Arborvitae in the Home Garden

Arborvitae is a very nice plant for the home landscape. Also called Thuja occidentalis, arborvitae is an extremely versatile evergreen tree in the landscape. It can be used as a foundation planting, privacy screen, or even as a windbreak. These columnar evergreens tend to evoke a formal mood in the garden. There are cultivars that range from 2 feet in height all the way up to 40 feet tall, so if you decide to add it into your garden make sure you choose the right place for the height and spread of the cultivar. (The forty foot variety wouldn't do well next to your house!) If you plant it as a privacy screen keep the spread of the trees in mind as a thick privacy screen will need to be planted close together.

This weekend I planted five 'Emerald Green' arborvitae in pots to serve as a backdrop for my brother-in-law's wedding. 'Emerald Green' Arborvitae grows to 15 feet tall and spreads out to about 4 feet wide but these particular trees were about four feet tall. Their potted homes are only temporary and after the wedding the trees will be planted into the landscape to serve either as a privacy screen or as a foundation planting. The pots also added a little bit of extra height for the background.

The exact location for the ceremony had yet to be determined (there is an issue with the location of the sun at 7:00 PM) on Saturday but since the potted arborvitae are somewhat mobile that doesn't matter. They can go wherever we take them...well, almost!


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