Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae (Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae) care

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where mr bowling ball arborvitae thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Full sun to partial shade; full sun gives the densest globe, while light shade is tolerated better than in most cultivars. At least 4-6 hours of direct sun keeps the form tight. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for twice weekly while establishing; weekly thereafter for mr bowling ball arborvitae, but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. Keep soil evenly moist, especially the first two years. Drought-tolerant once established but the fine foliage can brown if it dries out badly; mulch to retain moisture.

Soil and pot

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae grows best in moist, well-drained loam, widely adaptable. Tolerates a broad range of soils and pH provided drainage is good and moisture is fairly steady. Prefers neutral to slightly alkaline ground. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae sits happiest at around Ambient outdoor humidity humidity and -37 to 30°C (-35 to 86°F). An outdoor dwarf conifer indifferent to humidity; open airflow helps prevent fungal issues in the fine, dense foliage during damp spells. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed mr bowling ball arborvitae sparingly. Light feeder. One application of balanced slow-release or evergreen fertiliser in early spring is enough. Excess nitrogen loosens the tidy globe and forces soft growth; skip late-season feeding. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on mr bowling ball arborvitae in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Foliage browning from drought — The fine, feathery foliage browns quickly if soil dries out severely; keep evenly moist and mulched.
• Winter bronzing — Cold can bronze the soft foliage over winter; colour generally recovers in spring.
• Spider mites — Hot, dry conditions encourage mites that brown the delicate foliage; hose off and treat with horticultural oil if needed.
• Snow load distortion — Wet snow can flatten the soft globe; gently brush off heavy accumulation to keep the shape.

Propagation

Propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings taken in late summer to autumn, rooted with hormone under mist or in a humid frame. Cuttings keep the cultivar true; it does not reproduce from seed. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae is mildly toxic to pets. Thuja occidentalis is not individually listed on the ASPCA toxic or non-toxic plant lists; treat with caution and verify with a vet. The foliage and essential oil contain thujone, which in sufficient quantity can cause drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, and potentially neurological signs in dogs and cats. Prevent ingestion and monitor pets that chew it. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae deep-dive guides

Every aspect of mr bowling ball arborvitae care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae watering schedule
• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae light requirements
• Best soil mix for mr bowling ball arborvitae
• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae fertilizing guide
• When to repot mr bowling ball arborvitae
• How to propagate mr bowling ball arborvitae
• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae growth rate & size
• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae cold hardiness
• Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae temperature & humidity
• Is mr bowling ball arborvitae toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is mr bowling ball arborvitae toxic to cats?
• Is mr bowling ball arborvitae toxic to dogs?
• Getting mr bowling ball arborvitae to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae qualifies for 4 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
• Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

Related guides

Mr Bowling Ball Arborvitae is also commonly called Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae or Globe Arborvitae.

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