Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant' / Green Giant hybrid arborvitae
Thuja standishii×plicata'Green Giant' is a very fast growing selection of hybrid arborvitae. It forms a narrowly conical to pyramidal tree with sprays of rather open foliage, rich glossy green above, paler green below. Typical rate of growth in most areas is up to 5 feet (1.6 m) per year, resulting in a large tree 50 feet (15 m) tall by 5 feet (2 m) wide after 10 years in the landscape.
D.T. Poulsen nursery of Copenhagen, Denmark, selected and introduced this cultivar in the mid-1960s. It is marketed as a very effective tree for screening and is regarded as a hardier substitute for Leyland cypress (Cupressus × leylandii), particularly in North America!
Thuja plicata x standishii 'Green Giant' — a spacing illustration, on the grounds of The US National Arboretum, Washington, D.C., during the first week of May, 2006;
Photo by Dax Herbst
Thuja plicata x standishii 'Green Giant' —at the Gotelli Collection, US National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.
Photo by Dax Herbst
Comments
Richard van Iderstine
What is the life span? Thanks, Rich
Mary Mies
What is the life span. Thanks , Mary
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Mary, since this hybrid has been around only since the 1960s and the original plants are still with us, we can positively say 60 years. However, since the parent species are known to live for 3-400 years, so there's no reason to believe that the hybrid won't be long-lived as well.
William Haupt
Hi David,
I was wondering how far they need to planted from 30-40 foot deciduous trees to be able to do well? I would like an evergreen perimeter on my property while keeping as many deciduous as possible.
Maxwell Cohn
your best bet is to plant them 10 to 20 feet beyond the drip line of the trees already in place. That way, the Green Giants will be able to pass them without interference.
Jan Anderson
Can you give me some idea of how difficult it would be to keep 1-2 ft thuja green giant arborvitaes alive to be big enough to plant in a permanent location.
1. would it be better to pot them and keep them in a green house or plant them in the ground where they are going to stay.
2. are there tips or tricks to keeping them alive and growing fast? fertilizers etc
3. any idea how big these plants will actually be with about 2 years growth?
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Jan,
If your plants are in pots, and watered when needed, they'll do fine. Greenhouse is 100% not needed. How big are they now?
Slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote would help your cause. DO NOT PLANT IN MIRACLE GROW SOIL!!! Best to create your own planting medium from a combination of fine bark, pumice, and a little compost.
Once established, your plants may be up to 4.5 feet tall after 2 years.
Ray Crawford
Is the green giant suited for poorly drained clay soils?
Maxwell Cohn
Taxodium and Ch. tyoides are better suited, but 'Green Giant' would work ok. It would help your cause to build berms out of mineral-rich, well drained soil to keep roots from rotting.
JoAnn Polakoff
Is the Green Giant a deer resistant tree? Does it grow well in partial shade? How old is a 4-5 foot tree?
Are these trees expensive compared to other comparable trees?
Maxwell Cohn
Hi JoAnn
1. If deer are overpopulating your area, they will eat anything green. 'Green Giant' is no more or less deer-resistant than any other tree.
2. It doesn't grow well in part shade. It'll grow slower and less dense.
3. The American Conifer Society has no way of knowing how much one plant costs in comparison with others.
Michelle
Hello,
We just bought nine 6.08 gallon green giants from Lowes yesterday, 04/18/20. The recommended spacing on the tag is 15 feet, while other websites suggest planting as close as 5 feet. How close should we plant these trees? We want to create privacy from neighbors and block the view a bit. We don't want a solid hedge. How can the planting distance vary so much, as well as the height and diameter. Our tag shows 30 feet as mature height and 20 feet as mature width. Thanks for your input!
Maxwell Cohn
if you plant them 15 feet on center, the plants will be touching in about 15 years. Size on tag varies because a lot of people will shear and otherwise mess with the plants. It all comes down to the fact that these trees will grow at a steady rate for 50-300 years and will vary based on climate, care and soil chemistry. Growth rates will always vary pretty wildly and is by no means exact science.
Michelle
Thanks David! We decided 8 feet apart staggered in two rows 6 feet apart. Will that be okay? Thanks!
Maxwell Cohn
that'll give you a solid wall in 8 to 10 years.
Michelle
Thanks again, David! I appreciate your quick responses. :)
Raphael Rezende
Hi David. We bought a few of these from grower in South Carolina (Thuja Gardens) that guarantees his trees will not grow more than 25-30 ft and 8 ft wide. We managed to find Thujas green giants at a local home depot and are considering creating hedge on other section of property however the height and width varies significantly (up to 12 wide and 60 ft tall at maturity). How can one species vary so much? are the larger trees possibly hybrids of Leyland Cypress which we want to stay clear of?
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Raphael ... the reason for all of the different claims of mature height is a simple one. Growers and retailers are free to put whatever they please on plant tags. There are no laws or regulations for this.
That grower is SC is a brilliant example. His claim is spectacularly false. No tree will grow to a certain height then stop unless it's dead. These plants grow at a predictable rate for many decades if not centuries.
In the case of 'Green Giant' ... your plants will reach heights of 25-30 feet after 5 to 7 years ... then keep going: 50-60 feet after 10-15 years, then 100-120 feet after 20-30 years. Just do the math!
JoAnn Polakoff
What is the best conifer to plant for privacy in a semi shaded area. I need a fast growing tree, one that stays full at its base.
