Description
Thujopsis – Mock Thuja – Hiba – False Arborvitae –
This sole species is a slow growing monoecious, evergreen, coniferous tree related to Thuja is in the Cypress family in this genus. They naturally occur in forest in Japan. T. dolabrata has shredding red brown bark, 4 ranked, scale like leaves, and round, woody cones with a large prominent, central prickle on each cone scale. A fine specimen plant in woodlands.
Grow in moist but well drained, fertile acidic or alkaline soil, humus rich soil in full sun with shelter from cold dry winds in areas with high humidity.
T. dolabrata ‘Variegata’ – Hiba Arborvitae – Hiba Cedar – Deerhorn Cedar – This conical to cylindrical tree from Japan grows 10-30′ feet tall and 5-12′ feet wide. It is slow growing, maybe 8′ feet per 5-10 years. It has reddish brown bark, exfoliates in gray strips, and 4 ranked, thick, scale like, shiny edged, mid green leaves with white splashes, frosted white beneath with almost horizontal branches that are up swept at the tips. Spherical, bluish gray female cones, ½” across, with leathery scales , ripen to brown, cylindrical male cones are dark violet
Zones 5-7
