Thuja koraiensis

Korean arborvitae is in the cypress or Cupressaceae family and is native to Korea and the extreme northeast of China (the Changbaishan area). It is an evergreen shrub or small tree and grows to height of 10 m.

• Branches may be ascending or spreading, forming a pyramidal crown, young branchlets relatively glaucous, becoming green.
• Foliage is scale-like, closely pressed to stem, leaves 2–4 mm long (up to 15 mm long on strong-growing shoots), forming flat sprays, matt dark green above, and with broad, vivid white stomatal wax bands below; lateral leaves are as long as or shorter than the facial leaves, with apex incurved.
• Pollen cones are purplish in color and measure 2–3 mm long; seed cones are oval, yellow-green ripening to red-brown, 7–11 mm long and 4–5 mm broad (opening to 6–9 mm broad), with 8-12 overlapping scales.
• When young, the bark is reddish-brown and smooth; with age, it becomes grayish-brown, fissured, and flaking.