Rod
I bought a home recently in Northern VA where the owners planted Leyland Cypress trees all around the border of the property about 8 feet apart 20 years ago.... probably 75 of them in total and they got super tall but all of them are either dead or well on their way. Less than 25% of them remain and those left are dying from the bottom up. I've had several landscapers and an arborist come by and hey all say it's not disease, but just that they are terrible trees and will die like I'm seeing when they are planted too close. They are all recommending Green Giants to take the place of the Leyland's but this is a BIG expensive decision as you can imagine... any hesitation to Green Giants being a good solution as a fast growing privacy fence? The deep soil is poorly draining clay, but they have put very good rich topsoil all throughout the property and everything else is thriving. There are a good number of large deciduous trees as well, so some areas will get bright sun while others will be fairly shaded especially during summer until the Green Giants grow more. We are looking for 10-12 foot Green Giants to plant, and it'd going to cost about $75k for all the removal and replanting so I don't want to make a bad decision here! :-). Any help / suggestions is most appreciated.
Tom Stoner
are these suitable for zone 4?
Maxwell Cohn
probably not. Zone 5.
Vivian LaBarre
Hi I am in North Georgia and getting ready to plant 4 of the Thaja standishii x plicata. Georgia soil is hard and clay like. What amendments should I use in the area and what ratio of fertilizer. Part shade to afternoon and then full sun. Need for privacy and hopefully some noise control. I think they are beautiful. Any help you can give me I would greatly appreciate.
Maxwell Cohn
never fertilize a landscape unless a soil test indicates deficiency!! Remember this forever! If you're in impossible clay, you'll have to loosen up the ground and berm it up with porous substrate. Pit-run from a quarry works great. Conifers in nature often grow out of solid rock.
Diane
We bought and planted 5 arborvitae last June, one tree started to turn brown in April, now all five have brown areas on them, we live in Northern Michigan, all of our perennial gardens are fine, no pests or disease.. Can you diagnose what this could be? We removed half of the tree that started browning first. We worry we will have to replace them all.
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Diane, your question brings up many more questions.
Since you planted in early summer last year, did you keep up on irrigation for the remainder of the hot season? Fall is the time to plant trees, especially if they're already large.
Were your plants in pots? ... or B&B? How large were they? If B&B, did you cut the wires / strings holding the root balls together?
Did you expose the root flare before planting? The #1 cause of sudden conifer demise is planting them too deeply.
Lisa
I planted mine about 10 + years ago. About 5 years in they were very yellow, it lasted about 2 seasons, I thought they were dying.. they have fully recovered from that and are a healthy beautiful green. I absolutely love them and wish I had planted more. The bigger they get the prettier they are.
CharlieT
I have two offset rows of Green Giant arborvitaes, 9ft apart in all directions. They were slow to start, but now two years later seem to be taking off growing in all directions. However, all of a sudden I have one that is browning quite a bit and some that are browning from the inside of a branch working it's way towards the tips of the branch, here and there. I've checked for mites, insects, nothing. I use a rain gauge and would like to know, what is a good weekly inch rain fall amount of watering?
Should I let the soil dry out between watering?
What is a good liquid fertilizer to use, brand, combination X-X-X?
Thank you, Charlie.
Maxwell Cohn
never fertilize a landscape unless a soil test indicates deficiency!! Remember this forever!
If your getting an inch of rain weekly, additional irrigation is not necessary.
Did you plant too deeply? Can you see the root flare of each plant? If the root flare is buried, your plants will die within 5 to 15 years.
CharlieT
Thank you David for replying.
The trees were planted at same level as they were in the original large containers. Not deeper, not higher. The roots were given room as "Crocket's Victory Garden" used to say, "quarter hole for nickel plant".
I haven't had soil tested, pending.
I added a wood chips mulch and I can see the very small "runner type" roots spreading out under the layer of mulch. I started with 10 trees, all doing well, growing well. The one in question I noticed has vertical cracks in the main trunk, here and there. All others, no problems. Again, thank you for taking the time to help.
Maxwell Cohn
Charlie, saying that you planted them at the same level could still be a huge problem. I've seen root flares buryed inches too deep in the pot. B&B product is often worse. Unfortunately, we can't always count on nurseries to do this right.
Kingsley Barnes
I am having the same issue, have 5 green giants about 5 years old 2 of which are suddenly dying. I’m not exactly sure how to check the root flare? I’ve look and the trunk appears to widen right where the soil starts. Help!
Dave S.
Can I keep these potted forever to limit growth?
Maxwell Cohn
Forever is a very long time ... While I've never seen anybody apply bonsai techniques to 'Green Giant', I see know reason why it wouldn't work. Given how much of a robust grower this one is, you're going to need to root-prune and repot on a yearly basis, then be equally aggressive with pruning the top-growth.
Nate
You answered someone's question with the importance of not using Miracle Grow soil. Unfortunately, we planted several plants of native soil mixed with Miracle Grow potting soil. Do you think we should start over, or try to remedy our mistake somehow?
Maxwell Cohn
that's a hard one. The soluble salts that comprise the fertilizer part will have been washed away after a few waterings. The burned roots will probably recover. I would only recommend getting rid of the bad soil amendment part if it makes the soil mix exceptionally swampy. Most conifers need mineral-rich, fast-draining soil.
I use miracle-grow soil for potted annuals and heavy feeding aroids like Amorphallus konjac. That stuff is totally inappropriate for all woody plants.
Eli Morton
Are thuja standishii x plicatas susceptible to bagworms? We have serious problems with them in central Indiana.
Maxwell Cohn
yes; definitely!
Michelle.Anderson
Hello!
We are considering planting a hedge of Green Giants on one side of a to-be-planted orchard to help block pesticide/herbicide drift from neighboring property. We need to go just a single row and have read that planting 5 feet on center will generally work for our application. Is that accurate? Also, I am trying to determine just how wide I should expect Green Giants to get at maturity when they are grown as a hedge. I would prefer to not trim.
Much thanks!
-Michelle
Paul Bishop
We planted a row of the Green Giants in 2005. They are exposed to full sun most of the day. For the first 10 years we watered them with a drip hose. We stopped the drip watering after they go to over 20 feet. They are now roughly 40-45 foot tall. They do get quite wide at the base. They tolerate heavy wet snow with no issue!! We also stopped root feeding them at the 20 foot mark. They are still growing!! No brown spots. The base of the tree is full and they just dance with the wind. And more birds use they than I could possibly count.
