja plicata Kornik (T. plicata Kornik)
Polish breeders received the original form of thuja, folded with a conical crown, consisting of wide green-yellow shoots. Thuja Kornik is quite large. With the right place for planting and a little care, three-meter shrubs turn into dense beautiful hedges with fragrant pine needles.
Thuja Whipcord (T. plicata Whipcord)
Thuja Vipkord owes its name to the shape of its shoots, reminiscent of a hanging string. The branches of the plant have few branches, are covered with pointed, scale-like needles, and throughout their entire length they retain a small thickness and drooping shape. Thanks to this, an adult conifer has the appearance of a hemisphere with a height of 50 to 100 cm and a diameter of up to 150 cm. The bush holds well wind load, survives frosty winters, does not lose its decorative effect in full sun. However, drought can cause irreparable harm to the bush and its beauty.
The originality of the variety attracts not only ordinary summer residents, but also masters of topiary art, who, with the help of painstaking pruning, give the plants the most bizarre shapes.
Video about thuja varieties for the garden
Pyramidal thuja is a representative western variety The plants, when grown in the wild in northeastern America, reach 30 meters in height, but cultivated varieties only grow to 12 meters.
Columnar, as it is also called, thuja, has a crown color with a red tint, sometimes a brown-gray color. Old trees are characterized by flaking crowns, and young representatives have a cone-shaped or pyramidal shape. In trees, the needles grow densely on the shoots and last for about 2–3 years, have a rich green color in summer, and by winter a brownish tint appears.
Thuja pyramidalis retain vitality for 100 years, although there are cases of trees lasting longer. A very viable tree-like plant, it grows slowly, develops better on loamy soils, but does not have any special requirements for the soil.
If growth occurs on depleted soils, the plant is distinguished by a yellowish color of the needles. Tolerates dry years, although it loves moist soil and places with high humidity atmosphere. After 70 years of life, the lower branches begin to die and fall off, which makes the thuja less beautiful. It grows well in all latitudes of Russia.
Despite its high growth, it perfectly resists wind loads, withstands smoke and gas clouds for a long time, to create original form Thuja is trimmed, the tree does not deteriorate as a result, pruning does not affect further growth, nor does replanting.
Breed Features
The problem with thuja is often the abundance of cones that acquire a chocolate color by the beginning of autumn, which makes the tree look brown-green. After they fall off a year later, the crown becomes loose. Summer drought can affect the formation of such seeds. Sometimes it is discovered that some of the thuja's legs have turned brown and dried out.
You shouldn’t be afraid of this if the process does not affect more than a quarter of the crown; this phenomenon refers to the natural change of needles. Although thuja is classified as an evergreen tree, its needles change every 3–5 years.
Tree planting conditions
For effective growth and development you should comply with certain conditions:
- Thuja propagation occurs by seeds, which require a certificate for effective growth; sometimes cuttings from green shoots are used;
- It is advisable to plant in moist soil, but if not, the tree will cope with dry “living” conditions;
- copes with shading, but sunlight is desirable;
- the critical temperature below which thuja cannot withstand is a thermometer reading below 36ºС;
- when planting, the roots must be buried at least 80 cm;
- does not release toxic substances during growth environment for people and animals.
Features of growth
After planting in suitable conditions, observe development rules:
- soil acidity should be within the range of 5.3–7;
- Thuja develops most effectively with precipitation in the range of 900–1500 mm per year;
- When growing, it is recommended not to exceed the density per hectare of more than 3 thousand specimens;
- Thuja is undemanding to the soil where it grows, but prefers fertile soils or their average values;
- The tree is not resistant to soil salinity; thuja requires highly nitrogenous, calcareous soils.
Thuja seeds are formed in cones of two pieces, ripening is achieved in the autumn. The seedling is grown over a period of 5 years; the soil of the local climate prepares the plant for the harsh conditions of Russia. It is advisable to choose a sunny place and nutritious soil.
Seeds are sown in the ground in spring no more than 5 cm deep. The planting site is covered with a small layer of sawdust from coniferous tree. Although young trees love the sun, emerging seedlings are very sensitive to it, so it is not recommended to expose them to open rays; the seedling sites should be shaded.
Regular watering and loosening of the soil is recommended; fertilization should be done with slurry diluted in a ratio of 1:20, at which young seedlings grow very well. For cuttings, shoots are taken from shoots at the age of 2–3 years. Urgent planting allows the use of a one-year-old shoot, but it must be buried with a piece of the old trunk so that the cutting takes root faster.
Before planting, the shoots must be treated with the drug heteroauxin. For better growth, prepare a mixture of turf and peat in a 1:1 ratio. Seedlings - cuttings are buried in the soil to a depth of at least 1.7–2.6 cm. The optimal place for growing seedlings is considered to be greenhouses, where the necessary conditions are created.
Caring for thuja pyramidalis
Under normal conditions, watering the thuja is recommended. The description of the breed speaks of its endurance in arid climates, but frequent rains have a beneficial effect on the correct formation of the pyramidal crown. If the thuja is not refined, the decorative qualities of the tree do not appear and the plant loses its beauty.
Regular watering does not allow the tree to receive enhanced fertilizing nutrient solutions, which lead to the abundant appearance of cones with seeds on the crown. Such a tree acquires asymmetrical shapes and beauty, so cones and dead needles must be removed every spring.
If necessary, you can replant the thuja, as the tree easily tolerates this procedure. Changing location does not cause difficulties for the gardener, since the rhizomes of the tree are collected into a compact tuber. Therefore, if you suspect that the landing site is incorrect, you can change it. Some varieties of thuja are tied with ropes for the winter so that the snow does not harm the shape of the tree; other varieties are forced to be in such a bunch constantly.
