Botanical Name: Thuja occidentalis. Other Common Names: Arbor vitae, American arbor-vitae, eastern arborvitae, white cedar, false white cedar, northern white-cedar, yellow cedar, tuja (Swedish), tuya (Spanish), thuya d'occident (French), Lebensbaum (German). The common name arbor vitae is from Latin meaning 'tree of life' and refers to alleged medicinal properties of the plant. Habitat: Thuja occidentalis is native to North America and eastern Canada. Today the tree has become very popular as an ornamental plant. It grows best in moist soil. Plant Description: Thuja is an evergreen conifer belonging to the Cupressaceae or cypress family. The tree can grow up to