Arborvitae is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 3 through 7.
Arborvitae — the short answer
Arborvitae: grown in zones 3–7.
- USDA zones
- 3–7
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Arborvitae on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether arborvitae actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score arborvitae against your land's real conditions.
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What Arborvitae is
Arborvitae grows as a perennial and reaches around 50 feet at maturity. It blooms in mid spring.
How to grow Arborvitae
Arborvitae grows in USDA zones 3 through 7. It needs about 400 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
3-7
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
50 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
400+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set arborvitae in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match arborvitae's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Arborvitae thrives
Arborvitae is hardy across USDA zones 3 through 7. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 3–7 spans average winter lows from -40°F to 10°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 23 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 3–7·Where Arborvitae growsOpen map →
Where Arborvitae stands, state by state
Arborvitae is rated for zones 3–7 — a cold floor USDA puts at -40 to -30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 23 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 3–7
23 states
3 of 23 shown
The line runs through
25 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 25 shown
Arborvitae’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Arborvitae
Growing guides for arborvitae
In rotation planning, arborvitae counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — arborvitae isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Arborvitae isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Your land is one point inside Arborvitae's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Arborvitae will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether arborvitae actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Arborvitae
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Arborvitae in my zone?
Arborvitae grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Arborvitae?
Set arborvitae out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
What soil does Arborvitae need?
Specific pH data for arborvitae is pending. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Arborvitae attract pollinators?
Arborvitae isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Is Arborvitae safe for pets?
Arborvitae is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)