Platycladus orientalis 'Elegantissima'

RHS Plant Profile

oriental thuja 'Elegantissima'

RHS 2003

Synonyms

Thuja orientalis 'Elegantissima'

Conifers Trees

A dense, conical, evergreen conifer with golden-yellow tips to the erect sprays of foliage, becoming greener or brownish in winter

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 20–50 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure: Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Cupressaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Platycladus is an evergreen tree, conical when young, later becoming irregular in outline, with small scale-like leaves in flat vertical sprays, and small greyish cones with hooked scales
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in moist but well-drained soil. Protect from drying winds especially when young

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Low Maintenance

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects and conifer aphid

Diseases

May be susceptible to a canker