The page contains photos of the oriental thuja and its varieties. You can read the description, learn the principles of planting and care.
This plant belongs to the Cypress family and is the only representative of the Planobranch genus. The full biological name of the plant is eastern thuja or oriental biota, although previously the plant was actually called oriental thuja and was classified as one of the thuja species. Hence the firmly established popular name “thuja orientalis”, although now it is unscientific, but is still actively used, not only in everyday life, but also in specialized catalogs and publications. According to modern experts, the eastern biota is only vaguely similar to thuja, despite the presence of similar leaves in the form of scales. Biologists note that the eastern flat branch is much more similar to the microbiota of juniper and cypress.
 |
|---|
China is considered to be its homeland, where the plant grows naturally in the mountains in the north of the country. In its natural habitat it occurs singly, in small groups or in mixed forests on poor soils, in a moderately warm climate. From these places the plant spread to neighboring regions and was later introduced to Europe. It is also found in Central Asia, the Caucasus, southwestern Ukraine, and Crimea.
There are known old specimens of the eastern flat branch, about 1000 years old, which have become symbols of Beijing. In the Buddhist religion of China, the eastern biota is also symbolized with energy and long life.
Description of the oriental thuja in nature. Trees grow up to 15 - 18 m, in cultivation much lower, up to 8 - 10 m; often have numerous branches extending from the very base of the trunk. The crown of the plant is ovoid.
Bush forms are found when growing in unfavorable conditions. The shoots are flat, located parallel to each other, forming a system of plates radially located in relation to the trunk. The shoots are formed by dark green scales.
Planar scales up to 1 mm long, ovoid-rhombic in shape, contain a longitudinally grooved gland. The lateral leaves are keeled.
The bark is thin, red-brown. The cones are 10 - 15 mm long, bluish-green in color before maturity, located at the tips of some branches and have characteristic hooked projections. Seed ripening time: October - November. Frost resistance of thuja orientalis . The plant needs a moderately warm climate. It has less frost resistance than thuja occidentalis and thuja foldata. Some ornamental varieties can safely tolerate winter temperatures down to approximately -23 C°, and some up to -17 C°. In the conditions of the middle zone, plants need to be covered for the winter and planted in protected places, as they often freeze in unfavorable winters. The plant is light-loving, drought-resistant, undemanding to soils, and tolerates some salinity. Tolerates haircuts well. Caring for thuja orientalis in the room.
The principle of growing thuja orientalis at home is absolutely identical to the growth of all coniferous plants grown in the room. It is not for nothing that all conifers are united into one of the divisions of the diverse plant kingdom and have a number of their own characteristics. One of the features is their natural habitat, represented mainly by temperate and cold zones, while indoor flowers that are familiar to everyone are native to warm zones, tropics and subtropics, so they feel much better in the room.
The basic principles of caring for thuja in a room are similar to the principles of caring for all indoor conifers(only expert advice taken from various sources and TV shows was used:
1. Transplantation (landing). Home plant should be in a permanent pot, but not in the shipping container you purchased it in.
For a short plant, the height of which is 20 - 25 cm, a pot diameter of 15 cm is sufficient. The pot must have a drainage hole. When replanting a thuja from a container into a pot, remember that the lump of earth should not be disturbed during this process, that is, before replanting, the soil with the plant must be watered so that it holds its shape well. During the transplantation process, there is no need to shake the extracted earthen lump from the edges or touch the roots of the plant in any way. They contain the mycorrhizal fungus, which not only helps in growth, but also protects against diseases. In general, transplanting domestic thuja would be more correctly called transshipment. Further transplantation of indoor thuja should be carried out no more than once every 2 - 3 years. Choose thuja varieties that grow more slowly. Root collar height
. The plant needs to be buried to the same level as it was used to growing before transplanting.
Drainage in the pot. A layer of crushed stone or expanded clay must be placed at the bottom of the pot to improve water outflow; the layer thickness is about 2 cm.
Additional tricks when transplanting . To protect against diseases, you can place several tablets of activated carbon or a small layer of charcoal on the drainage layer. 2. Use only(decomposition of pine litter) + leaf soil + washed coarse sand.
3. Location.
You should not choose a bright sunny location for thuja growing in the room. North and northeast windows are best suited. The crown of conifers thickens better in those places that receive more light, so the plant must be periodically turned to the window on different sides so that the plant does not become “one-sided”. 4. In winter, you must provide thuja orientalis with a lower air temperature within +6 - +10 C°. Because the indoor plant is in a pot or tub, it root system
5. limited and more prone to freezing, so it is recommended to keep it in winter at a temperature not lower than 0 C°. And this despite the fact that ground thujas are not afraid of frost. The winter period for thuja is a period of rest. At this time, it can be placed on the veranda, on a glazed balcony and, as a last resort, in the cellar (without shelter). Watering and irrigation of needles . Watering and air humidity are perhaps the most important indicators
, to which all coniferous plants, including thuja, are very sensitive. The volume of watering of indoor thuja is different in winter and summer. An important point: watering and irrigation is done only with soft, settled water room temperature
. In the summer, thuja growing in a room requires daily watering and irrigation of the needles. As for watering, here you should adhere to the “golden mean”: conifers do not like excess water, but the soil in the pot should never be dry, rather optimally moistened. In principle, the soil should not be allowed to dry out at any time of the year. In winter, watering is not daily and its frequency largely depends on the storage conditions of the plant. The main rule of winter watering is to maintain the soil in a constant moderately moist state, that is, moderate watering as the soil dries out. In winter, irrigation of needles is carried out depending on its appearance. If the needles on the branches have dried out, then it’s time to spray the crown.
