Common Types of Cedar Bushes and How to Choose Them

Most plants sold as “cedar bushes” at garden centers are not true cedars at all but members of two genera that share the cedar name through centuries of common usage: arborvitae (Thuja) and juniper (Juniperus). The distinction matters because these groups differ sharply in moisture needs, disease profiles, and growth habits. Choosing well means matching the right genus and cultivar to your specific yard conditions, and the range of options is wider than many homeowners realize.

Why “Cedar Bush” Covers Very Different Plants

True cedars belong to the genus Cedrus and are large timber trees native to the Mediterranean and the Himalayas. They are rarely sold as landscape bushes in North America. When nurseries label something a cedar bush, they almost always mean one of three species or their cultivars: northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis), western redcedar (Thuja plicata), or one of several junipers such as eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis), or Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). Knowing which genus you are dealing with is the single most useful piece of information for making a good choice, because the care requirements diverge from there.

Northern White-Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis)

This is the species behind the overwhelming majority of arborvitae hedges and compact cultivars in eastern and midwestern North America. Cultivars range from towering ‘Green Giant’ specimens down to globe-shaped dwarfs like ‘Little Giant’ and ‘Hetz Midget’ that stay under a meter tall. If you want a tidy privacy screen or a small rounded accent plant and you live in a cold-winter climate, northern white-cedar cultivars are the default starting point.

Northern white-cedar tolerates a remarkably wide range of soils. It grows on organic soils in lowlands, mineral soils over glacial till on uplands, and even in pockets of duff lodged in cliff crevices. The common thread is reliable moisture: this species does best where nutrient-rich groundwater flows below the surface or periodically rises to it. Drainage can range from very poor to well drained, though survival and growth improve on sites with moving subsurface water rather than stagnant conditions.¹

One common misconception is that arborvitae need acidic soil. In reality, northern white-cedar grows poorly on strongly acidic soils and is less abundant where pH drops below about 5. Published site data show this species on soils with pH ranging from roughly 4.6 up to 7.4, with upland stands trending toward the higher end of that range.¹ If you have neutral or slightly alkaline soil, northern white-cedar is a better bet than many acid-loving evergreens.

Western Redcedar (Thuja Plicata)

Western redcedar is the larger, more vigorous cousin found naturally along the Pacific coast and in the interior mountains of the northwestern United States and British Columbia. It is sold both as a full-sized landscape tree and in compact cultivars bred for hedging, such as ‘Whipcord’ (a thread-leaf form) and ‘Spring Grove’ (a dense pyramidal shrub). If you garden in the Pacific Northwest or in any maritime-influenced climate with wet winters, western redcedar cultivars deserve serious consideration.

The moisture tolerance of this species is extraordinary. In its native range, coastal populations receive anywhere from about 890 mm to more than 6,600 mm of annual precipitation, mostly as winter rain, while interior populations receive roughly 710 to 1,240 mm split between spring rain, autumn rain, and winter snow.² On the Olympic Peninsula, trees tolerate winter water tables that sit less than 15 cm below the soil surface on average.² This makes western redcedar an obvious pick for soggy, low-lying yards where other evergreens struggle with root rot.

Western redcedar also handles a wide range of soil types, commonly growing on Inceptisols, Ultisols, and Histosols. When given good moisture and balanced fertility, redcedar seedlings actually outgrow Douglas-fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and ponderosa pine seedlings in nursery trials.² That growth rate is an asset if you want a fast-establishing hedge, but it also means more frequent trimming if you choose a full-sized variety and want to keep it shrub-height.

Juniper “Cedars” (Juniperus Species)

Junipers fill a completely different niche from arborvitae. Where Thuja species crave moisture, most junipers prefer well-drained soil and tolerate drought, heat, and lean rocky ground. The juniper group includes eastern redcedar (J. virginiana), Rocky Mountain juniper (J. scopulorum), and Chinese juniper (J. chinensis), all of which are widely sold in bushy cultivar forms for foundation plantings, windbreaks, and low-maintenance hedges. If your yard bakes in summer sun and your soil dries out quickly, a juniper cultivar is almost certainly a better choice than any Thuja.

