Pancake Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Concesarini' PANCAKE)
THOO-yah ox-ee-den-TAL-is 'Concesarini' PANCAKE

Evergreen Perennial Tree in the Cupressaceae Family

About American Arborvitaes

Often referred to as Arborvitae, Latin for "The Tree of Life." It's easy to imagine this nickname when the Arborvitae stays vibrant and evergreen when almost everything else dies back for winter -- but it actually earned this title in the 1500s when it was discovered that a tea made from Arborvitae bark and leaves cured scurvy (hello, Vitamin C).

While it's certainly cool that these shrubs saved lives, we love them for their reliable winter color, well-behaved growth patterns, and unfussy growing requirements. Most varieties grow quite quickly and all are very dense, making them a perfect privacy planting. One important note: despite frequent marketing claims, arborvitae is a favorite browse plant for deer, not a deer-resistant one -- see Cons for more.

Pros

  • Evergreen
  • Can grow in a variety of soil and moisture conditions
  • Most varieties require minimal to no pruning to keep their shape
  • Excellent privacy planting

Cons

  • Require part to full sun to thrive
  • May be susceptible to winter wind burn
  • A favorite browse plant for deer -- despite a common misconception, arborvitae is NOT deer resistant, and is often among the first plants damaged in a deer-heavy area
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 20 - 40 feet tall. 10 - 15 feet wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet
Zones 2a - 7b (Usually hardy to -50° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Attracts Birds, Deer Resistant, Deer Resistant, Edging, Edging, Evergreen, Evergreen, Fast Growth Rate, Fast Growth Rate, Foundation, Foundation, Full Sun, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Accents, Good for Asian Garden, Good for Asian Garden, Good for Borders, Good for Borders, Good for Hedges, Good for Hedges, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rock Garden, Good for Rock Garden, Low Maintenance, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Most Popular, Nativar, Native to North America, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Partial Sun, Perennial, Perennial, Potentially Allergenic, Potentially Allergenic, Rabbit Resistant, Rabbit Resistant, Shrub, Shrub, Tolerant of Loamy Soil, Tolerant of Loamy Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Wet Site Tolerant, Winter Interest, Winter Interest, Woodland Garden, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period Non-flowering
Foliage Color
 

Plant Club Content
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2024 : 05/01 - 05/04
2023 : 05/04 - 08/05

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


Estimated Recipe Cost

The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!