Thuja occidentalis L.

Habitus

the assimilation organs (leaves) are scaly, double:
- on the main shoots 4 mm long, distant and sharply prickly
- on the side shoots they are approx. 2.5 mm long in opposite pairs pressed against the branch, the leaves of the middle pair are bluntly ovate and below at the tip they have a significantly raised gland
on the upper side they are dark green, shiny, on the lower side they are yellow-green matte without drawing
leaves are aromatic after crushing

monoecious tree, flowers of different sexes
♂ cones are small, about 1 - 1.5 mm in size, spherical, dark gray brown, they grow at the end of shoots
♀ cones are 2 mm in size, spherical, green,they grow singly at the end of lateral shoots
it flowers III - IV

the fruit is a cone on a 2 - 3 mm long stalk, ovoid, 8 - 12 x 4 - 6 mm large, light brown, composed of 4 - 5 pairs of leathery scales
the seed is narrow, 2 - 3 mm long, ellipsoid , surrounded by a membranous wing, curved at the top

in the eastern part of the North American continent (the western one!)
in Canada and the northeastern USA in the zone of coniferous and mixed forests
it is most often found and reaches the largest dimensions (20 m) in the northern part of the area in the lowlands, on the banks of rivers and in swamps
it forms extensive homogeneous, but also mixed stands mainly with black spruce (Picea mariana), balsam fir (Abies balsamea), larch American (Larix laricina) and other trees
In Slovakia, it occurs only as a cultivated species

shade-loving woody plant, undemanding to the quality of the soil with slow growth
it grows well in wetter locations
resistant to frost and exhalation

it tolerates polluted urban environments well
it creates many ornamental forms (columnar, conical, spherical, with yellow and golden leaves, ...)
it is common in parks and gardens
it is well suited for hedges also tolerates pruning