arbor vitae

Any of several coniferous trees or shrubs belonging to the cypress family, with flattened branchlets covered in overlapping aromatic green scales. The northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) and the western red cedar (T. plicata) are found in North America. The Chinese or oriental species T. orientalis, reaching 18 m/60 ft in height, is widely grown as an ornamental. (Genus Thuja, family Cupressaceae.)