Regularly, but in moderation, you should fertilize the thuja; you need to start in early spring, when there is snow. During this period, nitrogen fertilizing is applied, the next stage of fertilization occurs in June, and potassium solutions are used. Tree specimens growing on depleted soil are supported by fertilizing with phosphorus solutions.
The description of the properties of the tree states that the crown is susceptible to the influence of a pest called false scale insect. Gardeners successfully combat this problem by using karbofos and actelik in early spring. They spray the crown of the thuja before the leaves bloom, and twice more in the summer and once in the fall. The same drug destroys aphids on tree branches and needles. Varieties of decorative pyramidal thuja
Several types of trees grow in the natural pool:
- eastern;
- Japanese;
- Korean;
- folded;
- Western.
Oriental thuja characterized by a fan-shaped branch, brought from China, hence its inability to withstand prolonged and severe frosts. In the middle zone, the breed is planted only in the shade of nearby tall trees; it grows and develops better in the southern regions of Russia. According to its medicinal properties, it is used to alleviate many diseases.
Japanese pyramidal thuja comes from a Japanese island, where it grows in mountain coniferous-deciduous forests, at an altitude of up to 1700 m above the sea. It has the original color of the needles - spotted below, covered with a green layer on top. It grows up to 18 meters in height and is characterized by a resinous-spruce smell. It is unpretentious, withstands severe and prolonged frosts and takes root in the Arctic regions. It can withstand dry, waterless climates for a long time and is grown in all latitudes. Does not tolerate the polluted atmosphere of cities and requires clean air.
Thuja Korean it is more reminiscent of a shrub in its growth characteristics, native to the forest areas of the Korean peninsula, where it is not very common. It has a spreading large crown, which is distinguished by its original color; one tree can different places have rich green tones and silver colors. In Russia it is grown in the southern regions, as it does not tolerate cold weather at all.
Thuja folded also does not like manifestations of cold, but its peculiarity is that shoots caught by frost restore their properties after thawing. This tree grows up to the height of a twenty-story building, some specimens reach a thickness of two meters. It has a pyramidal crown shape and emits a pleasant specific smell. Originally from the Canadian West Coast.
Western thuja
The most common species is the western thuja, which is in demand by gardeners due to its ability to withstand severe frosts and undemanding growing conditions. This type of thuja has the largest number of varieties and forms, the life period is 100 years or more. Among amateur gardeners, they are most used for planting dwarf, weeping, variegated, miniature species of western thuja.
Suitable for planting in various regions of Russia, in addition to our country, Western European countries are engaged in its breeding. Most varieties of western thuja do not lose their crown shape even when grown in completely shaded conditions. Prefers light loamy soils; if planted in sandy soils, it requires constant feeding. Withstands urban air pollution. Thuja is in great demand for creating decorative green fences and living fences.
Planting and caring for the western thuja species
It is recommended to plant in a place protected from the wind. To effectively grow seedlings, you should prepare a mixture of turf soil, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. It is allowed to add to this composition 500 grams of nitroammophosphate for planting one tree. When planting, it is recommended to leave the root collar uncovered with soil.
After planting, you should ensure good watering in the amount of ten liters daily per tree during sprinkling. If the summer is dry and hot, then the amount of moisture is increased to 20 liters and watering is carried out only in the morning and evening, leaving the daytime hours for the tree to rest. If the thuja does not receive enough moisture, then its crown is characterized by the formation of cones with seeds, becomes ugly, loses its elastic shape and the decorative appearance of the tree is lost.
If fertilizers were used when planting a tree, then fertilizing is carried out only for the next year. A plant planted without the use of minerals is fed in the first year in early spring and twice during the summer. Young seedlings should be protected from direct sunlight to prevent burns.
Pyramidal thuja Dense, as described, has a narrow cone-shaped crown and grows up to 10 meters in height. Dense short shoots branch and fit tightly in the crown to each other. The tree has needles in the form of green scales with a faint shiny effect. The species withstands winter climate well and is recommended as a single tree and for planting in a hedge group.
Western Equal Thuja grows to a height of 15 meters. The shape of the crown is similar to cypress; numerous branches contain tightly pressed needles, which are directed slightly downward. Bred in Germany, it is characterized by rapid growth and, unlike other species, retains its green color even in winter.
Western thuja Brabant grows up to 15–20 meters, characterized by a spreading coniferous crown with a diameter of up to 4 meters, smoothly turning into a cone. Scaly needles retain their rich color in winter. The tree is undemanding to soil conditions and grows well in dry and moist soils. Tolerates transplantation and haircuts, quite unpretentiously.
Western thuja variety Vervena It is distinguished by a sophisticated, beautiful crown, representing a narrow cone. Numerous thin branches form a soft and dense crown of yellow and green colors in light shades. The variety was bred in Belgium and is preferably planted in alleys near houses.
The Malojana variety, grown in Slovakia, has a narrow-leaved form, densely spaced numerous shoots are collected in a sharp apical shape with shiny needles with a ferruginous tint. Tolerates frost very well long time.
The variety of western thuja Smaragd has a standard shape in the form of a pyramid, but is more squat, the low tree grows up to 4–5 meters in height. Grown as a single tree or in a group of trees of the same type to create a decorative hedge or planting along an alley. If multi-row plantings are planned, then Smaragd is well suited for creating a background.
The Holmstrup variety is a shrub that grows up to 4 meters with a crown up to 1 m in diameter. The shape of the tree resembles a cone. The branches have reddish bark or a grayish tint and dense scaly green needles. It grows slowly, only about 10 centimeters per year, grows very well in the shade, develops in dry and moist soil. Easily tolerates frost.
Thuja is very popular; growing it in private courtyards and public squares allows you to create a beautiful ensemble to decorate the area.