Scott
I live in central California where the temps reach 100 degrees routinely in the summer (zone 9b). I have seen some websites that say the Thuja will do fine in zones 5-9. Others limit it to zones 5-8. I plan on making a hedge with these using drip irrigation. Will the dry heat of the summer be a problem for Thuja Green Giant?
John
They have to be watered regularly, and use a lot of water in that type of climate, but mine are growing fine in USDA Zone 9a (inland southern California). They tolerate 100-105 degree (F) occasionally, but not all the time in summer. I think they would not do well in consistent 100+ -110 summer weather. They don't like really hot and dry but tolerate it. Mine are 20 yrs old 30 ft tall 15 ft wide planted at 2 ft tall in 2001.
Jo Kelley
I would like to use the 'Green Giant' as a screen for property that we will be building a home on in about 2 years. Can I buy seedlings now & plant them in pots now to get a jump start on growth. We will be in USDA zone 7b. We will have 1.77 acres so I will need many plants. Hoping to avoid high expense by starting seedlings now. Ideas?
Maxwell Cohn
sure. Just make sure you use the proper-sized pot and appropriate growing medium for your plants. Miracle-gro products are fine for grass and petunias but completely inappropriate for conifers.
Pat aRice
I have 5 Thuja plicata going on 2nd year we are in a severe drought in Massachusetts; afraid to lose. They are ?6’ tall look great BUT browning leaves on lower branches, water ban can’t water help.
Maxwell Cohn
are you asking about Thuja plicata (western red-cedar) or Thuja × 'Green Giant' ??? Two different conifers with different requirements.
Ronald Schlak
WATER AT NIGHT ?
cultivate around them so any rain they do receive , soaks in
Lisa Bryant
Hi there, I am based in NZ and need about 300 green giants for a hedge/shelter around our 1 acre property. Unfortunately we only have one supplier in NZ who is not the most helpful or customer focused. Do you know if we wanted to import them who we could contact? We have done a lot of research on the best hedging/shelter for our area and these come up with top marks.
Maxwell Cohn
Hello Lisa, the American Conifer Society is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to conservation and education. We have no retail presence and definitely no capacity for shipping hedging material internationally.
Toby Drury
May I ask who is that supplier as I am wanting a few hundred as well - Southland.
thanks
Lisa Bryant
Hi Toby, Cedar Lodge Nurseries. Good luck! Let me know how you get on!
Jesse
In the picture you have showing spacing, do you know where that is and more importantly, what the spacing is?
I planted 2 rows 5 feet apart and 8 feet on center in each row. That's 6.5 foot diagonals. I'm looking for something that does one day grow together up to 25+ feet but doesn't kill the plants decades to come.
It is zone 5b and open to the wind so imagine these factors might slow height but would think one day they could still be 60 feet.
If so, even 15 feet at the base is pretty narrow.
Heck, even the 8 foot centers are a bit close at that point... let alone the 6.5 feet between diagonals.
I like the look of the spacing picture since that narrowness looks like and can see them grow together yet pretty high up at some point without completely overcrowding.
My plants have been in ground for a year but i could maybe move them. What would you suggest? Or should I just not spend effort and stress the root systems and leave them be?
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Jesse ... the photo caption says that the photo was taken in the National Arboretum in 2006.
Always be aware that woody plants like this never stop growing. Wanting a good screen after 10 years will likely look like a hot mess after 50 years, unless you do some thinning at some point. With this one, width will generally be 20% of height. Just do that math: if it grows 5 feet a year, it'll also get 1 foot wider every year.
Don Rollo
I live on a lake with a slight slope to the water,when digging we will hit water about 5 foot deep, will the Thuja 'Green Giant' survive here? It is mostly sandy soil.We just removed a Maple tree which had the roots on top of the ground. We are using the trees for a privacy wall .
Maxwell Cohn
no way of knowing ... you didn't say where on Earth your lake with a slope is.
Terri
Hi David,
We have sixty Green Giant Thujas in our yard. We planted them around three years ago. They've been doing well, but last summer ONE of them died. Now we are noticing that they are all "browning" but yet I can see new growth on them.
We had the soil tested and the result was as follows:
The pH value of this soil is moderately acid in reaction and is a satisfactory range. The low electrical conductivity reading indicates the levels of soluble salt are low.
The fertility analysis shows low nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium calcium and magnesium. The concentrations of all other nutrients are in satisfactory to high ranges.
The sodium and chloride levels are low and will not cause toxicity problems. The low ESP value indicates that the sodium that is present will not create a hazard to the soil structure.
As we discussed, the low fertility may be contributing to the possible stem blight on these trees and an application of the following fertilizer materials per 1000 sq ft is recommended:
Gypsum 25.0 lbs
6-24-24 Mixed Fertilizer 20.0 lbs
The above materials should be watered in thoroughly after being applied.
Should we wait until Spring or should we do this now so we don't lose any more trees?
Thank you.
Maxwell Cohn
for fertilizer to have any effect on plants, the plant needs to be actively growing. If that's the case with your plants, then by all means apply the product. If the plants are dormant, the fertilizer (and your money) will be washed away by rain. It's the nature of soluble salts.
Pat Morton
We planted arborvitae in late October, zone 7a. There were in 8 gal. pots and were about 4/5 feet tall. We planted according to directions. One of the trees started turning a brownish tan from the bottom shortly after planting. It kept getting brown/tan until all of it is now that color. The others on either side of it seem to be doing fine. Should I give up on this tree and replace it? Is there any particular fertilize we should use? When is the best time to apply it? Thank you, pat
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Pat, some bronzing in the winter is normal in Cupressaceae. If spring comes and the tree does not return to green, it's probably dead. Death in conifers can sometimes take up to three years.
