Spermatophytes (seed plants): Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants): Conifers: Cupressales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Platycladus orientalis
FAMILY
Cupressaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Platycladus orientalis
FAMILY
Cupressaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Platycladus orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Platycladus orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Biota orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH Linnaeus
Thuja orientalis
COMMON NAME:
Oriental Arborvitae, Tree-of-life
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
W.D. Brush / USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_thor_001_lvp
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JK Marlow jkm170113_088
January Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160213_018
February Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160213_019
February Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160213_020
February Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160213_021
February Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160222_047
February Greenville County SC
In cultivation
Branchlets flattened in vertical planes [T. occidentalis's are horizontal], per Weakley's Flora (2015).
COMPARE
conifers (not including Pines)
)
JK Marlow jkm160426_140
April Greenville County SC
In cultivation
Cones roundish, egg-shaped, 3/4" long, fleshy, bluish before opening, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
)
JK Marlow jkm160426_147
April Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160527_018
May Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm160811_021
August Greenville County SC
In cultivation
)
JK Marlow jkm151105_050
November Greenville County SC
In cultivation
Leaves of Platycladus & Thuja are obtuse; leaves of Chamaecyparis are acute, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm151105_055
November Greenville County SC
In cultivation
Each of the cone's six scales with a hornlike projection, per Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr, 1975+).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Platycladus orientalis
FAMILY
Cupressaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Platycladus orientalis
FAMILY
Cupressaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Platycladus orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Platycladus orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Biota orientalis
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Linnaeus
Thuja orientalis
3970
Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Commonly planted, especially in graveyards, and rarely persisting and spreading to pastures, fields, and roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Asia
Waif(s)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Opposite
"FLOWER":
Unisexual
Flowers solitary, terminal
FRUIT:
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".