Garden Guide · Privacy
Planting an Arborvitae Privacy Hedge
Short answer: for a tall, fast screen plant Green Giant arborvitae about 5–6 feet apart; for a narrow hedge along a fence or walk plant Emerald Green arborvitae 2–3 feet apart. Both are hardy in the Capital District (zone 5).
Green Giant vs. Emerald Green
| Green Giant | Emerald Green | |
|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Thuja plicata ‘Green Giant’ | Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’ |
| Mature size | Very tall (30 ft and up) and 12–20 ft wide | About 12–15 ft tall, 3–4 ft wide |
| Growth | Fast — often 2–3 ft a year once established | Slow to moderate |
| Spacing for a hedge | 5–6 ft apart | 2–3 ft apart |
| Best for | Big, fast screens and windbreaks | Narrow spaces, along fences and foundations |
| Deer | Less bothered by deer | Deer browse it in winter — protect it where deer are heavy |
How to plant them
- Mark the line and space plants from center to center. Leave room from fences and walks — Green Giants get wide.
- Dig wide, not deep: about twice as wide as the root ball and no deeper. Set the top of the root ball level with the ground.
- Backfill and water in slowly until the soil is soaked, then add 2–3 inches of mulch, kept off the trunk.
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first season, and again in late fall before the ground freezes. Evergreens lose water all winter.
Full step-by-step planting and watering instructions are in our garden guides — our one-year guarantee on hardy trees and shrubs depends on them.
Sizes at Troy’s
We carry arborvitae from container sizes up to large balled-and-burlapped trees for an instant screen. See current sizes and prices on the Green Giant and Emerald Green pages, and ask about delivery for big orders.