Dark American Arborvitae

(Thuja occidentalis 'nigra')

Date Planted: October 2000

Family: Cupressaceae

Hardiness: Hardy in the Gorham, ME area; Zone 3-7

Mature Dimensions: 20-30 feet tall, 5 feet wide

Habit: Narrowly pyramidal and upright

Bark: Grayish brown; furrowed with reddish brown ridges

Leaves/Needles: 1/12-1/10th inch in length, scale-like and pointed; rich dark green coloring persists throughout fall and winter

Flowers: Monoecious; solitary and terminal. Males are yellow; females form a cone shape and are rounded

Fruit: Cone; oblong with 8-10 scales, 1/3-1/2 inches long and yellowish brown

Pests/Disease: Few serious; different forms of blight and canker may be encountered

Reference Pages: Dirr M. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing Co., Champaign, IL