The arborvitae may have been the first American tree introduced in Europe. It became an instant hit. Jacques Cartier, who discovered the St. Lawrence River, took the plant to France. It is said that natives made a tea using the tree and gave it to Cartier's men as a cure for the scurvy they suffered from.

In French "l'arbre de vie" means ‘tree of life.’ The Latin translation is arborvitae.

An arborvitae has scale-like leaves on twigs which form flattened sprays that are soft to touch rather than prickly.

Benefits

While you probably don't need the plant to cure scurvy, arborvitae is a popular choice for Clark County properties for a number of reasons.

• It makes a dense evergreen hedge.
• One plant makes an attractive shrub or tree.
• They can be used as a foundation plants around homes as their roots don’t cause problems.
• It is one of the easiest evergreen plants to grow.
• When established it can stand considerable heat and drought.
• It keeps its color in winter.
• Although it prefers well drained soil it can tolerate wet ground.