Fertilizer: never fertilize anything in the landscape unless a professional soil test indicates a deficiency. Since you say that the majority of your install is healthy, that's probably not the case with this individual plant.
If you still wish to fertilize, doing so does absolutely nothing if the plant is dormant. It'll just wash away into the aquifers with snow and rain.
Pat Morton
Thank you, David. I will heed your advice about fertilizer. The tree I mentioned died and 3 others show some browning. I transplanted the three to another area and replaced them with much healthier trees. Should I remove the branches that are brown?
Maxwell Cohn
I always remove dead branches. I think they're unsightly and are a disease vector.
Lois Marascia
What is the difference between western red-cedar and Thuja × 'Green Giant'? I was sold trees about four years ago and was told they were western red-cedar. Now, someone is telling me they are Green Giants. How do I know which they are??
Maxwell Cohn
'Green Giant' grows much faster than straight plicata (hybrid vigor). Since the DNA in 'Green Giant' is 50% plicata, they are going to be otherwise very similar.
Jeff Scheidler
I planted 10 Green Giant Thujas back in September 2020. Some of them have some brown areas, but they all have some green on them. I haven't really noticed any new growth yet, but I'm not sure if mid April in NE Ohio is too early in the growing season to see much new growth yet (highs mainly in the 50s and low-mid 60s). What temperatures/time should I start to see some tangible growth?
Also - the soil I believe is likely a lot of clay. When I water, much of the water starts to run off, rather than soak in right away. Would you suggest that I remove the trees and plant with a plant mix, rather than the native soil? If so, suggestions on the proper 'dirt' to use?
Karen Tremblay
We planted 10 'Green Giant' arborvitaes and used some fertilizer spikes and now I read you shouldn't use fertilizer. Some of the trees now have some brown parts. Will using the fertilizer spikes kill them?
Maxwell Cohn
the fertilizer spikes probably won't kill them, they just won't do anything. If you planted 10-foot-tall 'Green Giants' in spring, that's probably what's stressing them.
Ronald Schlak
Jeff Scheidler ,,,Stick with your native soil
It will help to cultivate around your plants to keep the surface rough so water soaks in .
Mulch also helps to keep soil soft
Karen Milligan
David, I purchased 4 Thuja 'Green Giant' that came in the mail, day after Memorial Day, 2021. I followed the directions about the soil, depth of the hole, mulching after I watered them. We live in northern Wisconsin which usually stays temperate. This year, however, became hot right away. 95 degrees for over two weeks! My trees have a lot of brown on them and only the stem and a bit of the branch is at all green. How do I save them? I have watered faithfully early morning and sometimes at dusk. Help!
Maxwell Cohn
Hi Karen ... spring is the absolutely worst time to plant conifers! If you've been watering twice a day without checking if the soil is dry, you probably over-watered and drowned the root systems. If it's been that hot and humid, you've, in essence, poached them.
I think that the odds of them surviving are extremely low. Better to try again in the fall. Trees transplant best when daytime temps are in the 40s / 50s and nighttime temps in the 30s.
Amanda G
Hi David - I’m considering planting Green Giants to address privacy issues on my property. I live in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. My property is mature, native deciduous forest except for a 20’ lawn area adjacent to the house. Without any evergreens on the property, I have no privacy in winter. My neighbor’s house is on higher ground with second story windows overlooking my property. I’d like to introduce some Green Giants to create privacy, but the only sunny space is the lawn area immediately outside the windows of my own home. If I plant the Green Giants in the lawn area, I will create a green wall immediately outside my windows, blocking the view and blocking the southern light. Will the Green Giants grow planted in a mature deciduous woodland? If so, how can I optimize their growth? What would you recommend?
Maxwell Cohn
no need to "optimize" their growth. Green Giants grow extremely fast all on their own.
If by "mature deciduous woodland" you mean deep shade, they will grow very slowly, sparsely and show an equal amount of dead to living foliage. They need full sun to grow as intended.
Anthony Vaccariello
What is the preferred pH for Green Giants? I have 15 Green Giants that have a beautiful glossy lime-green foliage. One is dark green. What is the difference?
David Olszyk
HI Anthony. Google says the optimum PH for most conifers is 5.5 ... The difference between lime-green and dark-green is a few shades of deeper color saturation in the latter. This could be a result of a different cultivar being mixed up in your batch, or that it's gotten itself established quicker.
Betty Owenby
do the Thuja 'Green Giant' trees prefer cypress, cedar, hardwood, red oak or pine mulch?
Maxwell Cohn
they don't have a strong opinion about any of those ... best to go with what you prefer ...
Miriam
Would the Green Giant tolerate me pruning to encourage it to be a higher branching form? My lot is only 30’ wide.
Maxwell Cohn
I think that would be a study in frustration, as 'Green Giant' is one of the most aggressive, fastest growing trees found anywhere.
Suzanne
How do Thuja Green Giants hold up in hurricanes?
Maxwell Cohn
about as well as any tree ... generally thrashed and shredded.
Suzanne
Thanks. We live in Mississippi where I generally the pine trees snap and fall on your house and the oak trees are known to be turned over roots and all in the air. We would just wondering about planting the green giants within 30 ft of the house
Maxwell Cohn
since they'll quickly get 30 feet tall and often have roots that don't keep up with the top growth, odds are high that they would be good candidates to fall on your house.
Suzanne
Can we top the tree off at 15 or so feet without hurting the tree?
Maxwell Cohn
won't hurt the tree a bit ... if anything you'll tick it off and it'll respond by creating 100s of new weak spindly leaders ... it'll be a hot mess after a year or two.
Shelly
I am looking for a tree as a wind break in my pasture. Are these poisonous to cattle. Are they of the yew family? Thanks for your time.
Max Cohn
no ... they are in the cypress (Cupressaceae) family ... definitely not poisonous.
Ronald Schlak
Shelly are not poisonous nor yews
they make good windbreaks
I suggest cultivating around them for first couple years .
and they like lots of water
Shelly
Thanks!
