Russian arborvitae

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful toward the warmer end of its range.

Water

Keep evenly moist while establishing; once established, water deeply during extended dry spells. Avoid constantly wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained, humus-rich soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral; drainage matters more than soil texture.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Soft, scale-like green leaves in flattened, feathery sprays; foliage commonly turns bronze to purplish brown in cold weather.

Growth

Slow to moderate; allow several years for plants to form a broad carpet.

Care needed

Low

• Cold hardy
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the top of the root ball level with the surrounding soil, allowing room for its full spread.
• Check soil moisture during the first two growing seasons and water deeply when the root zone begins to dry.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch, keeping it clear of the main stems.
• Avoid planting where water collects; improve drainage or use a raised planting area on heavy soil.
• Feed only if growth is weak and a soil test indicates a need; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.

Pruning. In spring, remove dead or damaged shoots once new growth makes their condition clear. If necessary, shorten stray tips back to a leafy side shoot; avoid shearing or cutting into bare old wood, which may not regrow.

Spring

Check for winter damage as green growth returns, and remove only shoots that are genuinely dead.

Spring

Plant in well-drained soil and water thoroughly; spring planting is especially useful in very cold districts.

Late spring

Refresh mulch and remove weeds before spreading branches make access difficult.

Summer

Water during prolonged dry weather and check for browning associated with heat or dry roots.

Autumn

Water before the ground freezes if autumn has been dry, and clear heavy accumulations of fallen leaves from the foliage.

Winter

Expect bronze foliage; avoid walking on or piling cleared snow over the branches.

• Use as a continuous evergreen groundcover beneath widely spaced deciduous trees where the soil is not excessively dry.
• Let branches spill over low retaining walls or soften the edges of steps and terraces.
• Plant on well-drained banks for low cover that needs little pruning.
• Combine with upright conifers, ferns and broad-leaved perennials for contrasting shapes and textures.
• Use its winter bronze colour beside pale stone or green-foliaged evergreens.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Japanese, Low-maintenance, Winter interest, Mountain lodge and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Hostas, Epimediums, Japanese painted ferns, Siberian bugloss, Hellebores and Dwarf spruces.

Wildlife: Dense branches provide low shelter for small animals and invertebrates. It is wind-pollinated and is not a useful nectar plant.

• Root rot in wet soil: improve drainage and reduce watering; replace badly affected plants rather than replanting into the same waterlogged conditions.
• Heat and drought browning: water deeply during dry spells, mulch the root zone and provide afternoon shade in warmer gardens.
• Winter drying or scorch: water during dry autumn weather and shelter exposed plants from strong, drying winds. Normal, even winter bronzing is not a disease.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs, horses or people, but species-specific information is limited. No particular part is established as poisonous; foliage and cones are not food, and ingestion may cause digestive upset.

• Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis)

  Both form low evergreen mats and may bronze in winter. Creeping juniper generally has finer, less distinctly flattened shoots, often with prickly juvenile leaves, and female plants may carry blue, berry-like cones;

• Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa)

  Dwarf forms can have a similar layered outline, but Hinoki cypress has thicker, rounded, shell-like foliage fans with conspicuous whitish markings beneath. Russian arborvitae has flatter, more open, feathery sprays.

Microbiota refers to its resemblance to a small Biota, an older name used for Oriental arborvitae, while decussata describes the opposite leaf pairs set at right angles to one another.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root them in a free-draining medium under humid conditions; rooting can be slow. Low branches can also be layered. Seed propagation is slow and seed is not commonly available.

Accepted botanical name

Microbiota decussata

Native range

Primorye.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.