Thuja occidentalis Teddy - Canadian Arborvitae

The Thuja occidentalis 'Teddy' is a very endearing dwarf conifer, reminiscent of a vegetal plush toy. It forms an almost perfect, very dense and well-regulated ball, with a particularly neat appearance. Its foliage, soft to the touch, displays a beautiful dark green color that turns purplish-violet in winter. With its small size and impeccable habit, this Canadian thuja will work wonders in a rockery, as a border plant, and will make a statement in a large pot on the terrace or balcony. It is a very hardy, undemanding plant that thrives in a soft, well-drained but not too dry, even limestone soil, and in a sunny exposure.

The Thuja occidentalis, also known as the Eastern White Cedar or Northern White Cedar, is sometimes called the Canadian White Cedar or Balai. It is an evergreen conifer of the cypress family native to northeastern North America. It is distributed over a wide geographical area that perfectly reflects the plasticity of its living conditions, from swamps to cliffs, all hostile environments that discourage many other competing species. In the wild, it reaches a height of 15 to 20 m (49 to 66ft), adopting a beautiful conical habit, and a trunk covered with a very decorative, reddish-brown, peeling bark. It is a very hardy species, well adapted to temperate climates and poor, wet or occasionally dry soils. Its almost rot-proof, light, fragrant and easily flammable wood lends itself to many uses. It has given rise to more than 300 cultivars that have been selected for their ornamental qualities.

Derived from this species, the 'Teddy' variety is a seedling of the 'Kobold' variety, discovered by a German breeder in the 1950s. It is distinguished by its very small size, its particularly regular globular habit, very compact, slightly taller than wide, and its foliage in fine branchlets, with changing colors. Its growth is slow, so that at the age of about 10 years it will reach a height of 40 cm (16in) and a diameter of 30 cm (12in). At maturity, it will reach about 90 cm (35in) in height and 60 cm (24in) in spread. Like all thuja, it has an aromatic foliage when crushed. It is branched and dense, made up of very flexible branches, with multiple branchlets covered with leaves that retain their juvenile characteristics. They are needle-shaped, giving the branches a slightly unkempt appearance. The foliage is very soft, intense dark green from spring to autumn, and then takes on a sumptuous purplish hue with the first cold weather.

The 'Teddy' Western Thuja, with its exceptional ornamental qualities and ease of cultivation, deserves to be planted more frequently. Easy to grow in well-drained soil, it adapts to everything except dense shade and waterlogged or excessively dry soils. Its mischievous mushroom-like silhouette, full of gentleness, is destined to enhance any setting, whether in a border with low-maintenance shrubs such as cotoneaster or rosemary, in a sunny rockery, or even in a low hedge. It will be wholeheartedly adopted in a small garden, on a slope, among rocks, above a wall or ledge, or near a swimming pool, as it blends well with geometric lines and masonry structures. The graphic qualities of conifers naturally impose themselves in the design of a contemporary garden, which prefers the aesthetics of shapes, silhouettes, and textures over the dance of flowers. These plants, with their reassuring permanence, structurally enhance a flowerbed, mark pathways, adorn the terrace, easily replacing the strong presence of trimmed boxwood or holly. They go well with wild-looking grasses, with a complementary temperament. The key is to play with volumes and colors.