In a Nutshell:
* Platycladus is a distinct genus of evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae , containing only one species, Platycladus orientalis , also known as Chinese Arborvitae or Biota . It is native to northwestern China and widely naturalised elsewhere in Asia east to Korea and Japan , south to northern India , and west to northern Iran .
* A densely branched conifer, a tree or shrub, vertical when young, more open with age, bright green scalelike leaves, darker on older trees, used for hedges and specimen trees, 1" cones, many cultivated varieties, often shrubby, with tiered branches, especially popular in the southern U.S., native to northern China and Korea.
* The common name 'arborvitae' is from Latin, 'tree of life', and is based on its association with long life and vitality in Buddhist thought in China. This is probably based on the tree's unchangingevergreen nature in the cold dry climate of northwest China, and its longevity, some of the larger specimens planted around Buddhist temples in China are said to be in excess of 1,000 years old. It is called ce bai in Chinese. more...