‘Sunkist’ arborvitae is a woody, needled evergreen shrub in the cypress family (Cupressaceae). It is a cultivar of the American arborvitae. This shrub is widely adaptable to a variety of soil types and is tolerant of alkaline soils. It does not tolerate dry or exposed, windy sites. It grows well in full sun, partial shade, or dappled sunlight. Avoid full shade, though, or the foliage will thin out dramatically. It needs full sun for maximum color. ‘Sunkist’ arborvitae is a dense, broad, pyramidal plant that boasts lemon-yellow foliage in the spring. In the winter the foliage will become more orange-yellow. This shrub grows rapidly to a height of 6 to 10 feet and a width of 5 to 8 feet. Plant this shrub in a wide variety of settings: lawns, patios, slopes, or walkways. It can be used as an accent; barrier, border, mass, or foundation planting; hedge; privacy screen; or individual specimen. Its gold to orange-yellow color makes it ideal for winter gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Damage from deer browsing can be a serious problem. Leaf miners may damage leaf tips. Bagworms, mealy bugs, scales, and spider mites are occasional visitors. Canker can occasionally be a problem. VIDEO Created by Elizabeth Meyer for "Trees, Shrubs and Conifers," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Thuja occidentalis .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Often confused withThuja occidentalis 'Rheingold'
Fills a similar nicheJuniperus horizontalis 'Mother Lode'Pinus mugo 'Mops'Thuja occidentalis 'Rheingold'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Pyramidal
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf value
Showy
Hairs present
No
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Bark color
Light Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Bark on mature branches and trunks will exfoliate.
Stem detail
Typically single-trunked.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Lawn; Patio; Slope/Bank; Walkways
Landscape theme
Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Barrier; Border; Foundation Planting; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen