Thuja plicata Zebrina - Western Red Cedar

Thuja plicata 'Zebrina' is a variety of variegated giant Californian Thuja, particularly elegant and bright in spring and summer, greener in winter. It is also interesting for its slow growth which limits repeated and tedious pruning operations. This large conifer allows for the creation of a dense evergreen screen, both unusual and effective against wind and prying eyes. Its light green foliage streaked with yellow-green emits a pleasant aromatic scent, adorned with fairly decorative green cones that turn brown when ripe. It can be planted in a sunny location and cultivated without difficulty in any deep soil that is not too dry in summer.

Thuja plicata, also known as Giant Thuja or Western Red Cedar, is sometimes called Western Red Cedar or Lobb's Thuja. It is an evergreen conifer from the Cupressaceae family, native to the northwest of North America, particularly northern California. In its natural environment, this giant reaches a height of 50 or 60 metres (164 - 196ft) and can develop a trunk with a diameter of 3 metres (10ft) when it reaches around 700 years at the end of its life. It has long been exploited for its soft and durable wood, known in Europe as 'Red cedar'. This giant reigns in the thickness of lush forests (California is not just an arid desert), but also descends to the banks of rivers or colonizes swampy forests. It is a shade-tolerant species, even in dense shade, and thrives in humid conditions.

The 'Zebrina' variety (synonym 'Aureovariegata') distinguishes itself by its much slower growth, around 20 to 30cm (7.9 - 11.8in) per year, and its beautifully variegated foliage. The tree has a regular pyramidal habit. Its growth is slow; theoretically, it will reach a height of about 20 metres and a width of 7 metres after many years if not regularly pruned. In our gardens, planting in a dense hedge and annual pruning allow it to be maintained for a long time in more reasonable proportions, around 5 to 6 metres in height and 1 to 2 metres in width. This conifer has flattened branches covered with scale-like leaves. The leaves, overlapping each other, give the branchlets a flat appearance. The foliage, aromatic, is highly variegated in spring and summer, and then turns somewhat greener in winter. It persists throughout the year, even in winter.

The 'Zebrina' Thuja, with its ease of cultivation, high tolerance to pruning, and both dense and bright vegetation, is a variety that deserves to be chosen more often to create our privacy screens and windbreaks. It prefers cool climates and adapts to almost any condition except dense shade and dry soils. Its density protects the garden throughout the year while adding a bit of light and whimsy to the darker areas of the garden.