Last updated on September 22nd, 2016
What do you do when you want privacy from neighbors and traffic, but you can’t afford a 10-foot brick wall? Why, you plant a green, living wall instead. And the quickest means to achieving enclosure is with Thuja ‘Green Giant.’ Here is my own experience with this remarkable, fast-growing conifer:
In the spring of 2005, I purchased by mail 60 Thuja Green Giants from Wayside Gardens. You can’t imagine my disappointment when the shipment arrived. Packed in narrow cardboard boxes were tiny, 12-inch-tall rooted cuttings in equally tiny 4-inch plastic pots. I planted the pathetic things along the sunny, and fully-exposed, 225-foot eastern border here. The shrubs were watered weekly that spring and summer, and fertilized just once with a balanced food. No supplemental food or water has been provided since.
The thujas produced little growth during their first two years. In their third spring, however, they added not one, not two, but three feet to their stature. And they have continued to produce such growth annually. Thus, a mere five years after planting, my “sticks” have achieved a height of 10 feet, with a 5-foot spread.
I can tell you that Green Giants perform their privacy roles here with stately elegance. Foliage is long, lacy, and medium green. The shrubs (or should I call them trees?) do exhibit a slight amount of browning during harsh winters. But they become fully green again when spring arrives. Mine laugh in the face of snow, ice, salt, and pests. Deer do not find them appetizing.
UPDATE! Pictured above is the Green Giant hedge, photographed on May 24, 2016. As you can see, the shrubs are enormous — probably 20 feet in height, and at least 10 feet wide.
And here’s a single Green Giant, also photographed on May 24, 2016, that I foolishly planted several years ago on the first terrace of my Serpentine Garden. Frankly, it’s too large for the space. But the shrub can be judiciously pruned. It can also be pruned judiciously.
If you need a graceful green background for your garden, one that provides complete privacy from prying eyes and noisy traffic, requires no coddling, is drought tolerant, and gives shelter to wintering birds, do consider planting a hedge of Thuja ‘Green Giant.’ I can’t think of a faster-growing shrub for zones 5-9.
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Eric says
Kevin, do you prefer Green Giants to hemlocks?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eric – I like GGs and Canadian hemlocks in equal measure. The advantage with GGs is that you can buy them cheaply as babies, and watch them mature in a five year period.
Hemlocks are painfully slow-growing. Mine were purchased as quite large specimens (two of them over 20 feet tall) because I didn't want to wait 30 years before they amounted to anything!
Robyn says
Kevin – You may not remember me, but I was at your house for a garden tour last summer. I well remember your green giant hedge. Hard to believe it was a row of “sticks” five years ago!
Randy J says
Kevin,
I have had good success with the Green Giant but I did plant 7 of them in Livingston just last summer and the deer totally attacked them just as soon as the weather got cold. I had to wrap them with deer netting the week before Christmas to prevent further damage. I still believe that the Green Giant is deer resistant as I have never seen them eaten elsewhere. I think the issue is that deer are very unpredictable and vary greatly from place to place in regard to their palate.
As a hedge I particularly like the Green Giant once they are large enough to shear, which I think enhances their lacy texture.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Randy J – The reports I've read indicate that deer may “sample” T. Green Giant, but after discovering its taste, they leave it alone. Hope your plantings recover.
hyda says
Hi,
I’m very interested in purchasing the thuja green giant as a privacy hedge for my nosey neighbors.. I do have one question.. Does this form a wall? As in can a person still successfully walk through the trees even when they are planted 5feet apart? Will I still need to put a fence up? Thank you for your assistance.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
hyda – My thujas have formed a definite wall. Although I planted them all in a row, for optimal screening you should plant yours 6 feet apart on the diagonal. The shrubs will fill in the space — and how. My shrubs, which grow in full sun, are enormous now!
Sally says
I am not an experienced gardener , but need to screen off future deveolpment next to us. Would these grow well in partial shade?
Thanks,
Sally
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sally – Thuja ‘Green Giant’ performs best in full sun.
