Thuja occidentalis
Life Tree
Common names: Western Life Tree, Thuja
Photo: Daniel Dumais · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The Life Tree, botanically Thuja occidentalis, is a evergreen coniferous shrub in the cypress family. It grows densely and rapidly, forming scaly, moss-like branches, making it well suited as a dense hedge or screen in the garden.
Care instructions
The Life Tree prefers a sunny to partially shaded location with well‑drained, moist soil. Water newly planted hedges regularly during the first two years, especially in dry summer weeks; mature plants usually cope well with rainfall alone. Prune twice a year, around early May (week 18‑20) and late August (week 34‑36), cutting only into the green, current year growth. Avoid cutting into old, brown wood, as the plant will not regrow from that point; prune carefully in several stages if needed. A loose mulch layer around the root zone helps retain soil moisture and suppresses competing vegetation.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, loamy, nutrient-rich, moist
Feeding
Medium feeder
Pruning
Diseases & pests
1 relevantFrom the knowledge base, automatically linked by affected species. How to spot and prevent them is covered in full in the lexicon.
Phytophthora spp.
Phytophthora root and shoot rot is caused by soil borne fungi of the genus Phytophthora, which become active above all where there is waterlogging.
More on Phytophthora root and shoot rotNotes from real gardens
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