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Thuja foldata is one of the most common evergreen conifers in landscape design. She represents the Cypress family, a species of gymnosperms, the genus Thuja. The tree, which originates from East Asia and North America, is actively used by landscape designers to create hedges and other compositions. The folded thuja has many features, so before purchasing a plant it is important to read its description and photo, learn all the rules for planting and maintenance.
General description of folded thuja
Thuja foldata is an evergreen tree or shrub with a dense crown formed by shoots branched in one cavity. Under natural conditions, a mature crop can reach up to 60 m in height with a diameter of 2.5 - 3 m. The top of the conifer trunk is covered with a fibrous crown of a reddish-brown hue.Thanks to this feature, the folded thuja was given another, unofficial name - “red cedar”. The plant has a fairly dense crown of a pyramidal shape and rather narrow leaves (each such needle reaches no more than 1 mm in width). With age, they begin to layer on top of each other and acquire a shiny gloss on the front side. On the back of the needles you can see pronounced white stripes.
The fruits of the folded thuja are cones that reach about 12 cm in length and have an oval-oblong shape. One thuja cone usually contains two flat seeds with two wings.
Varieties of folded thuja
Thuja foldata has many varieties, each of which differs in its appearance and decorative qualities. Below are the most common types of wood with photos and descriptions.
Kager's Beauty
Thuja plicata Kagers Beauty is an evergreen conifer of the Cypress family with loose, spreading needles. In adulthood, the conifer reaches no more than 0.5 m in height with a diameter of 0.6 m. This is a tree with a superficial root system, especially sensitive to soil compaction, and scaly needles of a gray-green color. It prefers to grow in a well-lit area or in a slightly shaded place, and is demanding on the quality of the soil: it must be fertile and well-moistened soil. The folded thuja Kagers Beauty acquires its best color in sunny areas, while the shade gives the tree a darker shade. Thuja variety Kagers Beauty tolerates drafts and strong winds well, but is very sensitive to dry weather, and especially needs frequent watering during dry periods.
Cancan (Can-Can)
According to the description, thuja foldata Kankan is an evergreen coniferous tree, reaching no more than 1.5 m in height at maturity, with a cone-shaped crown. The needles of the Kankan variety have a dark green color with young growths of a light shade. Ephedra grows quite slowly, the annual growth rate is only 10 cm.
The tree is characterized by shiny, scale-like, flat needles that fit tightly to the shoots. Thuja plicata variety Kankan does not change the color of its needles in winter, for which it is especially valued by landscape designers. This is a tree with dense shoots that become denser with age and directed upward. It feels best in sunny and semi-shaded areas on fertile, well-moistened and drained soil. The crop is easy to trim and shape, which makes it possible to use thuja folded Kankan to create a hedge. In addition, it is often used in single plantings in prominent places, in colorful landscape compositions, to design an alley, garden path or rocky area.
Gelderland
Description of the plant: Thuja foldata Gelderland is an evergreen tree with miniature needles that can change their color: in the summer it is a rich green color, which in the winter changes to bright yellow. Often this type of thuja is used in group plantings, to decorate a patio or balcony (when grown in a pot). At maturity, the tree reaches up to 4.5 m in height.
The Gelderland variety is distinguished by its hardiness and unpretentiousness in cultivation: this folded thuja takes root well in almost any soil, as well as in a lighted or semi-shaded area.Its needles do not fade in the sun at high temperatures in summer, and in winter the branches are able to withstand even the heaviest piles of snow, while maintaining all their decorative qualities.
At the initial stage, the Gelderland variety grows quite slowly, but with age the growth rate increases significantly. Although the plant can grow well in full sun, it is very drought tolerant and needs regular watering. Gardeners consider the seed method to be the best way to propagate this variety of folded thuja.
The tree has a high level of frost resistance and is not demanding on the level of air humidity, which greatly simplifies its care. Despite this unpretentiousness of the variety, it is not recommended to plant it in places exposed to direct sunlight: the best option would be an area with diffused light. The variety needs moderate watering on normal days and slightly more frequently during dry periods.