Drew Vinca says
Kevin- I just purchased property in CT and don’t plan on building for another 5yrs. Power lines run along the bak of property and was thinking of using GG’s to block the view of the power lines (even though they are quite a ways away from the property) so that the trees mature nicely by the time i build. How would you recommend planting i.e. spacing? staggered vs straight line?
Thanks
Drew
Lawrdent says
I fell into the same situation as you did Kevin. I ordered over 100 to grow a nice privacy green privacy fence in my backyard because the suburb I live in only allows a 5 foot fence and I wanted my privacy. When the packages were delivered, my wife called me at work to laugh. They were TINY. 4 to 6 inches. This was in June 2013. I planted them with minimal prep. No fertilizer and we went on vacation soon after with my parents watering them as they laughed as well. One year into this, they all grew to about 12 to 14 inches by June of 2014. Then by Oct. 2014 (four months later), they were all in the 24 to 32 inch range before the winter came this year and buried in snow. My hope is that three years from the day I planted them, they would be over 6 feet. Then another two years, to be over 9 feet. So I hope that you are right that after two years, they just sprouted!!
I did not expect any growth the first two years since I read they had to get their roots established, but have to say that in a year in a half they have gone from 5 inches roughly to 28 inches. I have documented the growth so far with pics. Hope to be able to share some nice pics in a few years to see the growth and thickness of the GG.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Lawrdent – It’s been many years since I wrote this post. The Thuja GGs that I planted in 2005 are enormous beauties now. So glad that you thought to plant them, too.
Seth says
i want to plant green giants But have a power line above my siteapproximately 25 feet high. I was wondering if they can be topped successfully when they reach that height.
Bailey says
I am interested in planting these trees but I am curious to know if these will grow out of control width wise. We like the tall and skinny look, not so much the christmas tree look.
This: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/60/03/4e/60034e5772231ee1a6e52131b1ad095e.jpg
Not this: http://img2-1.timeinc.net/toh/i/g/10/yard/06-hedges/11-techny-arborvitae.jpg
Would you suggest these green giants or something eles?
Tron says
I’m looking for the opposite of Bailey” only need 8-10′ in height (taller is ok) but want them as wide as possible for a solid privacy hedge. Also plan to put them in partial shade (lightly wooded) so expect they may grow more sparse then those in open sun. So, how do we ensure that what we get looks like Bailey’s second “not this” pic?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Tron – I need to update this post with recent pictures of my Thuja Green Giants. But I can tell you they are now at least 15 feet tall, and at least 8 feet wide. So yes, they do develop considerable girth! The trees (shrubs) are planted in full sun. Not sure how yours will perform in partial shade.
lawrdent says
An update. 2.5 years later after my first one planted at 6 inches tall. It has now grown to 5 feet.
Nicole says
Hi Kevin, do you have any recent pictures of your ‘Green Giants’? I just picked some up and was curious how yours are doing.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Nicole – The shrubs are ENORMOUS. I’ll take a photo later this afternoon or tomorrow and post above.
Nicole says
Thanks Kevin! So they are living up to the ‘Giant’ part of the name! Trying to figure out spacing; sounds like they need plenty o’ room. Appreciate the update!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Okay, Nicole — Two more photos in the above article. Both shots were taken yesterday, May 24, 2016. Enjoy!
Nicole says
You are too cool, Kevin – thanks for the updated photos! They are just gorgeous; love that feathery look. Now I’m really excited! And the scent of the foliage is wonderful… my car smelled heavenly during transport 🙂
Saiorse says
Hello Kevin—I am new to your site. I feel relief looking at the photos of your GG trees. I purchased 14 of them, half are 3-4 feet tall and the other half are 5-6 feet tall. I am hoping they take off as I need a privacy screen as soon as possible. I planted them staggered to ensure full coverage. Two of them seemed to have died at the bottom and a portion of the middle, however, oddly enough the tops of the two appear to have new growth. I can see the “leader” inching up and its filled with healthy green leaves. My question to you is, do you think these 2 are still alive and should I keep them and see what happens? I hate to rip them out b/c there definitely is new growth but the bottom half looks quite bare and sickly. Any thoughts? All of the 14 receive some sunlight but by no means are in full sunlight at all times. I have not fertilized any of them. Do you think I should? I planted some in November 2016 and the rest this past May. If all goes well, how long before they grow to about 16 feet? Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Saiorse – My GGs are monster-size now, and I absolutely love them. To answer your question: Shrubs which have died at the bottom will, in time, die off at the top. I’d replace them. A friend of mine planted GGs in part sun, and although they grew, they never grew very well. Full sun, in my experience, is the key to success with these enduring creatures.
