Now that Christmas and New Years is over it is time to have a little talk about the North Pole. No, I am not referring to the home place of St. Nick, but North Pole arborvitae, Proven Winners Landscape Shrub of the Year for 2025.

While indeed it may correctly be classified as a shrub, many of you may think of it as a tree. North Pole arborvitae is known botanically as Thuja occidentalis and commonly called American Arborvitae, and Eastern White Cedar and Tree of Life. While some Thuja have been known to create a feeling of fear and trepidation, this can usually be associated with the wrong application in the landscape. The North Pole, however, is one most worthy of the honor it received.

Thuja occidentalis is native to 23 states and part of Canada. In its native range it was called the Tree of Life when explorers learned from Indians how to use the leaves to treat scurvy. It is doubtful you will be called upon to use the foliage for medicinal purposes, but the aesthetics in the landscape is another thing. The North Pole is considered not only beautiful but mild-mannered. You will treasure it for years.

You may be thinking you don’t have room for a conifer in your landscape. When you consider a height of 10 to 15 feet and a 5-foot width, an exquisite Christmas tree shape comes to mind. Almost everyone has room for such a beautiful shrub. Even at that, you can consider doing what The Garden Guy does and grow in a container on the outward corners of the patio. This will be my fourth growing season in zone 8b West Georgia.

As fall planting season comes around in October 2025, I will plan to incorporate these into prime locations in the front landscape. I have been building a small conifer collection with different colors and shapes. There are blue ground cover shrub junipers called Montana Moss, golden western arborvitae named Fluffy, golden chamaecyparis or false cypress, and blue green dwarf cryptomeria. The North Pole arborvitae will fit just perfectly in height and color. Sunlight, fertile, well-drained soil and you can be in business too.

Those on the patio have been pure joy. First, they are planted in ceramic glazed self-watering AquaPots. This has made watering and feeding a breeze. The hidden plastic tube is easy for insertion of a water hose for filling up the reservoir as well as adding a scoop of water-soluble fertilizer. Of course, each pot is filled with high-grade potting soil.

The containers not only have the North Pole arborvitae but also colorful flowers like Superbena Violet Ice verbena and Superbells Double Redstone calibrachoas. I group mixed containers of Supertunia petunias, Solenia begonias and ornamental grasses like Queen Tut papyrus around the North Pole planter. The dark evergreen needle-like leaves are the perfect backdrop for colorful flowers and the foliage of differing textures.

Those of you looking for the perfect living Christmas tree at your entry way should put the North Pole arborvitae at the top of your list. In year one, mine were about 4 feet tall and now starting year four they are approximately 7 feet in height. You can’t beat the value considering your Christmas tree will not only live for years but get bigger and better with each holiday season.

Planting season is just around the corner so start sourcing your North Pole arborvitaes. Everyone can use the bones and evergreen structure they provide the landscape whether in containers or planted in the ground.

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(Norman Winter, horticulturist, garden speaker and author of “Tough-as-Nails Flowers for the South” and “Captivating Combinations: Color and Style in the Garden.” Follow him on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy.)

(NOTE TO EDITORS: Norman Winter receives complimentary plants to review from the companies he covers.)

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