Eastern redcedar is native across most of the eastern United States and is exceptionally tough. It handles poor soil, wind exposure, and drought once established. Rocky Mountain juniper fills a similar role in the drier interior West. Chinese juniper, introduced from Asia, has become one of the most popular landscape junipers in North America thanks to widely planted cultivars like ‘Pfitzeriana,’ ‘Sea Green,’ and ‘Gold Coast,’ which form spreading or mounding shrubs that need little attention.

Disease Resistance Across Juniper Types

Disease susceptibility is one of the strongest reasons to pay attention to which juniper species you plant. In comparative trials evaluating cedar-apple rust, Kabatina tip blight, Cercospora needle blight, and Botryosphaeria canker, the three main juniper species performed very differently. Rocky Mountain juniper cultivars showed variable susceptibility to cedar-apple rust and most were moderately to highly susceptible to Kabatina tip blight and Cercospora needle blight, with many also suffering severe Botryosphaeria canker damage. Eastern redcedar cultivars were susceptible to cedar-apple rust but held up better against the other three diseases. Chinese juniper cultivars stood out as highly resistant to all four diseases observed in the plantings.³

This has a practical consequence that catches many gardeners off guard. If you live near apple, crabapple, or hawthorn trees, planting eastern redcedar or Rocky Mountain juniper within a few hundred meters can fuel the cedar-apple rust cycle, sending spores back and forth between the juniper host and the rosaceous host. Chinese juniper cultivars largely sidestep that problem. Beyond rust, junipers in general can face bagworms, eriophyid mites, scale insects, spider mites, webworms, and several root and needle blights.⁴ Regular inspection in late spring and early summer, when most of these pests become active, is the simplest management approach.

How to Choose Based on Your Site

The choice between Thuja and Juniperus comes down to moisture and sun, with a handful of secondary factors that can tip the balance. A quick way to think about it:

• Wet or poorly drained soil: Thuja species, especially western redcedar, handle saturated conditions that would kill most junipers. Northern white-cedar also does well in damp lowlands.
• Dry, well-drained, or rocky soil: Junipers thrive here. Eastern redcedar and Rocky Mountain juniper are especially drought-tolerant once roots are established.
• Full sun: Both groups generally prefer full sun, but junipers tolerate intense heat and reflected light from pavement better than arborvitae, which can scorch in the hottest exposures.
• Partial shade: Thuja species tolerate light shade better than most junipers. In deeper shade, however, all of these plants thin out and lose their dense form.
• Cold-winter climates: Northern white-cedar is hardy to USDA Zone 2 in many cultivars, making it one of the toughest broadleaf-style evergreen options for northern gardens. Western redcedar is less cold-hardy, generally reliable through Zone 5 or 6. Junipers vary by species, but many are hardy into Zone 3 or 4.
• Near apple or crabapple trees: Avoid eastern redcedar and Rocky Mountain juniper to break the cedar-apple rust cycle. Chinese juniper cultivars are a safer pick.

Soil pH is another often-overlooked factor. Northern white-cedar prefers neutral to slightly alkaline conditions and grows poorly below about pH 5.¹ Junipers are generally tolerant of a wide pH range, including alkaline soils. If you have tested your soil and found a high pH that rules out acid-loving plants like azaleas and blueberries, both arborvitae and junipers will feel right at home.

Deer Browsing and Cedar Bushes

Deer are one of the biggest headaches for arborvitae growers. Northern white-cedar is a preferred winter food for white-tailed deer, and a newly planted hedge in deer country can be stripped bare in a single season. Western redcedar faces browsing pressure from both deer and elk, but it has a built-in chemical defense: monoterpenes in the foliage that make it less palatable. Research comparing mainland western redcedar populations with those on islands where deer have been historically absent found that island plants had significantly lower monoterpene levels, and deer preferred eating the island foliage in feeding trials. The mainland trees, having co-evolved with browsing pressure, retained higher monoterpene concentrations that deterred feeding.⁵

The practical takeaway is that western redcedar sourced from mainland seed stock is moderately deer-resistant compared to northern white-cedar, which has minimal chemical deterrence and gets hammered by browsers. Junipers, with their prickly or scaly foliage and aromatic oils, are generally the most deer-resistant of the cedar-bush group, though hungry deer in a hard winter will eat almost anything. If deer pressure is heavy in your area and you cannot fence, a juniper cultivar is the safest starting point.