Doris says
I ordered GGs and they are about 5″ tall with roots of about 3″ long. I do not have a green house and it’s late September here in Arkansas, can I start these tiny things in pots and then plant in the ground come Spring? They would have to be brought into the house nightly during the winter so do I need a light bulb that would simulate the sun or can I put them out during the daytime for sun. I realize the temp difference between indoor and outdoors on porch might be to harsh on them. I’m really needing suggestions on how to start these trees. We probably have the month of October before the first freeze. We are in zone 7.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Doris — If Thuja ‘Green Giant’ can survive the frigid winters of zone 5-b, they should, by all rights, flourish in your mild zone 7 climate! I’d plant them outdoors, and right away, too. The roots need time to establish themselves before the ground freezes.
Doris says
Keven- We have a lot of clay so I was considering a mixture of potting soil and a good top soil. Would I need to mix in a little perlite?
Kimmer says
Kevin. Do you have any suggestions for a privacy planting like this that will do well in a shady area?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Doris – From what I’ve read, Thuja Green Giant can adapt to all kinds of soil types. Probably no need to amend your soil.
Hi Kimmer – I’ve no experience with privacy hedges in shady situations. Sorry ’bout that!
Maggie P. Swift says
Thuja in sun and shade; a warning about dogs.
Yes, you can grow Thuja in shade (and poor soil), though they won’t grow nearly as fast as in full sun. Keep your dogs away from them, however. Details:
Mature with sun: Many years ago (20?) I planted a line of five Thuja (from Wayside) along the west side of our house. At first they got little sun, shaded by the house but, once they grew taller they enjoyed much more light. My neighbor literally laughed at these tiny little plants that I was using to replace several scrub pine that for years had dropped needles all over my roof. Now, my Thuja are about 35 feet tall and up to 6 feet in radius at the base; I think they’ve pretty much stopped growing. They are bushy all the way to the ground, form an excellent privacy hedge, and stand up to snow and ice. My neighbor’s nearby Arborvitae are about 20-25 feet tall, leggy at the bottom so that I can see right into his backyard, and suffer terribly from the ice storms that hit our Zone 7 mid-Atlantic region some winters. I’ll note that our soil here is awful: though I can enrich the top few inches, further down it is all clay.
Sun vs. Shade: In a second location, just over 10 years ago, I planted another row of Thuja. One end of the row gets good sun, enough that I have a nice bed of daylilies on the south side. The sunniest Thuja is now about 22 feet tall and more than 5 feet in radius. The other end of this hedge is under a couple of old maple trees and gets just a bit of dappled low sun in the morning when the trees have leaves. Pachysandra and Hosta grow happily nearby. The shadiest Thuja is now a bit less than 10 feet tall. So, you can see that it has reached less than half the height of the one that gets nearly full sun. The full row, from shady to sunny, is bushy and healthy looking; the only difference is how big they are.
Now about dogs: Beautiful as they are, Thuja have nasty barbed needle-leaves. Several years ago, my spaniel developed a lump in her chest that required surgery ($2500 all in). The surgeon removed a 3 cm long piece of Thuja that was “pointed” outward, so that her body clearly was pushing it from inside of her to get it out. Our theory is that she may have swallowed it after pulling it out of her fur and that it escaped from her digestive system. Barbed plants and seeds (Foxtails! Never!), when inhaled, ingested, or embedded into dogs can get stuck and cause life-threatening infections. Search the internet for “mean seeds” for more (very scary) information. I know someone (who breeds hunting dogs) who had one dog die from this and another who recovered only after extensive surgery. My Thuja are now fenced off from my dogs and surrounded by safer plantings.