6. But in spring and summer, if the leaves - scales of the thuja have died or turned yellow, then you can additionally spray the crown with a growth stimulator. For example, zircon. This way your growth will resume and the crown of the thuja will thicken again. However, spraying the crown with a growth stimulator is not used in the autumn-winter period.
7. Formation and removal of yellowed branches. For indoor thuja, you can use formative pinching of shoots or cutting along with ground plants. Yellowed shoots should always be removed; they are trimmed with scissors or pruning shears.
8. Feeding. I noticed that thuja does not really like to grow in a pot, where its growth is worse compared to ground plants, even if the potted ones are constantly outdoors. If container plants are not fed, they grow poorly and become dense. And what can we say about potty indoor thuja ? For a good appearance, it definitely needs mineral supplements. This should be a special fertilizer for conifers. Mineral fertilizers for conifers are different, and there are also
slow acting in granules.
In any case, you should feed homemade thuja only in the spring and summer, and it is usually recommended to do this no more than once a month. Just follow the instructions for the fertilizer you purchased. Varieties of oriental thuja (biota, flat branch).
Frost resistance of plants is not too high (see above). Therefore, for outdoor cultivation in cold frosty regions, it is important to purchase zoned plants from specialized nurseries located nearby. Almost all varieties of eastern biota have low requirements for soil moisture and composition. The plant is quite shade-tolerant, but planting in the shade is not recommended, as the crown will become sparse. For green-colored varieties, choose a place in the sun or partial shade, for variegated ones - only sunny, otherwise their bright color will fade.
Aurea Nana (Aurea Nana)(see photo) – golden-yellow ovoid shrub with a slow growth rate. In the first 10 years of life, the height is about 70 cm. The crown is dense.
Sieboldii (Siboldi) (see photo) - an ovoid dwarf up to 1 m tall at 10 years. It has vertical, regularly spaced shoots. In autumn, the color of the plant becomes golden yellow. The plant should be planted in a protected location.
The eastern thuja is more demanding in terms of care and maintenance than its western relative.
But by following certain rules, you can successfully grow these evergreens in middle lane Russia.
Eastern thuja is not as frost-resistant as western thuja, however, some varieties can withstand temperatures of 25 degrees below zero. The plant is unpretentious to the soil and is not an obstacle to cultivation. various compositions soils, including rocky ones.
Description of the oriental thuja
Thuja orientalis (flatweed) belongs to the cypress family, its natural habitat is the territory of Northern China. The plant is a record holder among centenarians, and can live for a whole millennium. On average, an adult tree grows up to 15–20 m, and some members of the family up to 35 m, and the crown diameter is up to 14 m.
A feature of the oriental thuja is its slow growth what has like positive sides, and negative. The plant can be used in areas with low buildings; it will not block the sun. Allows for infrequent pruning.
The young tree has a pyramidal crown shape, which over the course of several years becomes more rounded, closer to columnar. The cones of such a thuja look interesting - at first (in September) they are light green, plump, with hook-shaped growths, ripening occurs the following year: March, April - pollination, October - seed ripening. By this time, the cones become brown and the seeds look like grains of wheat.
Types of thuja orientalis
Oriental thuja includes about 60 varieties. Not all of them are suitable for the harsh Russian climate, The most popular varieties are:
Growing oriental thuja
Thuja feels comfortable on neutral or slightly acidic soils, in rocky areas. The plant is not afraid of drought, not a hindrance for him and close proximity groundwater. But not all varieties of the family are frost-resistant.
Landing
The optimal time for planting oriental thuja is the time interval from late April to early May. You can extend this period until mid-September, but a plant planted in the spring gets much more time to adapt in anticipation of the winter cold.
Adult thujas are undemanding to the composition of the soil, but for seedlings you need to prepare a nutrient mixture in the following proportions:
- 2 parts turf soil;
- 1 part peat;
- 1 part sand.
The hole must be prepared based on the size of the seedling, usually 80 cm deep and 60 cm long and wide. At the bottom of the hole, you need to lay a layer of drainage 15–20 cm thick. When planting, you should ensure that the root collar remains flush with the ground surface. The distance between thujas depends on the purpose of planting: hedge- 1 m, alley - up to 5 m.
Watering
At first (4–5 weeks), you need to water the seedlings at least once a week, with a volume of water of at least 10 liters for each thuja. In the intervals between waterings, sprinkling is used (irrigating the crown of the plant with water). The frequency of watering and the volume of water required for it depend on the type of soil: the drier the soil, the more often. Oriental thuja tolerates excess water better than its lack..
During hot, dry periods, adult plants also require watering, at least 20 liters per root.
