Emerald Green Arborvitae

Why Emerald Green Arborvitaes?

At just 3-4 feet wide at maturity, this narrow, columnar evergreen builds a dense privacy screen or hedge without taking up the yard space a wider tree would need. Its foliage grows in flat, vertical sprays that hold a shimmering emerald-green color through the year, and it keeps its tight pyramidal form naturally — no shaping required.

It's a strong choice for foundation plantings, narrow side yards, or any tight space where you want a living screen instead of a fence: plant these in a row and you get a tidy, uniform look that needs little more than removing an occasional dead branch. It's genuinely low-maintenance once established, too — the roots settle in within 1-3 years, after which the tree lives on rainfall alone, and it's adaptable enough to handle a range of soil types, with natural resistance to the pests and diseases that trouble less hardy evergreens.

One thing worth knowing if you're in a cold or windy climate: like most arborvitae, Emerald Green can take on a bronze or tan cast in harsh winters, especially on wind-exposed sites. It holds its color through winter better than most other arborvitae varieties, though, and a deep watering in late fall before the ground freezes goes a long way toward preventing it.

What is a Jumbo Emerald Green Arborvitae Tree?

Jumbo trees are the most mature plants offered at Trees.com. Thanks to their well-developed root systems and large 10- to 15-gallon container size, they deliver stronger drought resistance after estsablishment, better mineral absorption, and fuller growth than smaller sizes. They're the right choice if you want an established, private-feeling screen right away rather than waiting for a smaller tree to fill in — grown in limited quantities as a premium option for making an immediate impact in your yard.

Why Trees.com?

Your Emerald Green is grown in our nursery to a well-established root system before it ships, so it arrives ready to settle into your yard rather than needing time to recover from the move.

Every tree we ship is backed by our Alive & Thrive Guarantee™, and our Plant Experts are available if you have questions about spacing, winter care, or anything else as your hedge fills in.

Planting & Care

1. Planting: Emerald Green Thujas grow best in full sun, but they can withstand partial shade (afternoon sun is best in this case). And for best results, plant these trees six feet apart to enjoy their pyramid shape or four feet apart for a dense hedge.

When planting Emerald Green Thujas, dig a hole that is just as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. If the top of the root ball is lower than the surrounding soil, remove the tree and fill in part of the hole. Replace the tree and fill in the hole with the same soil you removed. You do not need to add anything to the soil. Mulch around the tree with shredded hardwood mulch. A layer three inches thick, extending three feet, around the tree is ideal.

2. Watering: Water your new tree weekly or twice weekly by holding a hose around it and counting to 20.

After the first month, water just once a week unless it is dry and hot (no rain and temperatures above 80 degrees). If it is hot and dry, water twice a week.

After the first six months, the trees will be established and subsist on rainfall alone.

3. Pruning: The Emerald Green Thuja grows well without pruning. In fact, this is one tree that needs no pruning, other than to remove dead branches. If you do decide to hedge this tree, make sure that when you trim, the bottom of the tree is wider than the top.

4. Fertilizing: Support growth by using an all-purpose evergreen tree and shrub fertilizer starting in the Spring.