Jeff Harvey
Green Giant is great.
Ronald Schlak
that's good jeff , thanks
Jesse Gregory
I’m wanting to start a small backyard nursery. After I purchase my seedlings I’m planning on potting them into 1 gallon pots and then going from there. My question is, will the green giants continue to grow if I transplant them every year all the way to 5 gallon pots in the greenhouse?
Jackie
Hi! We are getting ready to buy some
Thuja standishii × plicata. Of course the greenhouses are putting them out now but according to several posts I’m worried about planting them in Spring. I am buying them from our local nursery but some of them are already brown. We live in Northern Missouri. Please advise if it’s okay to plant and how? Thank you!
David Olszyk
Hi Jackie, if it were my time and money, I'd by the plants now, up-pot them if necessary, then wait until fall to plant. They would really appreciate a couple of seasons of cooler weather to put down roots.
Jessica V
Hello, I recently purchased 1-2foot thuja green giants and wish to create a dense privacy hedge on the side of my yard. What would be the recommended spacing for this? I am willing to maintain it from year to year. Thanks
Jeff
If you want them to be very dense very quickly plant about 6 feet apart, if you want them to be dense in a few years plant 10 feet apart. Depending on how much room you have it is sometimes better to pant two rows with them staggered so that wind will still circulate around them. They will grow fast.
Comments
What is the life span? Thanks, Rich
What is the life span. Thanks , Mary
Hi Mary, since this hybrid has been around only since the 1960s and the original plants are still with us, we can positively say 60 years. However, since the parent species are known to live for 3-400 years, so there's no reason to believe that the hybrid won't be long-lived as well.
Hi David,
I was wondering how far they need to planted from 30-40 foot deciduous trees to be able to do well? I would like an evergreen perimeter on my property while keeping as many deciduous as possible.
your best bet is to plant them 10 to 20 feet beyond the drip line of the trees already in place. That way, the Green Giants will be able to pass them without interference.
Can you give me some idea of how difficult it would be to keep 1-2 ft thuja green giant arborvitaes alive to be big enough to plant in a permanent location.
1. would it be better to pot them and keep them in a green house or plant them in the ground where they are going to stay.
2. are there tips or tricks to keeping them alive and growing fast? fertilizers etc
3. any idea how big these plants will actually be with about 2 years growth?
Hi Jan,
If your plants are in pots, and watered when needed, they'll do fine. Greenhouse is 100% not needed. How big are they now?
Slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote would help your cause. DO NOT PLANT IN MIRACLE GROW SOIL!!! Best to create your own planting medium from a combination of fine bark, pumice, and a little compost.
Once established, your plants may be up to 4.5 feet tall after 2 years.
Is the green giant suited for poorly drained clay soils?
Taxodium and Ch. tyoides are better suited, but 'Green Giant' would work ok. It would help your cause to build berms out of mineral-rich, well drained soil to keep roots from rotting.
Is the Green Giant a deer resistant tree? Does it grow well in partial shade? How old is a 4-5 foot tree?
Are these trees expensive compared to other comparable trees?
Hi JoAnn
1. If deer are overpopulating your area, they will eat anything green. 'Green Giant' is no more or less deer-resistant than any other tree.
2. It doesn't grow well in part shade. It'll grow slower and less dense.
3. The American Conifer Society has no way of knowing how much one plant costs in comparison with others.
Hello,
We just bought nine 6.08 gallon green giants from Lowes yesterday, 04/18/20. The recommended spacing on the tag is 15 feet, while other websites suggest planting as close as 5 feet. How close should we plant these trees? We want to create privacy from neighbors and block the view a bit. We don't want a solid hedge. How can the planting distance vary so much, as well as the height and diameter. Our tag shows 30 feet as mature height and 20 feet as mature width. Thanks for your input!
if you plant them 15 feet on center, the plants will be touching in about 15 years. Size on tag varies because a lot of people will shear and otherwise mess with the plants. It all comes down to the fact that these trees will grow at a steady rate for 50-300 years and will vary based on climate, care and soil chemistry. Growth rates will always vary pretty wildly and is by no means exact science.
Thanks David! We decided 8 feet apart staggered in two rows 6 feet apart. Will that be okay? Thanks!
that'll give you a solid wall in 8 to 10 years.
Thanks again, David! I appreciate your quick responses. :)
Hi David. We bought a few of these from grower in South Carolina (Thuja Gardens) that guarantees his trees will not grow more than 25-30 ft and 8 ft wide. We managed to find Thujas green giants at a local home depot and are considering creating hedge on other section of property however the height and width varies significantly (up to 12 wide and 60 ft tall at maturity). How can one species vary so much? are the larger trees possibly hybrids of Leyland Cypress which we want to stay clear of?
Hi Raphael ... the reason for all of the different claims of mature height is a simple one. Growers and retailers are free to put whatever they please on plant tags. There are no laws or regulations for this.
That grower is SC is a brilliant example. His claim is spectacularly false. No tree will grow to a certain height then stop unless it's dead. These plants grow at a predictable rate for many decades if not centuries.
In the case of 'Green Giant' ... your plants will reach heights of 25-30 feet after 5 to 7 years ... then keep going: 50-60 feet after 10-15 years, then 100-120 feet after 20-30 years. Just do the math!
What is the best conifer to plant for privacy in a semi shaded area. I need a fast growing tree, one that stays full at its base.
