Arborvitae: A Versatile Evergreen for Your Landscape

Arborvitae, or Thuja, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs that are prized for their versatility, hardiness, and attractive foliage. These plants are a popular choice for landscaping due to their ability to thrive in various climates and soil conditions.

Why Choose Arborvitae?

  • Year-Round Interest: Arborvitae provides year-round interest to your landscape with its dense, evergreen foliage.
  • Privacy Screens: Their dense growth habit and year round coverage makes them ideal for creating privacy screens or windbreaks.
  • Low Maintenance: Arborvitae are relatively low-maintenance plants, requiring minimal pruning and care.
  • Variety of Shapes and Sizes: From tall, columnar varieties to dwarf, globe-shaped cultivars, there’s an arborvitae for every landscape.

Our Arborvitae Varieties

  • Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
    • ‘Emerald Green’: Reaching heights of 12-15’ tall and growing only 3-4’ wide, this columnar evergreen is great for smaller sites.
    • ‘Holmstrup’: Holmstrup gets 12-15’ tall and 3-4’ wide. The branching habit of this tree gives the needles a more clustered look.
    • ‘North Pole’: Another columnar variety reaching 12-15’ tall and 3-4’ wide. The North Pole has a more narrow and upright form compared to the pyramidal Emerald Green.
    • ‘Nigra’: A pyramidal evergreen that can grow to be 25-30’ tall and 10’ wide.
    • ‘Techny’: Growing to be 12-15’ tall and 8-10’ wide, this is one of the more popular varieties on the market.
    • ‘Fire Chief’: Fire Chief is a small stature globe arborvitae shrub. It can grow to be about 3-4′ tall and wide. It is light green in color with a beautiful orange hue to the tips.
  • Western Arborvitae (Thuja plicata)
    • ‘Spring Grove’: 20-30’ tall and 10-12’ wide, this evergreen is great for screening elevated outdoor living spaces. The needles are coarser than occidentalis.
    • ‘Green Giant’ (Thuja standishii x plicata): One of the more popular western arborvitaes given its impressive size. It can grow to be 50-60’ tall and 15-20’ wide. This is a great variety for larger spaces.

Planting and Care

  • Planting: Plant arborvitae in well-drained soil and full sun. The hole should be no deeper than the root ball, but about twice as wide.
  • Watering: Water regularly, especially during dry periods, to ensure proper root establishment.
  • Pruning: There should not be a lot of pruning to do with Arborvitae. Sheer lightly to shape if desired and remove dead or damaged branches.
  • Fertilizing: Fertilize in early spring with a balanced fertilizer.

Common Pests and Diseases

Arborvitae are generally resistant to pests and diseases, but they can be susceptible to:

  • Bagworms: These pests form casings that almost look like pinecones hanging from the branches. If they go undetected they can defoliate plants.
  • Spider Mites: These tiny pests can cause yellowing and browning of foliage.
  • Root Rot: Poor drainage can lead to root rot.
  • Deer: Deer do enjoy browsing arborvitae. The Western Thuja varieties tend to be less palatable to them but given a winter with low food supply in the area the deer may find their way to T. plicata varieties.

By following these tips and addressing potential problems early on, you can enjoy the beauty and benefits of arborvitae in your landscape for years to come. Call us today for size options and pricing.