Platycladus orientalis 'Franky Boy'

RHS Plant Profile
oriental thuja 'Franky Boy'

Synonyms

Thuja plicata 'Franky Boy'
Thuja orientalis 'Franky Boy'

Award of Garden Merit
Conifers Shrubs

A slow-growing, dense evergreen coniferous shrub with a rounded habit and unusual, flat sprays of scaley, bright green foliage, tipped yellowish-green. Foliage turns bronze-orange in winter

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
20–50 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
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

  • Architectural
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Rock garden
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects and conifer aphid

Diseases

May be susceptible to a canker