Zebrina
Thuja foldata variety Zebrina is an evergreen conifer with decorative needles of a zebra-like color and a conical crown. At the initial stages of growth, the needles are loose in structure, but with age they become denser. The Zebrina variety is considered one of the best representatives of variegated conifers. At the age of 10 years, such a thuja can reach more than 2.5 m in height and 1.5 m in width. Its annual growth at a young age is 10 – 20 cm, at a mature age – 15 – 30 cm. Thuja folded variety Zebrina is characterized by shiny, scale-like flat needles with yellow-white stripes, which fit tightly to bright green shoots. The tree does not change its color and texture in winter.A special feature of the Zebrina variety is the shoots that hang down: because of this, gardeners recommend trimming the tree twice a year. Thuja fruits are represented by small cones (1 - 1.5 cm in length), which, when ripe, acquire a brown color. Thuja Zebrina feels best in semi-shaded or sunny areas in fertile, moist, well-drained soil with an acidic reaction. The crop tolerates cutting and shaping well, is able to quickly recover and compact the crown, which gives the plant special value in creating hedges. With proper care, conifers easily adapt to city conditions.
Zebrina Extra Gold
Thuja folded variety Zebrina Extra Gold is one of the most common varieties of golden thuja with large needles and a columnar-shaped crown. This conifer is especially valued for its rich decorative qualities. In adulthood, it reaches up to 2 m in height and 1.2 m in width. In summer and autumn, thuja needles have a zebra-like color, which is why the tree got its name. The growth rate of the folded thuja Zebrina Extra Gold is assessed as fast: the annual growth rate is up to 15 - 20 cm. At the end of the summer or at the beginning of autumn, small patches of green color begin to appear on the needles of the plant. The tree grows well in fertile soils and sunny areas. The Zebrina Extra Gold variety is highly valued by designers who use thuja for decorating and landscaping public gardens, gardens and parks, as well as for solitary plantings - as a trellis plant.
Atrovirens
Thuja foldata variety Atrovirens is an evergreen coniferous plant whose habitat is the Pacific coast, as well as the territory from Northern California to Southern Alaska. The variety often grows in damp, damp, swampy areas near the river bank, in lowlands and shady forests, in areas with heavy rainfall and a cool climate in summer, and relatively mild in winter. Under natural conditions, thuja foldata Atrovirens is often found together with other varieties of conifers.
Ephedra is presented in the form of a columnar tree, on which there are very densely located shoots and branches directed strictly vertically. The conical shape of the thuja crown can be maintained throughout the life of the tree, and with age it becomes slightly wider. A mature folded thuja of the Atrovirens variety can reach up to 15 m in height and 3.5 m in width. The growth rate of the tree is quite high: its annual growth is up to 30 cm in height and more than 10 cm in width.
This is a plant with green, shiny scaly needles, which are located oppositely on the shoots. The fruits of the conifer are common for this species - oblong-ovoid cones up to 12 mm in length. In summer they are green in color, which changes to brown in winter.
Thuja foldata Atrovirens has a high level of shade tolerance and frost resistance, develops well in any acidic or alkaline soil, and is undemanding in terms of pH and soil moisture. The variety tolerates the conditions of even a large city, is wind-resistant, and quickly recovers after cutting or shaping.
It is best to purchase seedlings of this type of thuja in plastic containers with fertilizers, because this way they are not subject to rot, which often damages the root system. Such a tree will take root much faster in a new planting location.
Goldie
According to the Description, thuja foldata Goldie is a new variety; it is considered one of the most striking representatives of this variety, with beautiful yellow-green needles that retain their richness even in winter. The plant practically does not need pruning and maintains the correct cone-shaped shape of its crown throughout its life. In maturity, the height of the Goldie variety is up to 2.5 m with a diameter of 1.5 m. Landscape designers use it to form single plantings in prominent areas, to create contrast in low coniferous hedges, as well as for individual landscape compositions. The tree has an average growth rate, its annual growth is 10 - 20 cm, at the age of 10 years it reaches more than 1.5 m in height. This is a variety with densely spaced, rather short and dense shoots and thickened golden-yellow needles directed upwards. The tree practically does not change its color in the fall. Thuja foldata Goldie has a shallow root system, is frost-resistant, and grows well in sunny or slightly shaded areas. Growing in the sun gives more richness to the color of the needles. For this type of thuja, a moderately humid environment is preferable. The plant is undemanding to soil, but develops much better in fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soil containing lime.When planting a tree, it is important to pay attention to its root collar: it should be strictly at ground level. Adult representatives of the Goldie variety do not need shelter for the winter, but young seedlings initially need protection from snow piles.
