Emerald Green Arborvitae - Thuja Emerald Green

The Perfect Privacy Tree for Smaller Yards

Emerald Green Arborvitae gives you a dense, year-round privacy screen without taking over your yard. This narrow evergreen grows tall enough to block views, soften a privacy fence, and define a landscape, while staying slim enough to fit perfectly in side yards, garden borders, entryways, and other tight areas.

Also known as Emerald Arborvitae, green arborvitae, emerald green thujas, and Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’, this tree typically reaches 10-15 feet tall and only 3-4 feet wide at maturity. Its compact, pyramidal shape makes it a perfect choice when you want evergreen trees that feel structured, clean, and manageable.

The foliage is dense, soft, and emerald green, helping the tree stay green through winter and deliver year round beauty. If you want to plant Emerald Green Arborvitae for a formal arborvitae hedge, a living wall, or a low maintenance screen, this slow growing evergreen offers reliable coverage in a small footprint, similar to other evergreen trees for year-round privacy.

Why You’ll Love Emerald Green Arborvitae

• Year-Round Privacy – Dense evergreen foliage provides constant screening from neighbors, streets, fences, and open views.

• Low Maintenance – Emerald Green Arborvitae is low-maintenance and disease-resistant, requiring minimal care while providing a dense, attractive screen for privacy.

• Cold Hardy – This variety of arborvitae is cold-hardy and can thrive in USDA zones 3 through 8, making it suitable for a wide range of climates.

• Compact Growth – Its narrow upright form will not take over your yard like larger varieties, making it ideal for small plants, tight gardens, and compact landscapes.

• Deer Resistant Qualities – Emerald Green Arborvitae is often described as deer resistant, but no arborvitae is deer-proof; protect young trees in high-deer areas, especially during winter.

Emerald Green Arborvitae thrives in well-drained soil with a neutral to alkaline pH level and requires full sun or partial shade, ideally receiving at least 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily. With the right soil conditions, mulch, and consistent watering during the first year, your new tree can establish strong roots and develop into one of the thickest evergreens for privacy in a smaller yard.

What Makes It Different

Most privacy trees either grow too large, need heavy pruning, or lose their rich color in winter. Fast growers like Green Giant or Fern Pine trees for privacy screens can be excellent in large spaces, but they may become too tall and wide for narrow yards, patios, walkways, or other tight areas.

Emerald Green Arborvitae is built differently:

• Maintains Rich Color – Its emerald green foliage is known to stay green year round, helping your hedge maintain its shape and color throughout the year.

• Perfect Size Control – Emerald Green Arborvitae is known for its narrow, pyramidal shape, making it an excellent choice for creating formal privacy hedges that maintain their shape and color throughout the year.

• Superior Root System – Yardwork’s container-grown trees arrive with an established root ball, giving the root zone a stronger start than bare-root plants and helping the plant settle into its current location faster.

The result is a clean, upright emerald arborvitae that looks polished without constant shaping. It is slow growing compared with very fast screening trees, but that controlled growth is exactly why it works so well near a privacy fence, along property lines, and beside access paths where larger shrubs or trees would crowd the space.

How to Plant Successfully

1. Choose Your Location
   Select well drained soil with full sun or partial shade. These trees thrive in well-drained soil and prefer full sun to partial shade, requiring at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth. Avoid standing water, compacted clay, and low spots where root rot can develop.

2. Set the Root Ball Correctly
   Dig a hole wide enough for the root ball, place the new tree so the top of the root ball sits level with the surrounding soil, and backfill gently. Emerald Green Arborvitae thrives in consistently moist but well-draining soil with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0.

3. Space for the Result You Want
   For a privacy screen, Emerald Green Arborvitae should be spaced about 2.5 to 3 feet apart. Emerald Green Arborvitae should be planted at least 3 to 4 feet apart to allow for good air circulation and root growth, especially when used as a privacy hedge. For a denser privacy screen, Emerald Green Arborvitae can be planted 24 to 36 inches apart in a staggered double row configuration.