Light, Color, and Ornamental Varieties

Both Thuja and Juniperus offer cultivars with golden, blue, or variegated foliage, and these color variants respond differently to light conditions. Some golden arborvitae cultivars, for instance, lose their distinctive color in shade. Research on ornamental forms of northern white-cedar found that golden cultivars like ‘Aureaspicata’ and ‘Aureovariegata’ shifted from gold to light green in shaded crown portions due to decreased carotenoid content, while in winter the foliage turned brownish-green as carotenoid concentrations increased in the cells.⁶ If you are buying a golden or variegated arborvitae specifically for its color, plant it in a spot that gets strong light for most of the day, and expect the foliage to bronze or dull during winter months regardless of placement.

Blue-toned junipers, such as ‘Blue Star’ (J. squamata) or ‘Wichita Blue’ (J. scopulorum), hold their color best in full sun and well-drained soil. In shade or overly rich, moist conditions, they tend to green up and lose the silvery-blue hue that makes them appealing. As a general rule, the more unusual the foliage color, the more important it is to give the plant its preferred light exposure.

Getting New Cedar Bushes Established

Regardless of which type you choose, the first year or two after planting determine long-term success. Plants harvested from field production methods lose a substantial portion of their root system during digging, and the resulting transplant shock reduces water and nutrient uptake while draining stored energy.⁷ Container-grown plants avoid this particular problem but can arrive with circling roots that need to be loosened or scored at planting time.

For Thuja species, consistent watering through the first two growing seasons is critical. These are moisture-loving plants, and letting the root ball dry out during establishment is the single most common cause of failure. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than giving shallow daily sprinkles, and mulch around the base to retain soil moisture without piling mulch against the trunk. For junipers, the opposite mistake is more common: overwatering. Junipers establish best when allowed to dry slightly between waterings after the first few weeks. Heavy mulch right against a juniper’s crown can trap moisture and promote fungal disease at the base.

Spacing is another decision that trips people up. Dense hedges look impressive at maturity, but planting arborvitae too close together restricts airflow and creates conditions for fungal issues. A good rule of thumb is to space hedge plants at roughly half of their expected mature spread. For compact cultivars that top out at a meter wide, that means planting centers about half a meter apart. For larger varieties with a two-meter spread, a full meter between plants allows each one to fill out while still closing the gaps within a few years.

Cultivar Size and Where It Matters

One of the most frequent regrets in cedar-bush planting is choosing a cultivar that outgrows its space. A ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae (a Thuja plicata × T. standishii hybrid) can reach 15 meters tall and 4 to 5 meters wide, which is impressive as a windbreak but overwhelming next to a single-story house. Conversely, a dwarf globe arborvitae planted as a privacy screen will never deliver the height you need. Matching the cultivar’s mature dimensions to the job you want it to do saves years of frustration and corrective pruning.

For low foundation plantings under windows, dwarf globe or mounding cultivars work well. ‘Little Giant,’ ‘Hetz Midget,’ and ‘Danica’ among arborvitae, or ‘Blue Star’ and ‘Gold Coast’ among junipers, stay compact without constant shearing. For mid-height hedges in the range of 2 to 3 meters, semi-dwarf arborvitae like ‘Holmstrup’ or upright junipers like ‘Spartan’ fill the role. For tall screens above 4 meters, full-sized cultivars like ‘Green Giant,’ ‘Emerald Green’ (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’), or columnar junipers like ‘Skyrocket’ are better suited.

Growth rate also varies substantially among cultivars. Fast growers like ‘Green Giant’ can add 60 to 90 cm per year in good conditions, while dwarf forms may add only 5 to 10 cm annually. Faster growth means quicker gratification but also more maintenance to keep the plant in bounds. If you want a hedge you can largely ignore after establishment, a moderate-growth cultivar that matures near your target height is less work than a vigorous one you have to shear twice a year.