I bought a home recently in Northern VA where the owners planted Leyland Cypress trees all around the border of the property about 8 feet apart 20 years ago.... probably 75 of them in total and they got super tall but all of them are either dead or well on their way. Less than 25% of them remain and those left are dying from the bottom up. I've had several landscapers and an arborist come by and hey all say it's not disease, but just that they are terrible trees and will die like I'm seeing when they are planted too close. They are all recommending Green Giants to take the place of the Leyland's but this is a BIG expensive decision as you can imagine... any hesitation to Green Giants being a good solution as a fast growing privacy fence? The deep soil is poorly draining clay, but they have put very good rich topsoil all throughout the property and everything else is thriving. There are a good number of large deciduous trees as well, so some areas will get bright sun while others will be fairly shaded especially during summer until the Green Giants grow more. We are looking for 10-12 foot Green Giants to plant, and it'd going to cost about $75k for all the removal and replanting so I don't want to make a bad decision here! :-). Any help / suggestions is most appreciated.
are these suitable for zone 4?
probably not. Zone 5.
Hi I am in North Georgia and getting ready to plant 4 of the Thaja standishii x plicata. Georgia soil is hard and clay like. What amendments should I use in the area and what ratio of fertilizer. Part shade to afternoon and then full sun. Need for privacy and hopefully some noise control. I think they are beautiful. Any help you can give me I would greatly appreciate.
never fertilize a landscape unless a soil test indicates deficiency!! Remember this forever! If you're in impossible clay, you'll have to loosen up the ground and berm it up with porous substrate. Pit-run from a quarry works great. Conifers in nature often grow out of solid rock.
We bought and planted 5 arborvitae last June, one tree started to turn brown in April, now all five have brown areas on them, we live in Northern Michigan, all of our perennial gardens are fine, no pests or disease.. Can you diagnose what this could be? We removed half of the tree that started browning first. We worry we will have to replace them all.
Hi Diane, your question brings up many more questions.
Since you planted in early summer last year, did you keep up on irrigation for the remainder of the hot season? Fall is the time to plant trees, especially if they're already large.
Were your plants in pots? ... or B&B? How large were they? If B&B, did you cut the wires / strings holding the root balls together?
Did you expose the root flare before planting? The #1 cause of sudden conifer demise is planting them too deeply.
I planted mine about 10 + years ago. About 5 years in they were very yellow, it lasted about 2 seasons, I thought they were dying.. they have fully recovered from that and are a healthy beautiful green. I absolutely love them and wish I had planted more. The bigger they get the prettier they are.
I have two offset rows of Green Giant arborvitaes, 9ft apart in all directions. They were slow to start, but now two years later seem to be taking off growing in all directions. However, all of a sudden I have one that is browning quite a bit and some that are browning from the inside of a branch working it's way towards the tips of the branch, here and there. I've checked for mites, insects, nothing. I use a rain gauge and would like to know, what is a good weekly inch rain fall amount of watering?
Should I let the soil dry out between watering?
What is a good liquid fertilizer to use, brand, combination X-X-X?
Thank you, Charlie.
never fertilize a landscape unless a soil test indicates deficiency!! Remember this forever!
If your getting an inch of rain weekly, additional irrigation is not necessary.
Did you plant too deeply? Can you see the root flare of each plant? If the root flare is buried, your plants will die within 5 to 15 years.
Thank you David for replying.
The trees were planted at same level as they were in the original large containers. Not deeper, not higher. The roots were given room as "Crocket's Victory Garden" used to say, "quarter hole for nickel plant".
I haven't had soil tested, pending.
I added a wood chips mulch and I can see the very small "runner type" roots spreading out under the layer of mulch. I started with 10 trees, all doing well, growing well. The one in question I noticed has vertical cracks in the main trunk, here and there. All others, no problems. Again, thank you for taking the time to help.
Charlie, saying that you planted them at the same level could still be a huge problem. I've seen root flares buryed inches too deep in the pot. B&B product is often worse. Unfortunately, we can't always count on nurseries to do this right.
I am having the same issue, have 5 green giants about 5 years old 2 of which are suddenly dying. I’m not exactly sure how to check the root flare? I’ve look and the trunk appears to widen right where the soil starts. Help!
Can I keep these potted forever to limit growth?
Forever is a very long time ... While I've never seen anybody apply bonsai techniques to 'Green Giant', I see know reason why it wouldn't work. Given how much of a robust grower this one is, you're going to need to root-prune and repot on a yearly basis, then be equally aggressive with pruning the top-growth.
You answered someone's question with the importance of not using Miracle Grow soil. Unfortunately, we planted several plants of native soil mixed with Miracle Grow potting soil. Do you think we should start over, or try to remedy our mistake somehow?
that's a hard one. The soluble salts that comprise the fertilizer part will have been washed away after a few waterings. The burned roots will probably recover. I would only recommend getting rid of the bad soil amendment part if it makes the soil mix exceptionally swampy. Most conifers need mineral-rich, fast-draining soil.
I use miracle-grow soil for potted annuals and heavy feeding aroids like Amorphallus konjac. That stuff is totally inappropriate for all woody plants.
Are thuja standishii x plicatas susceptible to bagworms? We have serious problems with them in central Indiana.
yes; definitely!
Hello!
We are considering planting a hedge of Green Giants on one side of a to-be-planted orchard to help block pesticide/herbicide drift from neighboring property. We need to go just a single row and have read that planting 5 feet on center will generally work for our application. Is that accurate? Also, I am trying to determine just how wide I should expect Green Giants to get at maturity when they are grown as a hedge. I would prefer to not trim.
Much thanks!
-Michelle
We planted a row of the Green Giants in 2005. They are exposed to full sun most of the day. For the first 10 years we watered them with a drip hose. We stopped the drip watering after they go to over 20 feet. They are now roughly 40-45 foot tall. They do get quite wide at the base. They tolerate heavy wet snow with no issue!! We also stopped root feeding them at the 20 foot mark. They are still growing!! No brown spots. The base of the tree is full and they just dance with the wind. And more birds use they than I could possibly count.
I live in central California where the temps reach 100 degrees routinely in the summer (zone 9b). I have seen some websites that say the Thuja will do fine in zones 5-9. Others limit it to zones 5-8. I plan on making a hedge with these using drip irrigation. Will the dry heat of the summer be a problem for Thuja Green Giant?
