- USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8
- Height 1-1.5 Feet Tall
- Spread 2-3 Feet Wide
- Light Requirement is Full Sun
Sometimes you need a problem-solver plant, and Pancake arborvitae is just that and then some. Its’ drought-tolerant, disease-resistant constitution is wrapped up in a tidy, low-profile evergreen package that is extremely useful in the toughest garden situations. Go ahead and site it in full sun in less-than-optimal soil because once established it can handle extreme heat and drought. It can even take a little shade. The finely textured, sage-green foliage turns a handsome gray-blue in winter, giving you yet another reason to love this carefree wonder.
As its name implies, this is a pancake of a shrub at just 12-18 inches tall and up to 3 feet wide. Its’ flat, dense habit is useful for blanketing hillsides, creating a low edge along hardscapes and serving as an evergreen groundcover in front of taller shrubs and perennials. It is especially attractive as a prostrate feature in rock gardens. This low-profile workhorse creates a beautiful gray-green foil for more colorful heat-loving flowering perennials like salvias, coneflowers (Echinacea), red-hot poker (Kniphofia), lavender, speedwell (Veronica), catmint (Nepeta), Russian sage (Perovskia), ornamental allium and tickseed (Coreopsis). It’s also wonderful combined with ornamental grasses.
Pancake Arborvitae Care
Plant in full sun in average soil—it even tolerates sandy soil and a little bit of shade. Dig a planting hole as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Backfill the soil around the roots then firm the soil and water well. Water regularly the first season if rainfall is less than one inch per week. It’s a good idea to mulch around the plant after planting to help conserve moisture, cool the roots and shade out weeds. Pruning Pancake Arborvitae is not required, but you can snip off any bits in springtime that might have browned out over winter. No fertilizing is needed for these plants either.
Pancake Arborvitae Spacing
What Pancake arborvitae lacks in height (just 12-18 inches tall), it makes up for in breadth, attaining a mature width of up to three feet, so be sure to leave 18 inches all around for the plant to fill in. If you are planting more than one, you can place them a little closer, about a foot center-on-center. If you don’t like the bare space around the plants immediately after planting, you can fill in with annuals for the first year or two, until the shrub starts spreading.
Pancake Arborvitae Plant Facts
| USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8 |
| Flower Color(s): n/a |
| Bloom Period: Grown for Foliage |
| Foliage Color(s): Gray-green |
| Light Exposure: Full Sun |
| Height: 1-1.5 Feet |
| Spread: 2-3 Feet |
| Habit: Compact Mounding |
| Watering: Below Average |
| Features: Disease/Pest Resistance, Drought Tolerant, Heat Tolerant, Water-wise |
| Scientific Name: Thuja 'Concesarini' PP24013 |
| Common Name: Pancake Arborvitae |
| Brand: Southern Living Plants |
Container Sizes
Please Note: The pictures below are to give a general representation of the different container sizes. The actual size/ages of plants are estimates and will vary based on; type of plant, time of year, last pruning & many other factors.
4.5" Pot
Also Know As:
4.5" Container
Plant Age:
~ 6 months
Plant Size:
~ 3"-6"
Pot Size:
~ 4.5"H x 3.75"W
Volume:
1.42 quarts
Quart Pot
Also Know As:
Quart
Plant Age:
~ 1 year old
Plant Size:
~ 4"-8"
Pot Size:
~ 4.75"H x 4.5"W
Volume:
1.50 quarts
2.5 Quart
Also Know As:
2.5 Quart Pot
Plant Age:
~ 1.5 year old
Plant Size:
~ 8"-12"
Pot Size:
~ 6.5"H x 6.5"W
Volume:
2.20-2.30 quarts
#1 Pot
Also Know As:
#1 Container
1 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2 year old
Plant Size:
~ 10"-14"
Pot Size:
~ 7"H x 7.75"W
Volume:
2.26-3.73 quarts
#2 Pot
Also Know As:
#2 Container
2 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 2-3 year old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-18"
Pot Size:
~ 9.5"H x 9.5"W
Volume:
1.19-1.76 gallons
#3 Pot
Also Know As:
#3 Container
3 Gallon
Plant Age:
~ 3-4 year old
Plant Size:
~ 12"-30"
Pot Size:
~9.5"H x 11"W
Volume:
2.32-2.76 gallons
For more detailed information, please click here.
Plant Addict Guarantee (Included On All Plant Orders)
Plant Addicts Warranty - 1 Year (Extra Purchase Required)
Guide: How to Care for Your New Plant(s)
Planter Shipping
Standard Colors: 2-3 business days
Special Order Colors: 8 weeks - this is due to the planter being custom made with the color(s) of your choice
Please Note: On special orders there can not be any cancellations
Plant Shipping
Time of Order:
Summer Shipping
- If there is extreme heat we’ll delay shipping.
- We’ll have to review what areas the plants are traveling through along with your location
Once your plant is shipped you’ll receive an email with tracking information. Depending on the above criteria we’ll ship your plant(s) towards beginning of the following week from your order. We put together this helpful guide of what to do when you receive your plants in the mail.
It is important to know that all of our plants are clearly labeled for which growing zones the plant can survive in. The plants are thoroughly trialed and tested in every growing zone before we state the plant can grow in a zone. Again, our #1 priority is to ship the plants to you healthy and ready to thrive in your location. So we will do everything in our power to do so.