To prevent the soil from compacting, after watering you need to loosen the soil to a depth of no more than 10 cm, since deeper the root system can be damaged. Mulching the tree trunk circle to a thickness of 4–6 cm will help maintain soil moisture and looseness until the next watering. Sawdust, peat, crushed bark, etc. can be used as mulch.
Fertilizer application
Thuja orientalis does not require frequent use of fertilizers. TO nutritional mixture prepared for planting, you can add fertilizers for coniferous crops. The next feeding may be needed after 2 years.
Trimming
All plants, regardless of age, are subject to pruning of dry and dying branches., and shaping haircuts are recommended for thujas that are at least 3 years old. To do this, use garden shears to cut off unnecessary branches, giving the plant the desired shape. Thuja is easy to trim, so there are plenty of options for determining the appearance of a thuja: from strict geometric shapes to intricate, ornate images.
Preparing for winter
Thuja orientalis, with some exceptions, is not frost-resistant and temperatures of minus 25 degrees and below can become critical for the plant. Therefore, preparation for winter is of utmost importance for the cultivation of these varieties of thuja.
Before reaching the age of five, any oriental thuja should be protected from winter cold.. To do this, the plant is hilled high and mulched with a layer of peat. The crown of the tree is tied with a rope and wrapped with non-woven material, protecting it from wind, snow and cold. It is important to remember that having survived the winter, the plant may also be in danger in the bright spring sun, receiving fatal burns. Therefore, covering material should be removed after stable above-zero temperatures have been established.
Some people cover the plant with spruce branches for the winter and then sprinkle it with fallen snow.
Thaws during winter are dangerous for thuja; temperature changes can damage the tree bark, in which cracks form. In this case, you need to coat the damaged areas with garden varnish, and to make the bark heal faster, tighten its edges with twine.
Some types of oriental thuja tolerate Russian winters better, among them: “Aurea Nana”, “Harmony”, “Biota”.
Diseases and pests
Various diseases and insect pests can slow down the growth of thuja, negatively affect its appearance, and in some cases lead to the death of the plant. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the emerging signs of the disease in time, correctly diagnose and carry out timely treatment.
Diseases
Pests
Some pests pose a danger to the oriental thuja; this applies to a greater extent to aphids and false scale insects. The appearance of yellow spots on the needles indicates that the plant is infected with a false scale insect. Grayish-brown aphids can be seen; they settle on the needles and also cause them to turn yellow and fall off.
To combat these pests, the tree crown should be thoroughly sprayed with Karbofos or Rogor.
Reproduction
Thuja orientalis can be propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush.
Seeds
To use this breeding method it is necessary to collect fresh seeds from thuja in the fall. Until spring, the collected seed should be stored under snow or in the refrigerator (stratification). This is done in order to imitate the natural process where the seeds fall and survive the winter on the ground. This procedure accelerates seed germination and promotes friendly shoots.
In the coming spring, shallow grooves (0.5 cm) are laid in the soil, seed material is placed in them and covered with sawdust from coniferous trees to maintain moist and loose soil. The resulting beds must be protected from direct sunlight. With the emergence of seedlings, the planting site must be mulched with peat. Mineral fertilizers, applied to the soil 1-2 times a month, will help small thujas grow stronger.
During the first season, thuja sprouts grow by 7–8 cm. For the winter, it is recommended to wrap them in spruce branches and stretch a film on top. With the onset of spring, caring for young plants will be the same as last year. Only the third spring is the time to plant plants on permanent place, by that time they reach a height of 40–50 cm.
Cuttings
Cuttings are harvested in June, breaking off two-year-old branches immediately with the heel. Parts of the scrap must be treated with a solution of indoleacetic acid (“Heteroauxin”), which is an organic plant growth stimulator. After treatment, the cuttings are planted shallowly, 2–3 cm.
The nutritious planting mixture consists of equal parts: turf soil, sand and peat. Before use, it is recommended to disinfect it using a warm solution of potassium permanganate. After completing all the preparatory procedures, the cuttings are buried, covering the top with film or glass or plastic containers. Thus, a microclimate with high humidity is created.
The soil under the shelter should not be watered, but sprayed. Rooted cuttings need to be ventilated, increasing the time spent outdoors day by day. So, young thujas undergo adaptation and harden. In mid-October, preparations for winter begin, when the cuttings should be covered with dry leaves, sawdust or spruce branches. When the temperature is below 4–6 degrees below zero, the film is pulled on top.
Dividing the bush
Often a tree grows with several trunks. Having chosen a suitable plant, you can divide it so that each part has a trunk and a root. It is best to divide the mother plant in the spring.. Before the procedure for dividing the thuja, the instrument should be disinfected. It is preferable not to dig up the plant at all, but to make sure that one part remains in place, and the second is carefully separated and uprooted. The cutting areas should also be disinfected, and then the excavated part of the plant should be planted in a new permanent place. All that remains is to take care of the newly planted thuja in the same way as in the case of planting a seedling.
