Oriental Arborvitae - Platycladus orientalis Aurea Nana

Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana', formerly known as Thuya orientalis, is a variety of oriental cedar. It is a bright and elegant conifer with a rounded conical habit, a squat silhouette, and curly golden foliage in spring. Its dense foliage turns somewhat greener in summer and takes on a beautiful bronze hue in winter. Its slow growth and small size allow for many uses: in a rockery, as a standalone specimen, in a border, or even in a large pot on a terrace. It is a hardy conifer, not demanding on soil type and tolerates pruning very well. It prefers a well-drained, not too dry soil, and a sunny exposure.

Platycladus orientalis, also known as Thuya orientalis or Biota orientalis or simply Chinese cedar, sometimes bears the lovely name Tree of Life, due to its longevity and vigour. It is an evergreen conifer of the cypress family native to China, but also distributed from Iran to Japan. In the wild, it reaches 12 m to 20 m (39.3 ft to 65.6 ft) in height, adopting a beautiful columnar to conical habit with spreading branches. It is a hardy species, well adapted to temperate climates and occasionally dry limestone soils. Its wood is used in Buddhist temples for construction, as well as burned as incense.

The 'Aurea Nana' variety is distinguished by its small size, its very compact habit in a conical and rounded bush shape, and its foliage with changing golden colours. It grows slowly, and will reach a maximum 100 cm (39.4 in) in height and 80 cm (31.5 in) in spread at maturity. Its tightly packed ascending branches are covered with scale-like and triangular leaves, overlapping each other to create a flattened appearance. The young shoots are golden in spring, turning green-yellow in summer and bronze in winter. When lightly bruised, the foliage releases a pleasant aroma. Ovoid cones are formed by 3 or 4 pairs of scales with recurved tips. On its trunk, the bark is reddish-brown, with small fissures running lengthwise.

Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana' works well in a small garden, in a rockery, grouped in a small free-standing screen, or planted in groups of three near an entrance. It can also be installed in a decorative container on a terrace or balcony. It goes well with large decorative stones, the geometric lines of swimming pools or buildings, and masonry works. In planting schemes, position it with complementary grasses or the indestructible Microbiota decussata, which has a similar autumn colour. The visual qualities of conifers naturally suit contemporary garden design, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures over the daintiness of flowers. These plants provide a structural permanence to borders. They can also work as an alternative to trimmed boxwood or holly when using plants to mark pathways or border a terrace. The key is to play with volumes and colours to find the right look.