Thuja sutchuenensis seed

LATIN NAME: Thuja sutchuenensis

COMMON NAME: Sichuan Thuja

The Sichuan thuja spirals the flat, fan-like sprays of the scale-like leaves along the upright, branching twigs, the reddish-brown bark peeling in the thin strips, and the whole tree carries the fine, vertical habit of the true cedar allies. The foliage keeps the fresh, deep green tone through the year, the small, oblong cones ripen to the brown, and the tree holds the narrow, columnar shape that the formal garden likes. It is one of the rarest of the conifers, known from the few wild stands in the high valleys, and the cultivated trees carry the same quiet, handsome character. It likes the sun, the shelter, and the deep, moist, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Sichuan thuja is a conservation story told in a single species: known from only a handful of wild stands in the high valleys, it is monitored closely by the botanists, and its seed is shared through the botanic-garden networks around the world. The genetic work checks the health of the remaining trees, the nurseries raise the seedlings for the conservation plantings, and the wood and the foliage chemistry keep the researchers interested. It stands as the quiet example of a plant that almost slipped away.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the garden, the Sichuan thuja offers the rare, formal presence with the columnar habit and the year-round green. The dense, scaly foliage makes the fine hedge or the specimen for the sheltered spot, and the cedar-like scent of the foliage is a pleasure in passing. Its story, a tree once nearly lost and now planted in the collections worldwide, adds to the appeal. The garden keeps it for the history as much as the look.

The Sichuan thuja seeds start in a fine, peaty loam kept moist in a bright, cool spot. The seedlings are slow but sturdy, and they grow on with the neat, scale-like leaves. Keep them in the nursery rows for the first year or two, and give them the shelter from the strong sun and the dry wind. They transplant well into the deep, moist soil of the sheltered bed. The young trees hold the quiet, columnar habit, and they gain the character with the years.

To grow the Sichuan thuja from seed, sow the small, winged seeds sparingly over the surface of the seed tray of fine, peaty loam, keep the tray in the bright, cool spot and water gently. The seedlings break through within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Settle the young trees into the bright, sheltered position, and the columnar crown will hold its shape over the years.