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
- Hardy to zone 3a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
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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See Arborvitae
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.
USDA Zones
3-7
Rated hardy to zone 3a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Data pending
Drainage
Data pending
Mature Height
50 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set arborvitae in full sun with well-drained soil.
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.
Shape it while it is young
Prune arborvitae only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
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 →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 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
Good to know
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.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
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•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Arborvitae in my zone?
Arborvitae grows in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7 (Rated hardy to zone 3a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.). 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.
Keep exploring Arborvitae
Arborvitae state by state
Every state arborvitae's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's arborvitae growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.