Donna’s Plant of the Month – Arborvitae

— Written By Donna Teasley and last updated by
en Español / em Português
Español

El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.

Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.


Português

Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.

Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.


English

English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.

Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.

Collapse ▲

There are many arborvitaes to choose from but the trick is to pick the one that best fits your needs. They come in all shapes, sizes and colors but for this month’s plant of the month pick we are focusing on those arborvitaes that are planted to provide privacy.

Why are privacy plants necessary? They can block prevailing winds, noisy neighbors, busy streets and give overall privacy to a homeowner. But, size matters. Not all arborvitaes are suitable for every site. Your arborvitae choice should depend on the amount of space that is available.

The most popular is the Green Giant arborvitae. Growing up to 40 feet tall with a spread of up to 20 feet, this massive plant needs space – lots of space! Growing up to 5 feet per year it can quickly overtake a small landscape. Because of its disease resistance the Green Giant arborvitae was a welcome substitute for the Leyland Cypress at a time when the Leyland’s many pest issues was making it a less than suitable privacy hedge.

Then came the introduction of the Emerald Green arborvitae which was a great alternative to the Green Giant. With its fast growth habit and disease resistance its smaller size of 10-12 feet tall and a 4-5 foot spread make it a great choice for a smaller area. It is still plenty tall enough to provide a barrier but it won’t tower over everything.

The most recent introduction to the arborvitae family is the Virginian arborvitae. Its middle child status comes from its halfway mark in height and spread (14 feet tall with a 6 foot spread). This arborvitae shares the same pest resistance, fast growth rate and heat and cold tolerance as its older plant siblings

All three need a well-drained soil and full sun. With a tolerance to heavy clay soils any of the three are a plus for our area. All have a dense, dark green, feathery foliage with little or no pruning needed.

If you are needing a tall hedge or screen planting for your landscape give one of these arborvitaes your consideration. None of them will disappoint.

green giant arborvitae in a row

Green Giant

row of emerald arborvitae

Emerald

one virginian arborvitae in a lawn

Virginian