Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' / dark green western red-cedar

Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' is a long lived, slow growing, evergreen coniferous tree with a conical growth habit; dense, ascending branching; and very dark-green foliage that is very stable throughout the year. After 10 years of growth, a mature specimen will measure 12 feet (4 m) tall and 4.5 feet (1.5 m) wide, an annual growth rate in excess of of 12 inches (30 cm).

This cultivar has been popular and well-known to the nursery trade since the 1890s. In the Latin language, atrovirens translates into "dark-colored foliage."

Thuja plicata 'Atrovirens' — a 2007 accession at the New York Botanical Garden, The Bronx, New York (USDA Hardiness Zone 7a); photo from 2020.
Photo by Katherine Wagner-Reiss

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