Growing guide · Shrubs

Thuja occidentalis 'Anna van Vloten'

How to grow Arborvitae 'Anna's Magic Ball'.

A golden ball. No shears required.

Light
Full sun, part sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
3–8
Size
2–3 ft tall, 2–3 ft wide
Spacing
2–3 ft apart.
Pets
Not on the ASPCA pet-safe list; keep it out of reach
See sizes · from $49.99
Small round arborvitae with soft lemon-gold evergreen foliage

Light

Full sun for the brightest gold; part sun turns it greener.

Water

Keep evenly moist the first two years. It dislikes drying out completely.

Planting and soil

Plant in spring or fall, top of the root ball level with the soil. Mulch, but keep it off the trunk.

Feeding

A slow-release evergreen feed in spring, if any.

Pruning

None needed.

Through the year

Brightest gold on new growth in spring. Holds color through winter, a bit bronzy in cold.

If something's off

Deer browsing in winter. Winter burn in exposed, windy spots; water well in fall.

Plays well with

Plant it with friends.

Creeping Juniper 'Wiltonii'
Juniperus horizontalis 'Wiltonii'Creeping Juniper 'Wiltonii' from $64.99
Weigela Midnight Sun™
Weigela floridaWeigela Midnight Sun™ from $77.99
Hardy Geranium Rozanne®
GeraniumHardy Geranium Rozanne® from $32.99

Why we stock it: Year-round color and shape with zero pruning.

Grows wild in 10 states (USDA PLANTS records). About 46 native butterfly and moth species use Thuja as a host (Narango et al. 2020).

That's everything we know about growing it. Thanks for reading.

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