Thujopsis: A Love Story

We all have plants we geek out over. For me, that includes Thujopsis dolabrata or hiba arborvitae. I have a love/hate relationship with conifers stemming back to when I was in horticulture school and languished over conifer identification (sadly, I still struggle to ID them!). They all looked the same to me and it was a rough start to my horticulture career. When we came to Thujopsis, the tables turned. It was so distinctly different, which is where my love of hiba arborvitae likely started.

T. dolobrata close up front.jpg

As you can see, the leaf and stem has a beautiful design. In the world of conifers, this is known as a scale leaf conifer, as they resemble scales. Although you can’t tell from the picture, the scales feel like plastic. I’m not sure why I find this to be an endearing quality, but love seldom makes sense.

T. dolobrata close up back.jpg

We also need to check out the reverse of the foliage. The scales on the back have white patterns, which almost make it look like a butterfly’s wing. The scales on these plants seem magnified when compared to other scale leaf conifers like Eastern Red Cedars. I think this is a particularly helpful characteristic in identifying this plant.

T. dolobrata entire.jpg

The picture you see above is of a hiba arborvitae we moved a few years ago. This specimen was originally in a wall bed in the Lower Left Wing. I thought it was a bit too large for the spot and had other plans in mind for the area. With the help of another horticulturist, we relocated it to the Rosen Carolina Terrace. It’s been very happy in its new spot and is a perfect fit. I’m not going to say the key to its success is my continual praise and comments (“Oh, you’re looking so gooood!”) every time I walk past it, but I’m also not going to rule it out.

T. dolobrata 'Aurea' close up.jpg

So far we’ve admired the straight species, but did you know there are cultivars of this fantastic plant? (note: a cultivar is a plant variety that has been produced in cultivation by selective breeding.) We have a couple in the gardens. Thujopsis dolabrata ‘Aurea’ is a yellow leafed cultivar that is located on the border of the Upper Left Wing and the Rosen Carolina Terrace. This was donated by Mountain Meadows Nursery in North Carolina. On a tour of the mouthwatering nursery, I ogled and drooled over their beautiful hiba arborvitaes. Owner Michael Balogh could clearly tell and donated this and the following one to us at Brookgreen Gardens.

T. dolobrata 'Variegata' close up.jpg

This other Mountain Meadows donation is Thujopsis dolabrata ‘Variegata’ which has white variegated leaves. This is fittingly in the White Garden. All our Thujopsis are in some shade and are in locations where they are protected from being battered by wind. We have found that these do not like being out in full sun with our unforgiving heat and prefer some wind protection.

T. dolobrata 'Variegata'.jpg

As I’m sure you can now see, my adoration for hiba arborvitae is completely justified. Next time you come for a visit, keep an eye out for these throughout the grounds!