Poll: arborvitae shrub or tree? - Cyburbia Forums

boiker · 2006-05-24, 03:42 PM

Now, many landscaping companies will tell you it is a small tree. Many will call it a large shrub.

In your opinion or ordinance, is it a tree or shrub and why?

NHPlanner · 2006-05-24, 03:59 PM

Our regs call it a shrub.

giff57 · 2006-05-24, 03:59 PM

Arborvitae is also known as the Eastern Red Cedar. A Cedar is a tree so.....

cololi · 2006-05-24, 04:02 PM

How about ugly. I hate these things whether you call it a tree or a shrub. They make a good screen, but that is about it.

zmanPLAN · 2006-05-24, 04:05 PM

I voted shrub.

Our code lumps these "small trees" or "large shrubs" together when determining proper landscape buffers.

The One · 2006-05-24, 06:23 PM

Thuja (pronounced Thuya) is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three from Eastern Asia. They are commonly known as arborvitae (from Latin for tree of life), due to the evergreen foliage; some are also sometimes known by the incorrect name "cedar" (they are not cedars).

The leaves of Thuja are evergreen and scale-like, except young seedlings, where they are needle-like. The scales are arranged in four rows along the twigs. Thuja species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Autumnal Moth, The Engrailed and Juniper Pug.

The male cones are small and inconspicuous and are located at the tips of the twigs. The female cones start out similarly inconspicuous, but grow to about 1-2 cm long with 6-12 overlapping, thin, leathery scales.

The wood of thujas is light, soft and aromatic. It can be easily split and resists decay. The wood has been used for many applications from making chests that repel moths to shingles. Thuja poles are also often used to make fence posts and rails.

The foliage of thujas is rich in Vitamin C, and are used by Native Americans and early European explorers as a cure for scurvy.

[edit]
Species of Thuja
Thuja koraiensis - Korean Thuja
Thuja occidentalis - Eastern Arborvitae, Northern Whitecedar
Thuja plicata - Western Redcedar
Thuja standishii - Japanese Thuja
Thuja sutchuenensis - Sichuan Thuja
A hybrid between T. standishi and T. plicata has been named as the cultivar Thuja 'Green Giant'.

Another very distinct and only distantly related species, formerly treated as Thuja orientalis, is now treated in a genus of its own, as Platycladus orientalis. The closest relatives of Thuja are Thujopsis dolabrata, distinct in its thicker foliage and stouter cones, and Tetraclinis articulata, distinct in its quadrangular foliage (not flattened) and cones with four thick, woody scales.

Apparently the name itself refers to it as a tree:
commonly known as arborvitae (from Latin for tree of life)

Clore · 2006-05-25, 04:32 PM

More than one main trunk and small size makes it a shrub from what I remember from my bio classes....

kjelsadek · 2006-05-25, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Clore

More than one main trunk and small size makes it a shrub from what I remember from my bio classes....

My mom had one of the giant thujas and it only had one main trunk and was about 20ft tall when I finally had the landscapers lop it off so it wasn't taller than the house. I think it really can fit in both categories depending on the variety and maintenence it is given.

RichmondJake · 2006-05-25, 08:53 PM

Other: If it was in my yard, we'd call it "dead."

Suburb Repairman · 2006-05-26, 09:20 AM

Well, it is not on our plants lists here, so it's a non-issue for me. However, I would place it in our "ornamental/understory tree" category.

CoastalGL · 2006-05-26, 01:38 PM

I went back to my days as a dendrology TA and found this image of the arborvitae trunk from the botany website. On the Lake Michigan coasts on the Door Peninsula these trees grow tall and thick.

Click image for larger version

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Size: 46.2 KB
ID: 3579

Vlaude · 2006-05-26, 04:56 PM

I didn't vote, but in my opinion it depends on the variety. Some stay relatively low to the ground and have multiple low branching patterns. Others grow fairly tall and have a pretty good sized dominant trunk with branches coming off of them. So depending on what variety you are planting it could be either one. I have one on my porch that is about 4 years old and not more than 3 1/2' high, I definately wouldn't call this dwarf arborvitae a tree... I'm not an expert on the subject by any means though...

boiker · 2006-05-30, 10:06 AM

The most common variety used here are "Techny" and "Emerald"

I would call both large/medium shrubs.
Techny

Emerald

Developers frequently call them trees and the powers that be offer full support of that label.

Poll results: Arborvitae: Tree or Shrub?
Tree	11	57.89%
Shrub	8	42.11%
Voters: 19. You may not vote on this poll

2006-05-24, 03:42 PM	#1
boiker Cyburbian Registered: Dec 2001 Location: West Valley, AZ Posts: 3,689	Poll: arborvitae shrub or tree? Now, many landscaping companies will tell you it is a small tree. Many will call it a large shrub. In your opinion or ordinance, is it a tree or shrub and why? __________________ Dude, I'm cheesing so hard right now.