Conclusion
Oriental thuja is a heat-loving plant, and growing it in harsh conditions is not easy and time-consuming. However, plants can be grown in central Russia, not to mention its southern regions. When choosing a variety for cultivation, you should pay attention to its frost resistance. The varieties of oriental thuja such as Pyramidalis Aurea, Aurea Nana, and Biota are considered to be the most suitable for cultivation in our country.
To begin with, we present to your attention a photo and description of the western thuja, whose homeland is the eastern part of North America.
Western thuja in the photo
This is a lush tree up to 20 m in height and 70 cm in diameter with a pyramidal crown. It is cultivated everywhere - from the Black Sea coast to Arkhangelsk, from Siberia to the Far East.
The western species of thuja has opposite scale-like needles, flat flattened shoots and peeling bark. Plants are monoecious, i.e. they have both male and female female flowers. Male ones - sit in the axils of the needles. They have stamens with 4 prominent anthers. Female spikelets are located at the tips of the branches. Each scale has 1-2 ovules, except for the upper pair.
Look at the photo - this variety of thuja has small cones, up to 1 cm in length:
Western thuja cones 
Western thuja cones
They have an elongated oval shape. They ripen in the year of flowering, open and fall. In June the cones are green, and in October, when they ripen, they are brown.
The seeds are flat, narrow-winged. When describing the western thuja, it is worth noting that its entire appearance, reminiscent of a cypress, differs from other trees in the dense and dense branching of its pyramidal crown, with shoots branching in the same plane.
An exceptionally frost-resistant plant, but if flooded in summer, the root system can suffer in winter, even to the point of complete death. Prefers moderate humidity, but grows well on dry slopes with sandy loam soil. It loves fertile loams, where it grows extremely luxuriantly. It tolerates drought better than any other tree. Almost does not suffer from pests and diseases.
Thuja occidentalis tolerates cutting and replanting well, which should be done in early spring or in September - October.
It has many decorative forms, differing greatly in growth, crown outlines and foliage shade.
Thuja occidentalis 
Thuja occidentalis
Thuja occidentalis- fragrant plant. Its plantings exude an unusually pleasant aroma of freshness, which indicates a rich content of phytoncides and other physiological active substances. It is no coincidence that during the heyday of homeopathy, thuja was in the lead as a means of combating skin diseases, heart and vascular ailments.
Traditional medicine also does not neglect thuja raw materials. The bark, leaves, and fruits of thuja are healing.
Thuja leaves contain essential oils with a characteristic strong camphor odor - a valuable raw material for the perfume industry. Preparations using thuja stimulate the immune and central nervous system, cardiac activity.
The role of thuja as an air conditioner is undeniable. It not only cleanses it of harmful substances, but also enriches it with useful ones, always remaining, even in the most polluted places, fresh, viable and decorative. This happens because, according to its biological requirements, thuja is very unpretentious plant, however, deserving of attention to her biological needs.
Thuja "Aurea" in the photo
"Aurea"- a collective name under which several forms with a golden yellow color are hidden. The typical form is that grows as a single-stemmed tree up to 2.5 m high, with a pyramidal crown. The needles of this variety of western thuja are bright yellow, turning green in the shade. It is most intensely colored from mid-summer to the onset of cold weather. It cuts and shapes well and is suitable for molded hedges. Effective in single plantings and as part of coniferous groups. Beautiful in combination with conifers, contrasting in crown shape and color. Winter-hardy, resistant to weather adversity.
Thuja "White-tipped" ("Albospicata") in the photo
“Belokonchikovaya” (“Albospicata”)- reaches a height of 2.5 m, the crown is wide-conical, with obliquely ascending shoots. The needles are medium in size, white-variegated at the ends. Particularly intense White color appears in the first half of summer, becoming somewhat discolored by autumn.
In some years, with high humidity and intense solar activity, the trees look simply magical, as if illuminated from within. This variety of western thuja is completely winter-hardy, beautiful both in a single planting and as part of coniferous groups and compositions. It is well cut and shaped, suitable for creating highly decorative hedges.
"Emerald"- in terms of the combination of qualities, the most popular of the pyramidal forms. The crown is made up of short fan-shaped branches, densely adjacent and together forming a narrow cone up to 3 m high, with a diameter of no more than 0.8 m. Advantages: non-denudity from below, persistent emerald color of scaly needles in all seasons, winter hardiness, constantly neat appearance. It finds universal use in gardens.
As you can see in the photo, this variety of western thuja is beautiful both in a single planting, and as part of coniferous and coniferous-shrub groups, and in alleys:
Planting thuja 
Planting thuja
Quite quickly it achieves decorativeness and optimal growth, remaining attractive until old age.
"Globoza"- a spherical shape that is not losing its popularity, 1-1.2 m high, in shading it can stretch slightly higher with a less dense crown. It has a dense, almost perfectly spherical crown that arises spontaneously without formation. The needles are medium in size, green in summer, slightly brownish in winter. A dense ball is formed by the age of 5-7, after which it continues to grow in width and thicken until the age of 18-20. Winter-hardy and stable. When describing this variety of western thuja, it should be noted that it looks good both alone and as part of coniferous groups.
"Globoza Nana"- one of the most decorative spherical thujas, not exceeding half a meter in height. Advantages: unpretentiousness to growing conditions; extraordinary density of the crown combined with the consistently green color of the scaly needles.