It is best to buy this thuja variety in a pot: then the plant can be planted without adding additional fertilizers from March to December, even in the hottest summer period.
The Goldie variety is often used to create single and group plantings, as well as when forming borders.
Martin
Thuja cultivars Martin is an ornamental coniferous species that reaches more than 1.5 m in height when mature. This is a tree with flat shoots branched into several trunks + parallel to the main one, raised upward, which also form plates and have a brownish tint in adulthood, while young ones are rich green. The needles of the thuja variety Martin are scale-like, up to 1.5 mm long, tightly adjacent to each other and to the shoots, arranged in a cross pattern. By rubbing a few leaves, you can feel the characteristic coniferous aroma of the plant. Every year, fruits appear on the conifer - spherical cones, brown-brown in color, up to 1.5 cm in length, with slightly curved scales. They contain oblong brown seeds.
The area of use of the thuja variety Martin is not limited: it is grown both as a houseplant and as a tub plant in the winter garden. Designers use wood to form single and mass plantings in their backyards.Representatives of the Martin variety make a good coniferous hedge that protects from dust and noise. This type of folded thuja is quite unpretentious to living conditions, develops well in areas with a temperate climate, is practically undemanding to soil quality, and easily adapts to urban conditions. Other advantages of the Martin variety are its easy adaptability to cutting and shaping, its ability to purify the air and maintain its bright green color throughout the year.
Excelsa
Thuja folded variety Excelsa is an evergreen conifer with a columnar crown, a trunk reaching to the top and vertically raised arched branches on its lower part. The Excelsa variety is one of the fastest growing representatives of the thuja: its annual growth is more than 30 cm in height and 10 - 15 cm in width. The height of the conifer in adulthood can be from 12 to 15 m, and the width – 3-5 m.
Thuja foldata Excelsa grows best in moist, nutrient-drained, cultivated, acidic or alkaline soil. A serious advantage of the variety is its high level of frost and wind resistance, which allows landscape designers to use it to create living coniferous hedges. The tree can also easily withstand the conditions of a large city, adapts well to pruning and shaping, and retains its rich green color even in winter. The fruits of the Excelsa variety are round brown cones. The plant also has scaly, rough, shiny needles of a dark green hue.This type of folded thuja is not picky in care; the only important fact in the maintenance of the tree is the level of soil and air humidity.
You can find out more information about some varieties of thuja, the characteristics of their growth and cultivation, in the video:
Application in landscape design
Many varieties of thuja (Cancan, Kagers, Western) are used to decorate garden and dacha areas. Almost all plant varieties adapt well to cutting and shaping, which allows you to quickly give the tree the desired shape. Most tree varieties are undemanding in maintenance and are able to maintain their rich green color throughout the year. Thanks to such rich decorative properties, thuja foldata has a fairly wide range of applications: it is used for designing single and group plantings, creating hedges, as well as for creating such landscape compositions as rock gardens, rockeries, mixborders, as well as in container versions.
Single plantings of arborvitae look good near water or on lawns, especially in combination with different types of other ornamental plants. Some varieties of coniferous plants have an unusual crown shape and aroma of needles, which makes thuja an indispensable element in the landscape gardening of a garden and summer cottage.
Features of reproduction
To grow as many healthy seedlings of giant thuja as possible, it is best to obtain planting material yourself. The tree can propagate in two ways: by seed and cuttings.
If the safety of the plant variety is not a priority, then you can choose the seed propagation method.To do this, at the end of summer you need to collect the seeds of folded thuja and immediately plant them on light and moist soil. In winter, crops must be covered with film. If sowing is carried out in the spring, then the seeds must first undergo a monthly stratification process.
In order for the new folded thuja plant to retain all the decorative properties of the mother tree, propagation is best done using green or semi-lignified cuttings. The root formation process is carried out most efficiently with the help of planting material that was harvested at the end of July.
It is best to root cut branches in the garden, under the crown of a tree.
- First you need to dig up the planting area and add peat.
- Sprinkle a layer of sand on top to prevent damping off.
