Fauna
Plant

Chinese Arborvitae

Platycladus orientalis

Also known as Oriental Arborvitae, Chinese Thuja, Biota, Oriental Thuja

Chinese arborvitae forms a dense, pyramidal canopy of vertical, flattened sprays of scale-like leaves that show the same bright green shade on both sides. Young female cones emerge fleshy and glaucous blue with prominent recurved hooks before ripening into brown, woody seed pods. Long prized in East Asian temple gardens and traditional medicine, wild stands persist on rocky cliffs and sunny mountain slopes across China.

EvergreenConiferOrnamental
Chinese Arborvitae reference1 / 7
(c) Patrick Hacker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patrick Hacker · cc-by
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Near ThreatenedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNear ThreatenedRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (Photosynthesis)
Predators
  • Bagworms
  • Spider Mites
  • Cypress Bark Beetles
ThreatsHistorical habitat destruction, overexploitation, and land clearing
HabitatsTemperate forests, dry rocky slopes, cliffs, parks, and gardens
Life span100–1,000+ years
Classification
  1. OrderPinales
  2. FamilyCupressaceae
  3. GenusPlatycladus
  4. SpeciesPlatycladus orientalis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
What to notice
Look for distinct vertical, fan-like leaf sprays and horned, bluish young cones on rocky ridges.
Support conservation
Observe from established trails and refrain from breaking branches or collecting wild cones.
Responsible observation
  • Foliage Inspection: Examine the branchlets to notice how the sprays align vertically rather than horizontally.
  • Cone Observation: Search for immature bluish cones in spring to see their unusual horn-like recurved hooks.
Related species
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