Fits perfectly into a wide variety of compositions: traditional mixborders, coniferous-shrub groups, coniferous monogardens. Good for line planting in the form of borders of varying densities up to cropped rectangular profiles. Organic in rock gardens different styles: alpine hill, mountain slope, flat or landscape rock garden, Japanese garden, etc. Very desirable in all kinds of ceremonial places.
"Cristata" ("Comb")- in adulthood, it has a wide pyramidal crown up to 3.5 m high. When describing this variety of thuja of this variety, it should be especially noted distinctive feature- small scaly dark green-gray needles, collected in dense flat, vertically standing branches, reminiscent of bird feathers.
In youth it grows columnarly, then spreads out somewhat in width. Frost-resistant. Good alone, in groups and alleys, well trimmed, suitable for formed and natural hedges.
"Golden Tip"- has a sparse, wide-pyramidal crown up to 4 m high and up to 2 m wide at the base, formed by ascending straight branches. Young shoots are thick, light brown or yellowish. As the name of this variety of thuja suggests, its large needles have a dense golden color at the ends. It grows very quickly, reaching its maximum size by 15-20 years. Very stable and winter-hardy.
In different years, the intensity of the color of the ends of the branches varies from light yellowish to bright gold, then the tree can be unusually spectacular. Good for single planting, on the edges of groups of tall coniferous and deciduous trees. It makes unusually elegant molded hedges. Suitable for curly haircuts.
"Rheingold"- extremely attractive due to the unusual color of the needles, light golden most of the year, in the fall it acquires a copper-yellow color, and in the spring - a pinkish tint.
The height of the plant is up to 1 m or a little more, the crown is initially spherical, somewhat shapeless with age, consisting of thin, densely woven shoots, but at the same time dense and compact. The needles are of two types: at the ends of the shoots - finely scaly, in the crown - heather-like. Winter-hardy and stable in cultivation.
The "Rheingold" variety, a western variety of thuja, is indispensable for creating coniferous groups and gardens, where it goes well with other conifers, both with vertical and spread-out crowns. Good next to stones, on slopes, in a Japanese garden.
"Danika"- one of the most popular forms of thuja. Valued for its dense, spherical, slightly flattened crown, formed by many ascending flat branches crowding each other. Height 0.6 m, width up to 0.8 m. Winter-hardy and unpretentious to soils.
Pay attention to the photo - this western-looking thuja fits well into a wide variety of compositions involving decorative deciduous shrubs, conifers and perennials:
Decorative foliage shrub thuja
"Teddy"- when positioned open, it has an almost spherical crown about 30 cm high. This is the smallest form of thuja with many advantages. The needles are needle-shaped, short, non-thorny, dark green, completely untypical for thuja, and brownish from autumn to spring. At the same time, it never “burns” and does not lose its decorative effect.
The crown is dense, formed from an early age. Plants reach mature sizes very quickly (by 5-6 years) and remain elegant until old age.
Dwarf growth and unusual appearance open the way for the plant to a variety of gardens and compositions, from a small rock garden and mixborder to coniferous gardens and groups with shrubs and trees. This variety of Western arborvitae grows well in containers.
By densely planting many plants, you can create something like an evergreen coniferous lawn for turfing foregrounds, slopes, etc. It loves fertile loams, but does not grow well on dry sandy loam soils.
"Filiformis"(thread-like form) - an original, completely unusual appearance for a thuja. The shoots of this thuja are long, cord-like, practically unbranched, hanging arcuately towards the periphery of the crown. The needles are scaly, tightly adjacent to the branches, and brown in winter. The crown in youth is sparse, with age it is very dense, with a rounded profile. This form of thuja exhibits winter hardiness, unpretentiousness, and an extraordinary appearance. Very interesting alone on the lawn and as a tapeworm in small gardens, goes well with vertically growing conifers.
"Elegantissima"(the most elegant) - has a dense, wide-conical crown about 4 m high, which it reaches only at 30-40 years of age.
The needles are fresh green, scaly, the ends of the shoots have a whitish tint, which, combined with a beautiful silhouette, gives the tree an extraordinary showiness. By autumn the white color fades to yellowish, but the plant remains attractive. During the winter, the needles become somewhat discolored, but in the spring they acquire a bright color again.
Requires an open location. Good alone, in groups, alleys. Desirable in all kinds of ceremonial places.
"Elvanger Aurea"- has a slightly flattened spherical crown with individual protruding shoots, up to 70-90 cm high. The branches are thin, the crown is dense. The needles are golden-colored, heather-like inside the crown, scaly and small at the ends of the shoots. In certain periods of the year it is very similar to the “Rheingold” form, but the color of the needles is more stable. During the summer it is bright golden, turning slightly bronze by autumn. Good in a wide variety of gardens and compositions. Very interesting as part of coniferous groups.
"Ericoides"(heather-shaped) - a small tree about 1 m high, with an irregularly spherical multi-vertex crown formed by numerous thin, slightly branched shoots. The needles are needle-shaped, 6-8 mm long, soft. In summer it is two-colored: yellowish-green above, dark green below with a gray coating; In winter it takes on a brownish-violet hue. It does not form seeds, but propagates well by cuttings.
