Giant arborvitae trees and shrubs are pyramidal in form and may be up to 60 m (about 200 feet) tall and 6 m in circumference, measured above the strongly buttressed base. The cinnamon-red or brownish outer bark is relatively thin, fissured, and scaly, shedding in irregular flakes; the inner bark is fibrous. Short, horizontal, or slightly drooping branches bear dense branchlet systems in flattened sprays that appear bright green on the upper side and dark, waxy green beneath. The tiny, pointed, scalelike leaves may have faint whitish patches on the undersurfaces. The egg-shaped or slightly elongated cones, 8 to 12 mm (0.3 to 0.5 inch) long, bear five to six pairs of thin, flexible scales.

Giant arborvitae is a popular ornamental and hedge tree in North America and Great Britain. The wood is used for shingles, posts, pilings, boat making, greenhouse fittings, and other purposes for which resistance to moisture and decay is more important than strength.