Thuja Compacta - 0.5 kg Seeds

Thuja occidentalis (Thuja occidentalis), the American arborvitae or white cedar, is a dense, conical evergreen conifer; the compact forms sold in India as "thuja compacta" stay neat and bushy at around 2-5 m. It has flat, fan-like sprays of soft, scale-like aromatic foliage that is bright to yellow-green and releases a resinous scent when crushed, and it bears small woody cones. Although native to north-eastern North America, it is widely grown across the cooler plains and hill stations of India as a clipped ornamental conifer.

It is grown purely as an ornamental and landscaping plant, prized for formal hedges, screens, foundation planting, topiary and container and avenue use because it clips so neatly and holds a tidy shape. The aromatic foliage is mildly insect-repellent, and the soft, light wood is used for posts and light joinery in its native range.

• Family: Cupressaceae
• Native region: North-eastern North America (cultivated across India)
• Mature height: 2-5 m (compact forms)
• Growth rate: Slow to moderate

Sowing the seed: the small seeds germinate best after a period of cold, so cold-stratify them in moist sand in a refrigerator for 3-4 weeks before sowing. Surface sow or barely cover with about 0.3-0.5 cm of fine, well-drained, moist mix and keep cool, humid and in bright but indirect light; germination is slow and uneven, usually taking 30 days or more. Prick the seedlings into pots once large enough to handle and grow on in shade before planting out the young plants.