In unfavorable winters and springs it can burn. It is very interesting as part of group compositions in the undergrowth of taller shrubs and trees, especially conifers, which contrast with it in appearance: prickly and Canadian spruce, pyramidal junipers and thujas, etc. Good for large masses on slopes.
"Europe Gold"- a slow-growing shade-tolerant shrub, reaching a height of 4 m. The crown is dense, initially narrow-pyramidal, and with age it acquires a conical shape. As follows from the photo and description of this variety of western thuja, its needles are orange when blooming, and golden-yellow in winter. Tolerates haircuts well. Used in single and group plantings, hedges, suitable for creating alleys.
"Sunkist"- a tree 3-5 m high, the diameter of the conical crown is 1.5-2 m. The needles are golden-yellow. It grows very slowly, tolerates pruning, and is light-loving. Possibility of boarding in groups or alone.
"Dumosa"- shrub form, its height and diameter are within 1 m. The crown is flattened or slightly rounded. Used in heather gardens and rock gardens.
"Douglas Pyramidalis"- similar in appearance to cypress. Height up to 15 m. The needles are swamp green. It is very shade-tolerant, but on the lower branches the needles dry out early and partially fall off. This form of western thuja is suitable for hedges, in single and group plantings.
"Holmstrup"- a shrub up to 4 m high, the diameter of the conical crown is up to 1 m. The needles are scaly, thick, green. In some plants, the needles turn brown in autumn and winter, with a rusty tint. Used in single and group plantings.
Here you can see photos of Western thuja varieties, described above:
Western thuja varieties 
Western thuja varieties
Western thuja varieties 
Western thuja varieties
Now we present to your attention photos, names and descriptions of varieties of the eastern variety of thuja.
Thuja orientalis in the photo
Thuja orientalis (or oriental biota)- another type of thuja, common in landscaping along with the western one.
This tree grows up to 8 m in height in nature and comes from China. It could also be a bush.
As you can see in the photo, the eastern thuja has an ovoid crown, consisting of many flat plates rising from the base of the trunk to the top:
The crown of the eastern thuja is ovoid
On the back of the flat, scale-like needles there are resin glands, which distinguishes the eastern thuja from the western. The abundance of aromatic resin allowed ancient people to call thuja the “tree of life,” which in itself speaks of its extreme usefulness. When describing the properties of oriental thuja, it is enough to say that the essential oil contained in thuja is used in homeopathy as a powerful heart remedy.
Thuja blooms in May, the plant is monoecious. The cones in their immature state are fleshy and bluish-green. They ripen only in the 2nd year and then become dry, red-brown. The seeds are viable only in the lower and middle parts of the cone. They are wingless and quite heavy.
There are many forms and varieties of eastern thuja, among which columnar, spherical, and golden are common. Along with street landscaping, this plant is used both as a greenhouse and indoor plant.
Thuja "Aurea variegata" in the photo
"Aurea variegata"- variegated form with a spherical crown and golden needles.
"Kompakta-ungeri"- also spherical in shape, but with white ends of the shoots.
"Elegantus"- with a dense pyramidal crown, golden-yellow needles in spring and greenish-yellow in summer.
"Siboyady"- low-growing spherical shape with bright green needles.
"Nana"- a densely branched dwarf shrub with spaced leaves.
"Rosentalis compacta"- a dense shrub with an ovoid crown and golden-yellow needles.
Biota is propagated by seeds, stem cuttings and grafting.
Look at the photos of the oriental thuja varieties described above:
Thuja "Siboyadi" 
Thuja "Nana"
Growing conditions and care for western and eastern thuja in the country (with photos and videos)
Having familiarized yourself with the photo and description of the eastern and western thuja, it’s time to learn about the cultivation of these plants and their propagation.
Caring for western and eastern thujas is the same, and so are the methods for propagating them. Growing thuja is not difficult; you only need to take into account some features of agricultural technology.
One of the conditions successful cultivation tui - using the right soil. Trees grow best on thick, fertile structural loams. Sandy soils are less suitable, but can be improved by adding clay and large doses of organic matter.
Despite the relative shade tolerance, completely open locations protected from cold winds are preferred for thuja in the middle zone and in more northern regions. When growing western and eastern thujas, uniform illumination on all sides contributes to the formation of the most decorative crown.
Thuja, unlike most coniferous crops, tolerates transplantation well. In the first years it grows slowly, then a period of more intense growth follows, and again a slowdown in growth.
As shown in the photo, when caring for thujas, like all conifers, the main thing is watering:
Thuja care 
Thuja care
The first spring watering is carried out when the soil warms up and dries out. It should be combined with spraying the crown with water. During spring and summer, give abundant watering, but not more than 2 times a month.
When growing and caring for thuja, it does not like an abundance of fertilizers, which can even destroy it. In the first two years after planting, the fertilizers given in the planting hole are sufficient. However, if the soil is poor and no fertilizers were applied during planting, fertilizing is needed, but large doses of fertilizers are undesirable; it is better to apply them in fractions.
