Thuja occidentalis 'Brabant' – White Cedar
Thuja occidentalis 'Brabant' is a vigorous, columnar evergreen conifer and one of the most widely planted hedging and screening conifers available. Its dense, feathery sprays of aromatic, mid-green foliage hold their colour reliably throughout all four seasons, delivering consistent year-round coverage and structure. With a naturally upright, self-organising habit and an impressive growth rate, 'Brabant' establishes effective screening and shelter relatively quickly after planting, making it a firm favourite for gardens of all sizes across the UK.
Adaptable, fully hardy, and straightforward to maintain, Thuja 'Brabant' performs equally well in formal clipped hedges, rural windbreaks, and more relaxed garden settings. It offers a softer, more manageable alternative to faster-growing conifers such as Leylandii, combining vigour with an easier-going temperament that suits both experienced gardeners and those looking for a reliable, low-fuss evergreen.
Habit & Appearance
Form and foliage. 'Brabant' produces a strongly upright, columnar outline that remains naturally well-defined as the plant matures. The foliage is carried in flat, overlapping sprays of fine, scale-like leaves with a soft texture and a pleasant, resinous fragrance when brushed or cut. Spring brings a flush of fresh, slightly lime-tinged new growth that gradually deepens to a rich, full mid-green through the summer months. Crucially, 'Brabant' holds this colour far better than many conifers through autumn and winter, maintaining an attractive, lush appearance even during the coldest months. Left to grow freely, plants are capable of reaching 5–6 metres or more at maturity, though they respond very readily to trimming and can be maintained at any desired height with ease.
Growth rate. Under good growing conditions, 'Brabant' is capable of putting on 40–60 cm of new growth per year, making it one of the faster-establishing hedging conifers on the market. This vigorous rate of growth, combined with its dense, branching habit, means that effective privacy screening and shelter can be achieved in a relatively short time after planting.
Growing Conditions
Position. Thuja 'Brabant' performs best in a position that receives full sun to partial shade. It thrives in an open, bright aspect but tolerates dappled shade comfortably, making it a versatile option for planting alongside walls, existing trees, or fences. It is fully hardy throughout the UK and shows good tolerance of exposed, windswept sites, making it particularly well suited to shelter belt planting in open or elevated locations.
Soil. Thuja 'Brabant' is adaptable to a wide range of soil types, including clay, loam, and sandy ground, provided drainage is reasonable. It tolerates moderately moist conditions better than many conifers but will not perform well in permanently waterlogged or poorly drained soil. On heavier ground, incorporating organic matter and improving drainage at planting will encourage stronger, healthier establishment. A slightly acid to neutral soil pH is ideal, though 'Brabant' copes well with mildly alkaline conditions.
Planting spacing. For a dense, uniform privacy hedge, plant approximately 60–80 cm apart. Closer spacing of around 50–60 cm will encourage faster canopy closure for those seeking a quicker initial screen. For shelter belts or more informal plantings, wider spacing of up to 1 metre is perfectly acceptable, as plants will naturally bulk out and fill the gaps over time.
Care
Watering. Regular, thorough watering during the first full growing season after planting is essential to help the root system establish properly. Pay particular attention during dry spells in spring and summer. Once well established, Thuja 'Brabant' develops a reasonable degree of drought tolerance and will generally only require supplementary watering during extended dry periods.
Feeding. Apply a balanced, slow-release granular fertiliser in early spring each year to encourage strong, consistent growth. A feed formulated specifically for conifers or hedging plants is well suited to this purpose. An annual mulch of bark chippings or garden compost applied around the base of the plants in spring will help conserve moisture, suppress competing weeds, and moderate soil temperature around the roots.
Pruning. One of 'Brabant's' most practical qualities is its naturally tidy, upright form, which requires only modest intervention to keep looking its best. Trimming once or twice a year — ideally in late spring after the first flush of new growth, and again in late summer — is sufficient to maintain a crisp, well-defined hedge line. Always avoid cutting back hard into old, bare wood, as Thuja does not regenerate readily from stems that have lost their foliage. Regular, light trimming carried out from an early stage consistently produces the densest, most attractive results. Plants left unclipped will develop a broader, more relaxed conical form that remains perfectly ornamental in informal garden settings.
Ideal Uses
Privacy and screening hedges – Dense, year-round evergreen foliage provides effective visual and noise screening for garden boundaries and property borders.
Windbreaks and shelter belts – Vigorous, bushy growth offers reliable wind protection for exposed gardens, smallholdings, and rural plots.
Formal hedging – Responds cleanly to clipping, making it ideal for producing crisp, uniform hedge lines in formal garden designs.
Garden boundaries – A natural, attractive alternative to solid fencing that softens the landscape while still providing structure and definition.
Specimen and accent planting – A single upright specimen or small group planting creates a
