Eastern Arborvitae 'Danica'

Eastern arborvitae 'Danica' (Thuja occidentalis 'Danica') is a living green ball that keeps its perfect shape entirely on its own, with no clipping at all. The fine, scale-like emerald foliage is held in upright fans, which gives the crown a soft, tightly packed look; in winter it takes on a calm bluish-green cast.

It is the benchmark dwarf globe arborvitae: growth is under 2.5 cm a year, so at ten years the plant is about 30 cm and by twenty it reaches 50 cm - noticeably smaller than 'Globosa' or 'Woodwardii'. That is exactly why 'Danica' is planted wherever a neat full stop is wanted: an edging, a rock garden, a pot by the door or a low band along a path.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The foliage is aromatic: rub a sprig between your fingers and your hands will smell of fresh thuja.
• Dimensions: A miniature globe: at 10 years it is a tidy up to 0.3 m tall and up to 0.3 m wide.
• Hardiness: Frost holds no fear for it at all - it takes down to -46 °C (USDA zone 2).
• Light: It takes full sun or partial shade easily, but in deep shade the crown thins out noticeably.
• Soil: It is at its best on moist, neutral to slightly alkaline loams with good drainage.
• Watering: Water moderately and regularly: the plant will not put up with the soil drying out.
• Care: It needs no trimming at all; in winter shake the crown clear or tie it up, as snow and ice break the branches.
• Landscape use: Lovely in groups and masses, by foundations, in rockeries, edgings, low hedges, as an accent and in containers.
• Origin: The cultivar holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit and was covered by US plant patent PP2,861 in 1969.