In the first year after planting in hot climates, young plants must be shaded by using gauze, agrill or burlap. In this case, the material should not touch the branches. The most convenient thing is to have a lightweight folding frame covered with fabric. The use of such a protective frame allows you to reduce the number of water sprays.
Mulching is also a necessary technique for caring for thuja in the country. Mulch (pine sawdust, peat, peat compost, humus) is poured in a layer of 5-8 cm into the tree trunk circle. When sprinkled, mulch absorbs moisture, creating a microclimate with high humidity. The mulch is loosened periodically.
The fashion for thuja is growing every year. They go well with many other conifers (junipers, spruces), with ornamental shrubs and perennials. Good in complex tree and shrub compositions, beautifully lining the edges of groups of tall trees.
The video “Growing Thuja” shows all the basic agricultural techniques:
Thuja is propagated by seeds and cuttings. The seeds are collected in September-October, when the scales of the cones turn brown and begin to open slightly. But we must prevent them from spilling out. The collected seeds are dried in a ventilated area. Sowing is done immediately after harvesting without preparation. For spring sowing, the seeds are mixed with wet sand and sown when they hatch. When propagating thuja, seeds should be sown in light or medium loamy soil.
The emerging seedlings in the 2nd year dive onto the ridges in which they remain for 2-3 years. In winter, the soil in the beds is covered with spruce branches, leaves or lightly sprinkled with humus. In spring, the cover is removed gradually and the plants are immediately shaded.
After 2-3 years, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place or growing at a distance of 25x70 cm. Growing lasts 4-5 years, after which the plants are ready for sale or transplanting to another place. When replanting, a lump of earth must be preserved. The crown of the thuja, especially the western one, forms itself, but once in the spring the branches extending beyond the habitus are slightly shortened.
Growing thuja
Garden forms of thuja are propagated vegetatively in order to fully reproduce their inherent decorative properties. The main method of propagating thuja is through green cuttings. They are cut or plucked with a “heel” measuring 5-8 cm. The timing of cuttings varies, from April to July.
The best survival rate is for spring cuttings planted in a warm ridge or greenhouse (a layer of manure, a layer of turf soil 10-15 cm and a layer of coarse river sand 1-1.5 cm). Cuttings are taken from young, well-developed plants. They are left in the beds for the winter, and in the spring, with well-branched roots, they are planted in a schoolyard, where they grow for 4-5 years. For growing large-sized thujas, another transplant for growing is useful. After this, a standard material for implementation is obtained.
Watch the video “Propagation of Thuja”, which shows how to grow this tree from cuttings:
For landscaping garden plots of country and private houses, they are quite often used. various varieties.
One of the most popular and widespread are oriental varieties. For example, Biota and Harmony.
With their help you can make your garden attractive. Since caring for wood is quite simple, it will not require much time and effort from you.
general description
Eastern varieties of thuja are trees with a dense crown of a pyramidal or ovoid shape.
They are distinguished by their small height, which rarely exceeds 10 meters, and their slow growth rate.
The color of its crown is dark green in the warm period and brown in autumn and early spring. Thuja cones are reddish-brown in color.
These types of wood are distinguished by numerous positive qualities. Thanks to the large number essential oils, which are contained in their leaves, they have a good effect on human body saturating it with various beneficial volatile substances.
Some of the most popular varieties of oriental thuja are Biota and Harmony.
Thuja Biota
This variety of oriental thuja is native to the mountains in Northern China. In addition, these varieties have been widely grown in Japan since ancient times.
This tree is slow growing, tolerates shade well and loves warmth. But its main difference from other varieties is its excellent tolerance to lack of moisture in the soil and dry climate.
As many years of observations show, this variety grows remarkably well in a wide variety of soils, but most of all they like light and warm soils containing lime, which, in turn, are not suitable for similar other varieties of this tree.
Specialist's note: The main difference between the thuja variety Biota is its peculiar fleshy cones, wingless seeds and an almost perpendicular system of branches.
Most often this variety is planted in southern and western regions Ukraine and Crimea.
Thuja Harmony
This variety of oriental thuja is a rather rare, almost collectible plant, which is often planted as seeds.
If Thuja Harmony is planted in the southern regions of our country, then this procedure usually takes place on the street.
It is perfect for creating all kinds of trimmed borders, hedges and alleys. If it grows in central Russia, then it is planted in a residential area.
Thuja Harmony is distinguished by its small height, which rarely exceeds 10 meters. Its crown is thick and dense, oval or pyramidal in shape. This variety grows slowly, loves warmth and light, tolerates drought well and is able to grow in any type of soil. Thuja Harmonia is listed in the Red Book.
Expert advice: It is recommended to sow Thuja Harmony seeds in spring. Before planting, you need to soak the seeds for 12 hours in water until they sprout, or put them in damp sand.
Young seedlings need to be planted one plant in each pot.
Growing
Despite the fact that such varieties of oriental thujas as Biota and Harmony are quite unpretentious, they nevertheless require proper and timely care.
Care consists of the following procedures:
- regular feeding and watering;
- trimming and trimming the crown;
- mulching and loosening;
- preparing thuja for winter.
