Arborvitae vs Japanese spindle

Arborvitae and Japanese spindle are often considered for the same spot in the garden (hedge, screening, container). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Arborvitae

Thuja occidentalis 3.5 m × 1.2 m after 10 years

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…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

from about CZK 140

Japanese spindle

Euonymus japonicus 2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

An evergreen shrub with glossy, leathery leaves that takes clipping well, so it works as a low to medium hedge, a screen or a container plant, and…

Hedge

Full sun

Part shade

Shade

from about CZK 49

Key differences

Arborvitae: We do not recommend it for most Central European gardens. 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.
Arborvitae grows taller, Japanese spindle spreads wider: 3.5 m × 1.2 m and 2 m × 1.5 m after ten years (an estimate: sources differ).
Arborvitae is hardier: down to -40 °C, against -18 °C for Japanese spindle.
Japanese spindle tolerates drought better than Arborvitae.
Japanese spindle needs less water than Arborvitae.
Japanese spindle also grows in shade, Arborvitae does not.
Arborvitae has pollen that can cause allergies, Japanese spindle does not (an estimate: sources differ).

Which one to choose?

Japanese spindle is the safer choice: we do not recommend planting Arborvitae in most gardens.

Watch out for

Arborvitae

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.

Japanese spindle

Only moderately hardy in Central Europe: at roughly -15 to -20 °C, or in strong winter sun and wind, the leaves scorch, and in a hard winter shoots can die back, especially on young and variegated plants. It usually resprouts in spring, but it is a risky hedge for cold, exposed sites. Euonymus scale is a common pest, and powdery mildew attacks dense, poorly ventilated plantings.

The data side by side

Feature	Arborvitae	Japanese spindle
Group	Hedge	Hedge
Size after 10 years	3.5 m × 1.2 m (uncertain)	2 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	0.5–20 m × 0.5–4.5 m (uncertain)	2.5–4.5 m × 1.5–2.5 m
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Medium
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade, Shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Calcareous	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -40 °C (USDA 3, RHS H7)	down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6)
Heat tolerance	Low	no data
Foliage	Evergreen	Evergreen
Flowering	no data	May–July, green
Water need	High	Medium
Drought tolerance	Low	Medium
Maintenance	Medium	Medium
Planted as a hedge	2.5 plants per running metre	3 plants per running metre
For dogs	Toxic (uncertain)	Toxic (uncertain)
For cats	Toxic (uncertain)	Toxic (uncertain)
For children	Toxic	Mildly toxic
Typical price	about CZK 250 (< 40 cm)	approx. CZK 65

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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