Virginia Tech Dendrology

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

Additional Range Information: Platycladus orientalis is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information