2006-05-24, 03:59 PM	#2
NHPlanner Forums Administrator & Gallery Moderator Registered: Apr 1996 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 6,993	Our regs call it a shrub. __________________ "Growth is inevitable and desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how." -- Edward T. McMahon, The Conservation Fund

2006-05-24, 03:59 PM	#3
giff57 Corn Burning Fool Registered: Jul 1998 Location: On the Mother River Posts: 3,684	Arborvitae is also known as the Eastern Red Cedar. A Cedar is a tree so..... __________________ Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain. Pierre E. Trudeau www.triprt.com

2006-05-24, 04:05 PM	#5
zmanPLAN Cyburbian Registered: Apr 2004 Location: Colorado's High Plains Posts: 8,646 Blog entries: 2	I voted shrub. Our code lumps these "small trees" or "large shrubs" together when determining proper landscape buffers. __________________ You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone -Peart

2006-05-24, 04:02 PM	#4
cololi Cyburbian Registered: Feb 2004 Location: ???? Posts: 1,183	How about ugly. I hate these things whether you call it a tree or a shrub. They make a good screen, but that is about it.

2006-05-24, 06:23 PM	#6
The One Cyburbian Registered: Mar 2004 Location: The Space Between Your Ears Posts: 5,683	From Wikipedia Thuja (pronounced Thuya) is a genus of coniferous trees in the Cupressaceae (cypress family). There are five species in the genus, two native to North America and three from Eastern Asia. They are commonly known as arborvitae (from Latin for tree of life), due to the evergreen foliage; some are also sometimes known by the incorrect name "cedar" (they are not cedars). The leaves of Thuja are evergreen and scale-like, except young seedlings, where they are needle-like. The scales are arranged in four rows along the twigs. Thuja species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Autumnal Moth, The Engrailed and Juniper Pug. The male cones are small and inconspicuous and are located at the tips of the twigs. The female cones start out similarly inconspicuous, but grow to about 1-2 cm long with 6-12 overlapping, thin, leathery scales. The wood of thujas is light, soft and aromatic. It can be easily split and resists decay. The wood has been used for many applications from making chests that repel moths to shingles. Thuja poles are also often used to make fence posts and rails. The foliage of thujas is rich in Vitamin C, and are used by Native Americans and early European explorers as a cure for scurvy. [edit] Species of Thuja Thuja koraiensis - Korean Thuja Thuja occidentalis - Eastern Arborvitae, Northern Whitecedar Thuja plicata - Western Redcedar Thuja standishii - Japanese Thuja Thuja sutchuenensis - Sichuan Thuja A hybrid between T. standishi and T. plicata has been named as the cultivar Thuja 'Green Giant'. Another very distinct and only distantly related species, formerly treated as Thuja orientalis, is now treated in a genus of its own, as Platycladus orientalis. The closest relatives of Thuja are Thujopsis dolabrata, distinct in its thicker foliage and stouter cones, and Tetraclinis articulata, distinct in its quadrangular foliage (not flattened) and cones with four thick, woody scales. Apparently the name itself refers to it as a tree: commonly known as arborvitae (from Latin for tree of life) __________________ [addressing Congress] ... "And there was a time in this country, a long time ago, when reading wasn't just for jerks and neither was writing. People wrote books and movies, movies that had stories so you cared whose ass it was and why it was farting, and I believe that time can come again!" Private Joe Bowers Idiocracy 2006

2006-05-25, 04:32 PM	#7
Clore Cyburbian Registered: Mar 2006 Location: Nether Posts: 190	More than one main trunk and small size makes it a shrub from what I remember from my bio classes....

2006-05-25, 08:53 PM	#9
RichmondJake Cyburbian Registered: Aug 2001 Location: Office with two windows Posts: 12,440	Other: If it was in my yard, we'd call it "dead." __________________ Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.

2006-05-26, 09:20 AM	#10
Suburb Repairman moderator in moderation Registered: Jun 2003 Location: at the neighboring pub Posts: 3,871	Well, it is not on our plants lists here, so it's a non-issue for me. However, I would place it in our "ornamental/understory tree" category. __________________ "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." - Herman Göring at the Nuremburg trials (thoughts on democracy)

2006-05-26, 01:38 PM	#11
CoastalGL Member Registered: Feb 2005 Location: Madison, Wisconsin Posts: 16	Botanists say: tree I went back to my days as a dendrology TA and found this image of the arborvitae trunk from the botany website. On the Lake Michigan coasts on the Door Peninsula these trees grow tall and thick.

2006-05-26, 04:56 PM	#12
Vlaude Cyburbian Registered: Aug 2001 Location: Midwest Posts: 420	I didn't vote, but in my opinion it depends on the variety. Some stay relatively low to the ground and have multiple low branching patterns. Others grow fairly tall and have a pretty good sized dominant trunk with branches coming off of them. So depending on what variety you are planting it could be either one. I have one on my porch that is about 4 years old and not more than 3 1/2' high, I definately wouldn't call this dwarf arborvitae a tree... I'm not an expert on the subject by any means though...

2006-05-30, 10:06 AM	#13
boiker Cyburbian Registered: Dec 2001 Location: West Valley, AZ Posts: 3,689	The most common variety used here are "Techny" and "Emerald" I would call both large/medium shrubs. Techny Emerald Developers frequently call them trees and the powers that be offer full support of that label. __________________ Dude, I'm cheesing so hard right now.