Thuja occidentalis

Western arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

Called The Occidental (Thuja occidentalis), also Occidental Thuja Thuja or Ordinary, is a flowering plant in the genus of living trees (Thuja ) from the family of the cypress family ( Cupressaceae ).

Occurrence

The Occidental Tree of Life is in eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S. home with a main distribution area around the Great Lakes. He is one of the most important forest tree species.

In Europe it is often planted everywhere, mostly as a cypress tree similar in cemeteries as well as year-round opaque hedge in Gartenumfriedungen. Usually right in the numerous masses often dwarfed cultivated forms are planted.

On wet soils of Western arborvitae grows best; but he also tolerates dry sites, especially if they are shady.

Description

The Occidental arborvitae is an evergreen tree that can ( in some cases up to a maximum of 38 m) reach a height of about 20 m with a trunk diameter of 0.9 m (maximum 1.8 m). Growth is very slow; the annual height growth is a maximum of about 20 cm. Trees over 10 m are often wrong and are then often knocked over by the storm.

The bark is orange-brown and fissured lengthwise. The most thin and loose beastete treetop grows cone-shaped with a narrow, round tip and upward branches. The often hanging branches terminate in upturned branch tips. The scale-like leaves have a uniform light green to yellowish leaf.

The Occidental Life tree is monoecious getrenntgeschlechtig ( monoecious ), so there are male and female cones on a plant. The male cones are reddish and 1 to 2 mm in size. The female cones are light brown and often form so abundant that the whole tree crown looks pale brownish. They usually have two pairs of fertile seed scales. The upright (6 to ) usually 9 to 14 mm pin and gape soon to the basic approach of the scales and contain about eight seeds. The reddish seed is large including the wings 4-7 mm.

Ingredients

The wood, the pegs as well as the tips of the branches contain essential oils of monoterpenes, with Thujone makes up the largest part. Thus, the consumption is toxic. Even by touching the tips of the branches may occur on the affected area to redness and itching. Consumption of toxic plant constituents can next to mucosal irritation to gastro - intestinal symptoms with nausea, vomiting, bloating and diarrhea. In rare cases, damage to kidneys and liver, and convulsions were observed.

Cultivated forms

• 'Fastigiata': 1865 emerged. Narrow cone-shaped, but less columnar than ' Spiralis '. This cultivar is high up to 15 m and has slim and upright branches.
• ' Lutea ', also known as 'George Peabody ' ( Yellow Tree of Life ): This cultivar grows usually nicer than the type, but it is still rare. It is 17 m high and is on a stout trunk a dense crown; the young foliage is colored golden yellow.
• ' Rheingold ': This form is usually much more stocky and is only about 4 m high with rounded - conical crown. The foliage is very light yellow, almost orange in the spring and a little brownish in winter.
• Rosenthalii (column Tree of Life ) is an up to 5.5 m tall, columnar growing tree.
• ' Spiralis ': 1923 emerged. Very narrow and pointed columnar form with deep green foliage that is slightly brownish in winter. It reaches a height of about 15 m; the branches are short, spirally twisted and bent upwards.

Pictures

Thuja occidentalis:

Branch.

In the spring

Bark.

Drawing

Swell

• Christopher J. Earle: Thuja occidentalis. In: The Gymnosperm Database. January 23, 2011, accessed on 24 October 2011 ( English).