Fire Chief Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Congabe' (PP #19,009)View more from Thuja Trees
Fire Chief Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Congabe' (PP #19,009)
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Special Features
Botanical Name
Thuja occidentalis 'Congabe' (PP #19,009)
Outdoor Growing zone
2-7
Mature Height
2-4
Mature Width
2-4
Sun needs
Full Sun
Everybody loves evergreen bushes that form neat, round globes without needing clipping and that never get too large. When such a useful plant is also colorful and interesting all year round, it is a real find for any garden. Add that it also survives in even the coldest areas of the country and now you have the perfect choice. The Fire Chief Arborvitae is such a plant – tough, hardy, evergreen, always neat and round, never too big, but best of all, covered all year in a fascinating glow of bronzy-red, which intensifies and reddens more as the cooler weather of fall arrives. This novel new color in Arborvitae, which are normally green, or sometimes yellow, adds a great sparkle to your planting, without adding any work. It will grow steadily into a globe two feet across and the same width, and eventually into a plant perhaps 4 feet by 4 feet. It is the idea size to fit perfectly into any part of your garden.
- Glows like embers all year round
- Perfect globe-shaped evergreen
- Hardy to minus 50 degrees
- Ideal accent for small spaces
- No clipping needed to keep a trim globe-shape
This variety of arborvitae is hardy in even the coldest parts of America, and it can be planted in a sunny location in ordinary garden soil. Like all arborvitae, it benefits from a regular supply of water, but once established plants are resistant to ordinary summer dryness, so they need no extra work. It is pest and disease free, so it will always look great in your garden. To add terrific color all year round without adding work, the Fire Chief Arborvitae is your top choice.
When gardening in cold areas, choices can be restricted. This is very true when it comes to evergreens, since so many can burn and become blacked in intense cold. So when we find a great new plant that is super-hardy, and colorful too, we are going to sing about it. The Fire Chief Arborvitae is a wonderful addition to our range of evergreens, because it brings color at all seasons, and brightens up your garden every day of the year. It forms a perfect globe of soft foliage that stays neat without any clipping. Soon growing to a comfortable size of 2 feet in all directions, it will eventually reach as much as 4 feet tall and wide, but you can clip it to almost any size.
What makes this plant stand out is the wonderful red coloring that suffuses the new growth and stays all year round. In fact, as fall arrives, the soft red of the summer changes into a more intense red, that lasts all winter. When the snow comes, it glows like a warm candle in your garden. It will never blacken or die in the coldest weather, and always add interest and color all year round.
Growing Fire Chief Arborvitae Shrubs
Use the Fire Chief Arborvitae as part of the foundation planting around your house. It can be planted as a single specimen or as a group of three or even more. Clustered among taller plants, it makes a great shape-contrast to their more upright form. It also works well in your flowerbeds, or in shrub beds all around your garden, adding year-round color. Even the smallest garden has room for this lovely plant, which asks nothing of you to stay beautiful. It is also a great plant to put in containers or planter boxes, where it gives structure and permanence among the temporary flowers you might plant for summer.
Planting and Initial Care
To get the best color, plant your Fire Chief Arborvitae in a sunny spot. It will grow happily in average to moist soil. Water it regularly during dry weather for the first few years, but once established it will handle normal summer dry periods with no problem. It has no significant pests or diseases.
Size and Appearance
In several years, your bush will be a robust 2 feet tall and 2 feet across, naturally growing into a perfect globe. If you enjoy clipping your plants for the neatest possible garden, a light clipping in spring before the new growth begins will give you a solid globe, or any rounded shape you want. Like all evergreens, it will continue to grow steadily, and should mature at around 4 feet by 4 feet. Of course, it can be clipped as it grows to keep it shorter, if that is what you need.
History and Origins of the Fire Chief Arborvitae
American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a small tree growing to perhaps 60 feet tall, native to southeastern Canada and the northeastern USA. It has soft, scale-like leaves pressed on the stems which in turn are arranged in sprays. Wild trees have an open habit, but gardeners have selected varieties that are dense and either upright or rounded.
A nurseryman named Gabriel Cesarini found the Fire Chief Arborvitae at a nursery in New York State. He spotted a brilliantly colored branch on a golden arborvitae called ‘Rheingold’. Realizing how useful that coloring would be in gardens, he grew plants from it and in 2007 he named it Fire Chief, perhaps because it looked like it was on fire. The red tips create a rosy glow around the plant, and only turn green after new red shoots form, so your bush is always colorful. With its great coloring that never fades it makes a bright accent in your garden all year round.
Buying Fire Chief Arborvitae Shrubs at The Tree Center
Such a special plant has to be carefully grown from original bushes, with all the correct qualities, and if it isn’t labeled Fire Chief it is not the globe arborvitae you want. All of our trees are grown the proper way, by our experienced and specialized staff. So, for a perfect round globe of glowing foliage in your garden all year round, the Fire Chief Arborvitae is the number one pick. This popular new variety is setting the garden world on fire, so order now to avoid disappointment, as our stocks will not last long.
What makes the Fire Chief Arborvitae unique compared to other evergreens?
The Fire Chief Arborvitae stands out among other evergreens due to its unique red coloring that suffuses the new growth and stays all year round. This color intensifies as fall arrives, changing into a more intense red that lasts all winter. When the snow comes, it glows like a warm candle in your garden. In addition to its unique color, it forms a perfect globe of soft foliage that stays neat without any clipping. It is also super-hardy and can survive in the coldest parts of America, making it a great choice for gardens in cold areas.
How can I use the Fire Chief Arborvitae in my landscape design?
The Fire Chief Arborvitae is a versatile plant that can be used in various ways in your landscape design. It can be used as part of the foundation planting around your house, adding year-round color and interest. It can also be planted as a single specimen or as a group of three or more, providing a shape-contrast to the more upright form of taller plants. The Fire Chief Arborvitae also works well in flowerbeds or in shrub beds all around your garden. If you have a smaller garden or want to add structure and permanence to your containers or planter boxes, this plant is a great choice.
What care does the Fire Chief Arborvitae require?
The Fire Chief Arborvitae is a low-maintenance plant that requires minimal care. It grows best in a sunny spot and in average to moist soil. For the first few years, it needs regular watering during dry weather. However, once established, it can handle normal summer dry periods with no problem. One of the great things about this plant is that it has no significant pests or diseases, so you don’t have to worry about constant monitoring or treatment.
How big does the Fire Chief Arborvitae get?
The Fire Chief Arborvitae grows into a perfect globe of 2 feet in all directions, making it a comfortable size for most gardens. Over time, it will eventually reach as much as 4 feet tall and wide. However, one of the great things about this plant is that it can be clipped to almost any size. So, if you prefer a smaller plant or have limited space, you can easily keep it at the size that works best for you.
What is the history of the Fire Chief Arborvitae?
The Fire Chief Arborvitae has an interesting history. It was discovered by a nurseryman named Gabriel Cesarini at a nursery in New York State. He spotted a brilliantly colored branch on a golden arborvitae called ‘Rheingold’. Realizing how useful that coloring would be in gardens, he grew plants from it. In 2007, he named it Fire Chief, perhaps because its red coloring made it look like it was on fire. Since then, it has become a popular choice for gardens due to its unique coloring and hardiness.