- Plant branches of folded thuja pre-soaked in Epin or Kornevin at an angle to the depth of the sand layer.
- Cover the top with a jar or bottle.
It is allowed to transfer folded thuja to a permanent planting site no earlier than next spring.
Planting and care
For planting folded thuja, it is best to choose well-drained soil with a high level of humidity: dry soil can significantly slow down the growth of the tree, and its crown will gradually thin out.
In order for the thuja foldata to have time to get stronger by winter, it is best to plant the plant in the spring. The planting hole should be about one meter deep with a drainage layer at the bottom.You should not deepen the root collar of the plant too much when planting.
When planting thuja for a hedge, you should remember the distance between the conifers: it should be within three meters. When forming an alley, the space between plants is increased to five to six meters.
In the first month after planting, the plant needs regular watering: once every seven days, and in areas with arid climates - twice a week. One folded thuja seedling requires more than 10 liters of water. In the evening, you can spray the crown of the plant.
The culture adapts well to transplantation. It is best to hold an event for young seedlings in the spring, and for adult plants - at any time of the year.
Features of cultivation
Mature specimens of folded thuja do not require special maintenance conditions. Particular attention should be paid to young seedlings, providing them with proper care. In spring, folded thuja especially needs feeding. Nitroammophosphate and any set of complex fertilizers are best suited.
In the spring, pruning is carried out, removing all dried and unnecessary branches, and, if desired, forming the necessary shape of the crown. It is equally important to mulch around the conifer using peat, bark and pine needles. This helps maintain soil moisture and also protects against weeds.
Adult plants tolerate winter well (folded thuja can withstand temperatures below 30 degrees below zero), but it is better for young seedlings to be provided with reliable shelter from frost and snow piles.
Pests and diseases
Like most conifers, thuja has strong natural immunity, but in unfavorable conditions the risk of infection of the tree can increase several times. The most common diseases of folded thuja are:
- Brown Schutte – often the disease manifests itself in the spring, after the snow thaws. Yellow, red-brown or black needles begin to appear on the bright green needles of the plant. The affected areas of the tree begin to be covered with elongated fruiting bodies of pathogenic fungi. Having discovered the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to begin immediate treatment: cut off and burn all damaged branches, and the conifer itself must be sprinkled with a 2% solution of copper sulfate or a special preparation - Fundazol.
- Gray rot - often affects young conifer seedlings. This disease develops due to too dense planting, lack of ventilation and low light. Thuja shoots acquire a brownish-brown hue. At the initial stage of the disease, spraying the folded thuja with copper sulfate will help save the plant.
- Fusarium – a disease of thuja of a fungal nature, caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Fusarium. This is one of the most insidious conifer infections, which begins at the roots of the tree, making it impossible to see the first signs of the disease. After yellowing and complete drying, there is no point in treating the tree. That is why it is very important to carry out prevention of thuja: before planting, spray with fungicides and prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged in the area. If in a group planting one thuja seedling died from fusarium, the remaining trees should be watered at the root with a solution of Fundazol, but it should be understood that such protection cannot provide a 100% guarantee.
- Stem rot – this infection often affects thuja with mechanical damage to the bark and wood. Getting into the resulting cracks, moisture begins to turn the injured areas into rotting breeding grounds for parasitic microflora. To avoid the disease of folded thuja, it is important to promptly treat damaged areas of the bark with garden varnish or special preparations.
- Late blight – the roots of a plant affected by this infection begin to gradually rot, the bark at the bottom of the trunk gradually softens, its surface becomes covered with pinkish and dirty-white plaque patches. The wood under the affected areas of the bark begins to turn brown, a characteristic smell of rot appears, the needles become dull and soon completely fall off. If signs of late blight are detected, thuja should be immediately treated with a preparation containing copper, but the best option would be to dispose of the diseased specimen: this is guaranteed to prevent the spread of the disease to other seedlings.
Conclusion
Thuja foldata is an evergreen coniferous plant that is actively used for decorating garden and summer cottage areas. Ephedra has many varieties, each of which is characterized by its own unique decorative properties. The plant is unpretentious in care and is able to maintain its green color throughout the year. However, having decided to purchase a folded thuja, it is extremely important to follow agricultural techniques, then the thuja will delight you with its beautiful appearance all year round.
