Thuja occidentalis Mr Bowling Ball - Canadian Arborvitae

Developing generally into a beautiful almost spherical feathery cushion Thuja occidentalis 'Bobozam Mr. Bowling Ball' stands out for its very small size and its thread-like, dense foliage, which is very soft and a delightful green-blue. Its modest size allows it to fit into a small garden, either in isolation or in a rockery. It is magnificent when planted alongside flowering shrubs and perennials in large borders. It is a very hardy conifer and is not demanding regarding soil type. It is happy in soft, well-drained but not too dry soil. It can even tolerate poor and chalky soil. This stunning little conifer prefers a sunny exposure.

Thuja occidentalis, also called Eastern Arborvitae or Northern White Cedar, is sometimes known as the Eastern White Cedar or Arborvitae. It is an evergreen conifer belonging to the cypress family and native to northeastern North America. In nature, it reaches a height of 15 m to 20 m (49.2 ft to 65.6 ft), adopting a beautiful conical habit, and a trunk covered with a decorative, reddish-brown and exfoliating bark. It is a very hardy species, well adapted to temperate climates and poor, moist or occasionally dry soils. Its almost rot-resistant, lightweight, fragrant and easily flammable wood is suitable for many uses. It has given rise to more than 300 cultivars that have been selected for their ornamental qualities.

Derived from this species, the variety 'Bobozam Mr. Bowling Ball', which can also be found under the name of 'Linesville', was discovered in a cemetery very close to Linesville, Pennsylvania. It is distinguished by its modest size, its well-rounded and regular habit and its very fine foliage in branchlets, which is delicately green-blue to watery green in colour. Its growth is slow, so it will reach a height of approximately 80 cm (31.5 in) with a spread of 90 cm (35.4 in). Like all arborvitaes, its foliage is aromatic when crushed. It is well-branched and dense, consisting of branches with multiple flattened branchlets, covered with overlapping scale-like leaves, giving the branchlets a flat appearance. The foliage is tender green and very bluish in spring, before taking on a soft grey-green or sage green shade over the seasons.

With its exceptional ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation, 'Mr. Bowling Ball' deserves to be planted more often. It adapts to everything except dense shade and waterlogged soils. Its round and gentle silhouette is intended to enhance any decor, in borders with small, undemanding shrubs such as cotoneasters or rosemary, as well as in rockeries. It is the perfect choice for a small garden, on a large slope, among rocks or near a swimming pool, as it blends well with the geometric lines of masonry works. It can also be planted to overhang a low wall, or to highlight a rocky scree. The visual qualities of conifers suit the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes and textures to the daintiness of flowers. 'Mr Bowling Ball' is a perfect alternative to trimmed boxwood, and can be used to mark pathways or border terraces. Conifers also add permanence to the structure of a flowerbed. The key is to play with volumes and colours.