They have to be watered regularly, and use a lot of water in that type of climate, but mine are growing fine in USDA Zone 9a (inland southern California). They tolerate 100-105 degree (F) occasionally, but not all the time in summer. I think they would not do well in consistent 100+ -110 summer weather. They don't like really hot and dry but tolerate it. Mine are 20 yrs old 30 ft tall 15 ft wide planted at 2 ft tall in 2001.
I would like to use the 'Green Giant' as a screen for property that we will be building a home on in about 2 years. Can I buy seedlings now & plant them in pots now to get a jump start on growth. We will be in USDA zone 7b. We will have 1.77 acres so I will need many plants. Hoping to avoid high expense by starting seedlings now. Ideas?
sure. Just make sure you use the proper-sized pot and appropriate growing medium for your plants. Miracle-gro products are fine for grass and petunias but completely inappropriate for conifers.
I have 5 Thuja plicata going on 2nd year we are in a severe drought in Massachusetts; afraid to lose. They are ?6’ tall look great BUT browning leaves on lower branches, water ban can’t water help.
are you asking about Thuja plicata (western red-cedar) or Thuja × 'Green Giant' ??? Two different conifers with different requirements.
WATER AT NIGHT ?
cultivate around them so any rain they do receive , soaks in
Hi there, I am based in NZ and need about 300 green giants for a hedge/shelter around our 1 acre property. Unfortunately we only have one supplier in NZ who is not the most helpful or customer focused. Do you know if we wanted to import them who we could contact? We have done a lot of research on the best hedging/shelter for our area and these come up with top marks.
Hello Lisa, the American Conifer Society is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to conservation and education. We have no retail presence and definitely no capacity for shipping hedging material internationally.
May I ask who is that supplier as I am wanting a few hundred as well - Southland.
thanks
Hi Toby, Cedar Lodge Nurseries. Good luck! Let me know how you get on!
In the picture you have showing spacing, do you know where that is and more importantly, what the spacing is?
I planted 2 rows 5 feet apart and 8 feet on center in each row. That's 6.5 foot diagonals. I'm looking for something that does one day grow together up to 25+ feet but doesn't kill the plants decades to come.
It is zone 5b and open to the wind so imagine these factors might slow height but would think one day they could still be 60 feet.
If so, even 15 feet at the base is pretty narrow.
Heck, even the 8 foot centers are a bit close at that point... let alone the 6.5 feet between diagonals.
I like the look of the spacing picture since that narrowness looks like and can see them grow together yet pretty high up at some point without completely overcrowding.
My plants have been in ground for a year but i could maybe move them. What would you suggest? Or should I just not spend effort and stress the root systems and leave them be?
Hi Jesse ... the photo caption says that the photo was taken in the National Arboretum in 2006.
Always be aware that woody plants like this never stop growing. Wanting a good screen after 10 years will likely look like a hot mess after 50 years, unless you do some thinning at some point. With this one, width will generally be 20% of height. Just do that math: if it grows 5 feet a year, it'll also get 1 foot wider every year.
I live on a lake with a slight slope to the water,when digging we will hit water about 5 foot deep, will the Thuja 'Green Giant' survive here? It is mostly sandy soil.We just removed a Maple tree which had the roots on top of the ground. We are using the trees for a privacy wall .
no way of knowing ... you didn't say where on Earth your lake with a slope is.
Hi David,
We have sixty Green Giant Thujas in our yard. We planted them around three years ago. They've been doing well, but last summer ONE of them died. Now we are noticing that they are all "browning" but yet I can see new growth on them.
We had the soil tested and the result was as follows:
The pH value of this soil is moderately acid in reaction and is a satisfactory range. The low electrical conductivity reading indicates the levels of soluble salt are low.
The fertility analysis shows low nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium calcium and magnesium. The concentrations of all other nutrients are in satisfactory to high ranges.
The sodium and chloride levels are low and will not cause toxicity problems. The low ESP value indicates that the sodium that is present will not create a hazard to the soil structure.
As we discussed, the low fertility may be contributing to the possible stem blight on these trees and an application of the following fertilizer materials per 1000 sq ft is recommended:
Gypsum 25.0 lbs
6-24-24 Mixed Fertilizer 20.0 lbs
The above materials should be watered in thoroughly after being applied.
Should we wait until Spring or should we do this now so we don't lose any more trees?
Thank you.
for fertilizer to have any effect on plants, the plant needs to be actively growing. If that's the case with your plants, then by all means apply the product. If the plants are dormant, the fertilizer (and your money) will be washed away by rain. It's the nature of soluble salts.
We planted arborvitae in late October, zone 7a. There were in 8 gal. pots and were about 4/5 feet tall. We planted according to directions. One of the trees started turning a brownish tan from the bottom shortly after planting. It kept getting brown/tan until all of it is now that color. The others on either side of it seem to be doing fine. Should I give up on this tree and replace it? Is there any particular fertilize we should use? When is the best time to apply it? Thank you, pat
Hi Pat, some bronzing in the winter is normal in Cupressaceae. If spring comes and the tree does not return to green, it's probably dead. Death in conifers can sometimes take up to three years.
Fertilizer: never fertilize anything in the landscape unless a professional soil test indicates a deficiency. Since you say that the majority of your install is healthy, that's probably not the case with this individual plant.
If you still wish to fertilize, doing so does absolutely nothing if the plant is dormant. It'll just wash away into the aquifers with snow and rain.
Thank you, David. I will heed your advice about fertilizer. The tree I mentioned died and 3 others show some browning. I transplanted the three to another area and replaced them with much healthier trees. Should I remove the branches that are brown?
I always remove dead branches. I think they're unsightly and are a disease vector.
What is the difference between western red-cedar and Thuja × 'Green Giant'? I was sold trees about four years ago and was told they were western red-cedar. Now, someone is telling me they are Green Giants. How do I know which they are??
