Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar is the conifer for a tall green wall you need soon. Thuja plicata reaches around 12m tall and 4m wide over ten to fifteen years, fast for a conifer, and holds soft flat sprays of aromatic foliage to ground level. Clipped, it is one of the densest formal hedges for cool and warm temperate climates.

Why you'll love it

• Height quickly. Fast by conifer standards: a screen blocking a two storey outlook takes five to seven years, not twenty.
• Dense to the ground. Overlapping flat sprays from the base up, without the bare ankles many screening trees develop.
• Handles wind and wet ground. Happy in soil that stays damp, which rules most conifers out.
• Aromatic and evergreen. Crushed foliage smells of pineapple and cedar, and the colour holds all winter.

Where it works best

Tall screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart in a single row for a dense screen, which suits a hedge held between 3m and 6m. Stretch to 2m for a full height screen belt.

Windbreaks. A staggered double row at 1.5m filters wind rather than blocking it, which is what protects the garden behind.

Formal shapes. It takes to topiary and clipped columns, so a driveway sentinel pair or a formal block works.

Growing Western Red Cedar in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade. A cool and warm temperate plant: Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, the tablelands and southern Western Australia all suit it. Frost hardy, but not for tropical or humid subtropical gardens, where heat and humidity thin it out.

Soil. Deep, moist, slightly acidic soil is ideal, and unusually for a conifer it tolerates wet ground. It will not tolerate drought, so avoid shallow sand that bakes.

Water and feed. The demanding part. Water deeply through the first two summers, since a dry check browns foliage that may not regrow. Mulch 75mm deep and feed a slow release fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Trim twice a year, in late spring and late summer, always cutting within the green foliage. Cutting into bare brown wood leaves a permanent hole. Shape it early and it stays easy for decades.

What to expect when it arrives

Grown in 400mm pots: established young trees with a formed leader, typically well over a metre tall, so a new hedge line reads as a hedge from day one. Expect 500mm to 800mm of growth a year once established with reliable moisture.

Trees travel upright and may bronze slightly after a few days in a box, greening up within a fortnight. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing and maintaining conifers, including trimming without bare patches.
• Browse the full conifer range.
• Tall and narrow screening plants for boundaries under 3m.
• Windbreak planting for exposed and rural sites.

Common questions

How tall will it actually get?

Around 12m over ten to fifteen years untouched, and more given time, since it reaches 30m in native North America. Trimmed twice a year it sits between 3m and 6m.

Is it safe for pets and livestock?

No. The foliage contains thujone, which is toxic if chewed or eaten, so keep it away from horse paddocks, stock yards and dogs that chew greenery.

Can I grow it in Brisbane or Darwin?

We would not recommend it. It belongs in cool and warm temperate gardens, and sustained tropical heat and humidity leave it thin and stressed. Choose a native screening tree instead.