Jean says
Kevin- Did you ever prune/trim your trees to get them thick and dense? I planted mine three years ago at a height of four feet and today they are just about six feet tall, but very spindly.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Jean – I have never pruned my thujas. They are planted in full sun — the biggest requirement for fast, lush growth. Any chance your thujas are growing in part shade?
Lawrdent says
An update on thuji planted 4 years ago. It seems that in the beginning, the growth has been normal to any other Arb. I was told that you had to wait for the roots to be established before great results occur. Planted in 2013 around 6 inches tall. Today, the majority are around 7.5 feet. A few are at 9 feet. The last year and half they barely got any sunshine or water because I was building a new home and had no access to them and dirt mounds all around. This year they have really taken off. From June 6 to August 12 they have averaged 18 inches of growth. I will take another measurement in October to see if the growth rate stays par to that. I did not measure from early spring cause just slipped my mind. BUT, if this growth rate holds and have about 6 months of growing at this pace, with 9 inches a month, I will get the 4.5 feet a year growth as advertised.
The one complaint that I do have is that it does not fill out so fast. I am sure eventually I will have a wall of hedge, but have been already waiting awhile for this. The real question is this: Now that it seems these arbs are sprouting like they should, will they fill out just as fast. I have planted them a lot closer then was recommended and plan to trim them when the time comes, but want a THICK hedge. I tried to post pics on here but do not know how.
Phil says
Not sure what staggered or diagonal means or what the benefit would be vice in a stright line. Everything i read says plant them 5 ft apart. I can’t afford a brick wall so i bought 30 GG about 12 inches tall. I plan to plant them 5 ft apart in a straight row. Should I plant a second row in front of the first row to fill in the spaces ? I want to preserve as much of my yard space as possible so i would rather plant just one straight row. Do you recommend one row 5 ft apart and in time i will have my wall or should I plant the second row to fill in the spaces between the trees? Thank you.
Phil says
Should i plant closer than 5 ft to get a thicker more dense wall or stay at 5 ft and give it time?
Thank you.
Phil
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Phil – Planted in a straight row, my Thujas have formed a very dense hedge. Minimum spacing is 5 feet. The shrubs grow to enormous proportions when they are located in full sun.
Eric says
I have some two story buildings going up around my property. I want to plant green giants 5 feet apart for a privacy hedge, but I am concerned that they will get so tall they will blot out the sun for my neighbors. Some sites say these things get 60 feet tall. How tall do they really get when planted 5 feet apart? I want to block their view from 2 stories, not cause eternal darkness!
Marozia2020 says
Now I know what I’m going to replace our unwell hemlock with!
Eric years ago asked about your opinion re: hemlock vs. Green Giant. I’d like to chime in and say that the Green Giant is going to be a much better bet if you’ve got alkaline soil.
The aforementioned hemlock some prior owner planted is suffering terribly from iron chlorosis — telltale yellowing between the veins of the leaves/needles, too high a pH will inhibit a plant’s ability to access the iron in the soil — and it’s nearly impossible to amend soil enough to change its pH to the extent it will support a tree, and I ain’t gonna be out there on a ladder giving it foliar sprays of chelated iron like I do for the mock orange. I’m stubborn, but I’m also afraid of heights.
Said former owners should have taken samples of soil from 4-5 inches down and a few different places around the yard, mixed them up, and taken two cups or so of that down to the county Extension office for a free, thorough, and accurate soil test.
Come to think of it, like, half the homeowners in my town should have done that, then they’d have known not to plant all these poor sad chlorotic pin oaks everywhere :/
Jesse says
Can you post most recent pictures? I’m sure another few years added a lot of growth!
And what spacing did you go with? I planted two rows, 8 feet on center, 5 feet between rows and 6.5 feet diagonals. While I do want them to grow together at some point, I don’t want them to overcrowd and die. Do you think I have decent spacing?
zfwerth says
Can I prune a green giant so that it is broader at the top instead of conical?