Thuja occidentalis compacta Seeds | Compact Arborvitae
LATIN NAME: Thuja occidentalis compacta
COMMON NAME: Compact Arborvitae
Plant Profile
A distinctive member of its genus, Compact Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis compacta) is a tree in the cypress family. Compact arborvitae plates dense, narrow, upright crown with small, scale-like, deep-green leaves in flattened sprays, the whole tree carrying the neat, evergreen look of the thujas. Foliage keeps rich green through winter, and it takes shaping well into hedges and the topiary. It likes sun or part shade, and moist, well-drained soil. The flowers pull in pollinating insects, which quietly widens its usefulness in the garden. It is hard to name another plant that gives this much for this little trouble.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the cypress family, Thuja occidentalis compacta draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. In cypress family, thujas have a long, dependable record in hedge research, and compact form appears in studies of cold tolerance and response to the pruning. Species like this one find a second career as research material, especially in propagation and breeding work.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Compact Arborvitae for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In hedge, screen and small garden, compact arborvitae screens garden all year. Neat, dense habit holds green through winter, trees make windbreak and privacy screen, and aromatic foliage carries clean, resinous scent. It takes shaping into formal forms and grows well in moist, well-drained, sheltered ground. It establishes readily and then requires nothing out of the ordinary.
Arborvitae is a premier hedge conifer; its thujone-rich oil limits internal use to professional territory, while its name, tree of life, recalls the vitamin-C tea that saved early explorers.
Growing from Seed
Compact Arborvitae is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray partial shade. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Part of this plant’s appeal is the long practical history summarized above. It is a solid representative of the Thuja group, true to type from seed. The essentials are simple: partial shade, drainage and patience while it establishes.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Compact Arborvitae often pair it with these related subjects: