Oriental arborvitae Cupressaceae Platycladus
orientalis (L.) Franco
symbol: PLOR80
Leaf: Persistent, scale-like, and arranged in decussate pairs; yellow-green, distinctly grooved. Individual leaves are typically 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, somewhat flattened, lacking conspicuous stomatal bands. Foliage arranged in flattened sprays.
Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones are small and inconspicuous; female cones are small, bluish-green and borne near the tips of branches.
Fruit: Small fleshy cones (3/4 inch long), tight scales with horned points, blue-green and covered in waxy bloom.
Twig: Younger twigs are flattened while older twigs are round, reddish brown.
Bark: Thin (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick), fibrous, stringy, and reddish brown.
Form: An evergreen conifer that grows to 60 feet tall (40 in cultivation). When young, the crown is dense and compact, older trees become more open and irregular.
Looks like: northern white-cedar
- western redcedar