'Green Giant' grows much faster than straight plicata (hybrid vigor). Since the DNA in 'Green Giant' is 50% plicata, they are going to be otherwise very similar.
I planted 10 Green Giant Thujas back in September 2020. Some of them have some brown areas, but they all have some green on them. I haven't really noticed any new growth yet, but I'm not sure if mid April in NE Ohio is too early in the growing season to see much new growth yet (highs mainly in the 50s and low-mid 60s). What temperatures/time should I start to see some tangible growth?
Also - the soil I believe is likely a lot of clay. When I water, much of the water starts to run off, rather than soak in right away. Would you suggest that I remove the trees and plant with a plant mix, rather than the native soil? If so, suggestions on the proper 'dirt' to use?
We planted 10 'Green Giant' arborvitaes and used some fertilizer spikes and now I read you shouldn't use fertilizer. Some of the trees now have some brown parts. Will using the fertilizer spikes kill them?
the fertilizer spikes probably won't kill them, they just won't do anything. If you planted 10-foot-tall 'Green Giants' in spring, that's probably what's stressing them.
Jeff Scheidler ,,,Stick with your native soil
It will help to cultivate around your plants to keep the surface rough so water soaks in .
Mulch also helps to keep soil soft
David, I purchased 4 Thuja 'Green Giant' that came in the mail, day after Memorial Day, 2021. I followed the directions about the soil, depth of the hole, mulching after I watered them. We live in northern Wisconsin which usually stays temperate. This year, however, became hot right away. 95 degrees for over two weeks! My trees have a lot of brown on them and only the stem and a bit of the branch is at all green. How do I save them? I have watered faithfully early morning and sometimes at dusk. Help!
Hi Karen ... spring is the absolutely worst time to plant conifers! If you've been watering twice a day without checking if the soil is dry, you probably over-watered and drowned the root systems. If it's been that hot and humid, you've, in essence, poached them.
I think that the odds of them surviving are extremely low. Better to try again in the fall. Trees transplant best when daytime temps are in the 40s / 50s and nighttime temps in the 30s.
Hi David - I’m considering planting Green Giants to address privacy issues on my property. I live in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. My property is mature, native deciduous forest except for a 20’ lawn area adjacent to the house. Without any evergreens on the property, I have no privacy in winter. My neighbor’s house is on higher ground with second story windows overlooking my property. I’d like to introduce some Green Giants to create privacy, but the only sunny space is the lawn area immediately outside the windows of my own home. If I plant the Green Giants in the lawn area, I will create a green wall immediately outside my windows, blocking the view and blocking the southern light. Will the Green Giants grow planted in a mature deciduous woodland? If so, how can I optimize their growth? What would you recommend?
no need to "optimize" their growth. Green Giants grow extremely fast all on their own.
If by "mature deciduous woodland" you mean deep shade, they will grow very slowly, sparsely and show an equal amount of dead to living foliage. They need full sun to grow as intended.
What is the preferred pH for Green Giants? I have 15 Green Giants that have a beautiful glossy lime-green foliage. One is dark green. What is the difference?
HI Anthony. Google says the optimum PH for most conifers is 5.5 ... The difference between lime-green and dark-green is a few shades of deeper color saturation in the latter. This could be a result of a different cultivar being mixed up in your batch, or that it's gotten itself established quicker.
do the Thuja 'Green Giant' trees prefer cypress, cedar, hardwood, red oak or pine mulch?
they don't have a strong opinion about any of those ... best to go with what you prefer ...
Would the Green Giant tolerate me pruning to encourage it to be a higher branching form? My lot is only 30’ wide.
I think that would be a study in frustration, as 'Green Giant' is one of the most aggressive, fastest growing trees found anywhere.
How do Thuja Green Giants hold up in hurricanes?
about as well as any tree ... generally thrashed and shredded.
Thanks. We live in Mississippi where I generally the pine trees snap and fall on your house and the oak trees are known to be turned over roots and all in the air. We would just wondering about planting the green giants within 30 ft of the house
since they'll quickly get 30 feet tall and often have roots that don't keep up with the top growth, odds are high that they would be good candidates to fall on your house.
Can we top the tree off at 15 or so feet without hurting the tree?
won't hurt the tree a bit ... if anything you'll tick it off and it'll respond by creating 100s of new weak spindly leaders ... it'll be a hot mess after a year or two.
I am looking for a tree as a wind break in my pasture. Are these poisonous to cattle. Are they of the yew family? Thanks for your time.
no ... they are in the cypress (Cupressaceae) family ... definitely not poisonous.
Shelly are not poisonous nor yews
they make good windbreaks
I suggest cultivating around them for first couple years .
and they like lots of water
Thanks!
Green Giant is great.
that's good jeff , thanks
I’m wanting to start a small backyard nursery. After I purchase my seedlings I’m planning on potting them into 1 gallon pots and then going from there. My question is, will the green giants continue to grow if I transplant them every year all the way to 5 gallon pots in the greenhouse?
Hi! We are getting ready to buy some
Thuja standishii × plicata. Of course the greenhouses are putting them out now but according to several posts I’m worried about planting them in Spring. I am buying them from our local nursery but some of them are already brown. We live in Northern Missouri. Please advise if it’s okay to plant and how? Thank you!
Hi Jackie, if it were my time and money, I'd by the plants now, up-pot them if necessary, then wait until fall to plant. They would really appreciate a couple of seasons of cooler weather to put down roots.
Hello, I recently purchased 1-2foot thuja green giants and wish to create a dense privacy hedge on the side of my yard. What would be the recommended spacing for this? I am willing to maintain it from year to year. Thanks
If you want them to be very dense very quickly plant about 6 feet apart, if you want them to be dense in a few years plant 10 feet apart. Depending on how much room you have it is sometimes better to pant two rows with them staggered so that wind will still circulate around them. They will grow fast.