Arborvitae Winter Burn

Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) are hardy evergreen shrubs used for hedges, screens, and foundation plantings, so basic evergreen shrub care sets the expectation: foliage stays exposed all winter. That year-round foliage is useful, but it also loses water during cold, sunny, windy weather when roots may be locked in frozen soil.

Winter burn is not a fungus. It is a moisture imbalance where exposed sprays lose more water than roots can replace, so the south, west, or windward side turns bronze, tan, or brown first. The pattern usually appears in late winter or early spring as damaged tissue becomes obvious.

Because Arborvitae hedges sit beside houses, drives, and fences, the damage often looks dramatic. Most plants survive mild to moderate burn if you stabilize moisture, wait before pruning, and protect the same exposed side before the next winter.