Photo of Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald' by The Kinsey Family Farm

Photo by The Kinsey Family Farm

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Buy Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald'

Scientific Name: Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'

Also Known As

  • American Arborvitae
  • Emerald Green Arborvitae

Plant type

tree, conifer

size

  • H: 12'-14'
  • W: 3'-4'

planting zones

  • 3a-8b

3 gallon | $37.45

Avail in US except West Coast, HI/AK

Fewer than 2 at Maples N More Nursery

1 gallon | $21.4

Avail in US except West Coast, HI/AK

Fewer than 10 at Maples N More Nursery

More Options

Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald' plant details

Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald' is a fast-growing evergreen conifer tree with green foliage. Features glaucous texture. Attracts birds. Grows well with sun - mostly sun and even moisture - regular water. Does well in average, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something pollution tolerant and verticillium wilt resistant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald'

Plant type: conifer tree
Plant family: cupressaceae
Foliage: evergreen green
Mature size: 3 FT - 4 FT - wide, 12 FT - 14 FT - tall
Uses: hedge, topiary, winter interest, year round interest

GROWING CONDITIONS for Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald'

USDA Zones: 3a - 8b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly sun
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: pollution and verticillium wilt
Soil needs: average, rich and well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Emerald Green arborvitae is a pyramidal evergreen with dense emerald green foliage that holds its color throughout winter. Great for borders, privacy screens or containers.
Emerald Green Arborvitae is a slow-growing evergreen conifer that naturally grows into a tall, narrow columnar shape. It makes an excellent hedge due to its small footprint, lovely color, and low care needs. It is also very cold-hardy, making it suitable to grow in most parts of the USA.
For dense evergreen hedge that holds its rich colors and sturdy form throughout the seasons, the Emerald green arborvitae is an excellent choice. A highly adaptable Thuja, it also thrives in the hotter and more humid climates of the U.S. South, making it a consistently popular hedge in that region. There are a number of immediate benefits to choosing the Emerald green arborvitae for your next hedge: Keeps its deep emerald color through the winter Tolerates dry spells once it is established An especially great shrub for taller hedges or screens Ideal for small yards and other tight areas With a narrow pyramidal habit, the Emerald green arborvitae has a great natural shape and also responds well to regular pruning. The tree’s disease resistance and general resilience make it a popular low-maintenance hedge. The Emerald green arborvitae performs well in a variety of soil and weather conditions, including snow and ice. Even the coldest of winters, the tree maintains its shape and color. Its rich foliage and attractive narrow form make the tree an excellent choice to plant in a row for a formal screen. This arborvitae prefers loamy, well-drained soil with consistent moisture. The common name of arborvitae, or “tree of life”, comes from the early settlers in North America who learned from Native Americans that the tree’s foliage, sap, bark and twigs had medicinal properties.

By: Instant Hedge

Emerald Green is a very narrow variety of Arborvitae which is very popular for hedges and screens, as well as bordering buildings or landscape features. Emerald Green naturally forms what appears to be a well manicured shape without any trimming or pruning, which makes it one of the lowest maintenance garden plants we grow. Under most conditions, the plants will grow to about eight feet tall and about two feet in diameter. For a solid hedge the plants should be spaced about two or three feet apart, although they can look just as good spaced six feet apart to create an open hedge.Plants will size up fairly quickly from a gallon container, which is our favorite size to plant. One gallon plants tend to be large enough to establish quickly but small enough to avoid the shock associated with planting larger sizes.Shipping Season Container plants ship in all seasons with possible delays during extreme heat or cold.
Emerald green arborvitae is known for its rich green foliage and its narrow, uniform habit. The green color is held nicely throughout the winter. A very useful and nice hedging plant. Emerald green is also commonly used to form different topiary shapes, spirals, tiers and animals. Growth Rate fast
An evergreen for narrow spaces, 'Emerald' arborvitae features an upright, pyramidal form with deep green needles. Plant 'Emerald' arborvitae in rows for a stately, formal screen. Low maintenance, can tolerate pruning for best shape. Due to the narrow width is a great choice for large containers.
This Dutch selection is the standard by which others are measured. Excellent dark green foliage on this narrow conical shrub. 8' in ten years. Eventually 10-15' tall by 3-4' wide. Awards: Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Recommended by: Ohio Plant Selection Committee, the United States National Arboretum

By: Fantastic Plants

In Denmark this cultivar is known as 'Smaragd' and in France as 'Emeraude'. It is similar to the well known 'Pyramidalis' but is a brighter green which holds through winter. It is also slightly wider in growth and finer textured. Excellent for hedging.

By: Greer Gardens Inc.

Gardening facts about Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald' plant

How to Grow Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald'

  • Sun Exposure

    • sun - mostly sun
  • Water Needs

    • even moisture - regular
  • Soil Needs

    • average
    • well-drained
    • rich
  • Special Situation

    • pollution tolerant
    • verticillium wilt resistant

Features

  • Foliage Color

    • green
  • Wildlife

    • birds
  • Foliage Season

    • evergreen
  • Texture

    • glaucous
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