Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Giant Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar

Description:

A radiant evergreen garden shrub, with a mounded pyramidal shape; features bright golden foliage fading to yellow green in summer, ideal for use as a year-round color accent in foundation plantings; performs best in moist, humid locations but adaptable

Ornamental Features

Extra Gold Arborvitae is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has attractive gold evergreen foliage which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and turn harvest gold in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Extra Gold Arborvitae is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub. When pruning is necessary, it is recommended to only trim back the new growth of the current season, other than to remove any dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Extra Gold Arborvitae is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Extra Gold Arborvitae will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.

This plant is not reliably hardy in our region, and certain restrictions may apply; contact the store for more information.