What soil does Arborvitae grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, calcareous.

Hardy down to -40 °C (USDA zone 3, RHS H7). It gets through winter in every part of the country.

How far from the house should Arborvitae be planted?

Plant it at least 1 m from buildings. Keep it at least 0.5 m from paving.

How far apart should Arborvitae be planted?

Planted on its own, it needs 70 cm between plants. For a hedge, allow 1.5 plants per metre.

How much water does Arborvitae need?

Water need: high. Drought tolerance: low.

How much does Arborvitae cost?

It sells for roughly €13 to €82 in local shops, depending on size.

What should I plant instead of Arborvitae?

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. For a similar purpose we recommend: Photinia 'Red Robin', Portugal laurel, Western red cedar, Blue holly.

Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis

Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a hedge plant. Light: full sun, part shade. Hardy down to -40 °C. Drought tolerance: low. Toxic to children. Sold in local shops from about €13. We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens.

Illustration of Arborvitae — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

A dense evergreen with scale-like foliage, planted in its columnar and conical forms (such as fast Brabant or slim Columna) as a clipped hedge or screen, and in its dwarf globe forms (Danica, Golden Globe, Tiny Tim, Teddy) for bed edges and containers. Cultivars differ in size and colour: hedge forms grow beyond 3 to 5 m, the globes stay 0.5 to 1 m, foliage is green or golden yellow, and some forms bronze in winter. It likes cool, moist soil and humid air and copes poorly with drought and heat, so where summers are hot and dry it is no longer a good choice for a new hedge. It does not reshoot from old bare wood, so trim only into the green.

We do not recommend this plant

We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. Further down we show what to plant instead.

Watch out for

In Central Europe thuja hedges are dying on a large scale, for several reasons that reinforce each other. The plant comes from cool, humid sites and cannot cope with hot, dry summers without watering: shoot tips brown and whole branches die. Weakened plants are attacked by the juniper jewel beetle (Lamprodila festiva, also called Ovalisia festiva): its larvae eat the phloem under the bark, a branch or the whole plant suddenly turns red-brown and dies, and oval exit holes are left on the trunk. Nothing works against the larvae under the bark; infested parts can only be cut out and destroyed. Fungal shoot and scale-leaf blights and the thuja bark beetle add to the damage. For these reasons experts no longer advise planting new thuja hedges; yew, privet or a mixed hedge is a safer choice. The dwarf globe forms are the same species and suffer from drought and fungal browning just the same; the jewel beetle mainly goes for exposed, sun-warmed trunks, so it is less common on small globes branched to the ground, but nothing shows that they are immune. In winter frozen soil and wind can brown the foliage, and wet snow splays columnar forms apart.

Key facts

Light: Full sun, Part shade
Water need: High
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 3.5 m × 1.2 m
Hardiness: down to -40 °C
Foliage: Evergreen

Group	Hedge
Light	Full sun, Part shade
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1.2 m
Ultimate size	0.5–20 m × 0.5–4.5 m
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous
Foliage	Evergreen
Flowering	no data
Water need	High
Drought tolerance	Low
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Low
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 1 m
Distance from paving	at least 0.5 m
Litter	not typical
Planting distance	70 cm
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)
For children	Toxic
Typical price	from about €13

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

What to plant instead

Recommended plants that do the same job, with similar characteristics.

Photinia 'Red Robin'

Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin' 3 m × 2 m after 10 years

Glossy evergreen leaves and bright red new shoots make this a colourful hedge or a striking standalone shrub. Give it sun or partial shade, shelter…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about €12

Portugal laurel

Prunus lusitanica 3.5 m × 2.5 m after 10 years

A dense, elegant evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy dark green leaves that are narrower than those of cherry laurel, reddish young shoots and…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about €13

Western red cedar

Thuja plicata 5 m × 2 m after 10 years

A fast-growing evergreen with glossy dark green, scale-like foliage that smells of pineapple when crushed. For hedges it is mostly planted as the…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about €15

Blue holly

Ilex × meserveae 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A dense evergreen shrub with glossy, blue-green, spiny leaves that is much hardier than English holly, so it works both as an impenetrable hedge and…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about €5

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
25-30 cm	approx. €13
30-40 cm	approx. €19
40-50 cm	approx. €40
50-60 cm	approx. €33
60-80 cm	approx. €15
60-70 cm	approx. €17
120-140 cm	approx. €41
140-160 cm	approx. €82
size not stated	approx. €13 – €24

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 8, 2026 · How our data is made

Guide on the topic

Fast-growing hedges: how much each grows in a year The fastest hedge plant is the Leyland cypress, growing about 90 cm a year, followed by cherry laurel 'Novita', firethorn and western red cedar at about 50 cm a year, then privet at 40 cm. How long a 180 cm hedge takes to screen depends more on the size of plant you buy: several years from small plants, one or two summers from large ones, but at many times the price per metre. The tables use the current shop prices in your country.

Compare with similar plants

Arborvitae vs Anglo-Japanese yew Arborvitae vs Cherry laurel Arborvitae vs Common yew Arborvitae vs Ebbing's silverberry Arborvitae vs Emerald Green arborvitae Arborvitae vs European hornbeam Arborvitae vs Japanese spindle Arborvitae vs Oval-leaved privet Arborvitae vs Photinia 'Red Robin' Arborvitae vs Red-tip photinia Arborvitae vs Western red cedar

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