Thuja occidentalis

Woody, needled evergreen tree in the cypress family. It is a low-maintenance plant that tolerates clay soil, wet sites, black walnut, and air pollution. Infrequent in the mountains; rare (one site) in the Piedmont.

Wildlife Value: American arborvitae provides nesting sites for songbirds, as well as cover, especially in the winter, for white-tailed deer, which both feed on the branches and use them for shelter from the cold.