Watering and fertilizing
It is recommended to feed oriental thuja varieties in the spring. Typically, various universal and complex mineral fertilizers are used for these purposes.
It is not necessary to feed seedlings immediately after planting. Time must pass - about a year after this.
You should not forget to water this plant regularly. This should be done monthly, for a month. Sprinkling should also be done twice a week.
Loosening and mulching
So that the oriental thuja grows well and has a beautiful appearance and longevity, the soil in the trunk area needs to be mulched from time to time with peat. The peat layer should be approximately 7 centimeters.
Loosening should be done shallowly, since the roots of the thuja are close to the surface and are easily damaged.
If it hits thuja big number rays of the sun, there is a risk that its needles may dry out. By effective means To protect against this phenomenon, there are special sprays that form a kind of film.
Preparing for winter
In the autumn, before the onset of cold weather, it is recommended to cover thuja Biota and Harmony, depending on their size, with a protective burlap cover, which will allow it to survive severe frosts.
As we can see from the above, the varieties of oriental thuja Biota and Harmony are perfect for amateur gardeners who want to create comfort and beauty in their garden.
With proper and timely care, thujas will delight the eye and attract a lot of attention.
Thanks to the popularity of conifers, the number of cultivated varieties of thuja today amounts to tens and hundreds. Most often, western thuja is grown on plots, but eastern thuja deserves no less attention.
Until recently, plants with this name formed a common genus with thujas, but due to a number of differences in structure, growth and reproduction conditions, they were separated into a new community consisting of one species of thuja, or rather the eastern biota or Biota orientalis.
Biota or oriental thuja: description of the species
The change in the official classification gave rise to another name, derived from the name of the subgenus of this culture, flat-branched.
The plant's homeland is China and other Asian regions, where the biota grows in the form of large shrubs and sometimes trees with a fairly wide crown. Adult specimens capable of wildlife live for several hundred years, reach a height of 18, and their diameter reaches 12 meters.
The peculiarity of the oriental thuja is its flat shoots with numerous branches, covered with needles. The branches on the trunk are arranged radially and upward, so from the outside they give the impression of thin living plates.
Green, scaly needles do not exceed 1.5 millimeters in length, densely covering the shoots, the ends of which are crowned with cones, unlike those that ripen on the western thuja. As you can see in the photo, the thuja orientalis is decorated with green-bluish horned cones up to 15 mm long, which by the time they ripen become brownish-red, dry out and open in mid-autumn, releasing the seeds.
The green needles of the biota with a matte coating become brownish-brown in winter, but do not die. Their life lasts from 3 to 5 years, after which the needles fall off, exposing light shoots.
In culture, pyramidal-shaped oriental thujas are most often used. There are many varieties of this plant, differing in the shade of the needles and the size of the bush.
Planting biota, oriental thuja and caring for conifers
Compared with western thuja, its eastern relative is more thermophilic. In central Russia, the crop seriously freezes or dies completely, and even if it survives, it loses crown density and darkens.
In the southern regions, for example, on the Black Sea coast and in the Crimea, the plant feels great, reaches significant sizes, pleases with a fluffy crown and excellent decorativeness.
Conifer lovers who want to decorate their area with oriental thuja can plant the shrub in a container. In this case, the biota in summer will grow under open air, and for the winter the heat-loving beauty will have to be moved under the roof.
Like other crops from the Cypress family, the flat branch is light-loving, but also takes root in the shade. True, in this case the crown turns out to be more sparse, which worsens the perception of pyramidal varieties. And plants with decorative golden needles in the shade can become completely green.
Planting and caring for thuja orientalis will not burden even a novice gardener. The culture is undemanding to the composition of the soil and the presence of large quantity organics. Cultivated sandy loams and loams are suitable for growing biota. The soil must be loose enough for the active development of the root system and drained to prevent stagnation of water and rotting of the underground part of the plant.
Annual feeding is needed only for young specimens up to the age of five. At this time, the drought-resistant shrub is watered regularly, as the surface of the tree trunk dries. After 6 years, the eastern biota is watered only during hot, dry periods.
Plants of this species are not afraid of transplantation. The deepening of the root collar is not detrimental for the thuja occidentalis, as it is for the thuja occidentalis. The bush will respond to such a mistake by the gardener by forming new roots and shoots, becoming denser and receiving additional nutrition and support.
As follows from the description, the oriental thuja reproduces by seeds, layering, and cuttings. At the same time, the seedlings retain the features of the varietal parent plants.
Common varieties of oriental thuja, biota
There are not as many varieties of eastern biota as its western neighbor, thuja. Existing varieties differ in size, crown shape and needle color. As a result of the lecture, some hybrid plants received greater winter hardiness than species specimens, and therefore can grow north of their natural range.
Popular varieties include the oriental thuja Aurea Nana with a dense ovoid crown, reaching a height of 70–80 cm by the age of 10 years. The peculiarity of the Aurea Nana biota variety is golden needles, which in the fall begin to cast all shades of bronze, and in the spring they again become bright yellow .
Depending on the variety, in landscape design Oriental thujas are used as large tapeworms, part of group plantings or the basis for creating a living one.
Video about oriental thuja