4. Water and Mulch
   During the first year after planting, Emerald Green Arborvitae needs consistent watering, approximately twice a week, to establish well, and should not be allowed to dry out completely. Mulching around the base of Emerald Green Arborvitae helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature, which is beneficial for their overall health. Apply mulch about two inches deep while keeping it away from direct contact with the trunk.

Keep the root zone evenly moist, especially through summer heat, afternoon sun, and dry fall weather. Once established, Emerald Green Arborvitae can be moderately drought resistant, but it performs best when the soil stays consistently moist rather than dry or waterlogged.

Plant Details

• Scientific Name: Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’

• Common Names: Emerald Green Arborvitae, Emerald Arborvitae, green arborvitae

• Mature Size: 10-15 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide

• Growth Rate: 6-9 inches per year once established

• Hardiness Zones: USDA hardiness zones 3-8

• Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade; at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Soil Requirements: Well drained soil; consistently moist soil with pH between 6.0 and 8.0

• Shape: Narrow, upright, pyramidal evergreen

• Best Uses: Emerald green arborvitae hedge, privacy screen, formal hedge, entryway pair, side-yard planting

• Available Sizes at Yardwork: 1-2 feet, 2-3 feet, 3-4 feet containers

• Delivery Options: Free shipping in California on orders over $600

Applying a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring can promote healthy growth for Emerald Green Arborvitae, although they typically require minimal fertilization. Pruning should be conducted in late winter or early spring and only current-season growth should be trimmed. Avoid cutting into bare branches, because arborvitae generally does not fill back in well from old wood.

Common pests that affect Emerald Green Arborvitae include bagworms, spider mites, and aphids, which can damage the foliage and overall health of the plant. To manage pests like bagworms, it is recommended to handpick the egg bags and destroy them before the insects hatch, or use organic pesticides like neem oil for severe infestations. Emerald Green Arborvitae can suffer from diseases such as needle and twig blight, which is caused by fungi and can be exacerbated by poor air circulation.

Who It’s For

Emerald Green Arborvitae is ideal for homeowners who want privacy, structure, and year round green color without planting oversized trees. For instant impact, some homeowners also consider mature trees for immediate privacy and curb appeal. It works especially well where a Green Giant would grow too large or where a standard fence needs softening with living foliage.

Ideal for:

• Shoppers exploring other privacy trees and fast-growing evergreens to complement an Emerald Green Arborvitae hedge

• Homeowners with smaller yards needing privacy solutions who want help from a full-service plant nursery and landscaping team

• California residents looking for drought-tolerant privacy screening once trees are established and interested in adding flowering trees for seasonal color

• Property owners wanting low-maintenance evergreen hedges and perhaps a few citrus fruit trees for productive landscapes

• Gardeners in cold climates needing winter-hardy privacy trees, and those in milder areas who might also enjoy a California Pepper Tree and other landscape trees

If you want an arborvitae hedge that is tall, dense, hardy, and narrow, Emerald Green Arborvitae fits your needs. It is also a strong choice for formal gardens, driveway borders, foundation accents, and landscape designs that need evergreen structure without quite a bit of pruning, especially when combined with other trees like Carrotwood for structure and shade or Toyon for berries and habitat value.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does Emerald Green Arborvitae grow?
Emerald Green Arborvitae grow at a moderate pace, typically about 6-9 inches per year once established. Young trees may grow faster in ideal soil, sun, and watering conditions, but this is not a grow fast variety like Green Giant. Its slower pace helps it maintain a compact shape.

How far apart should I plant them?
For a privacy screen, Emerald Green Arborvitae should be spaced about 2.5 to 3 feet apart. For better air circulation and root growth, especially in a long privacy hedge, spacing at least 3 to 4 feet apart is recommended. For a denser privacy screen, Emerald Green Arborvitae can be planted 24 to 36 inches apart in a staggered double row configuration.

Do they need special winter care?
Emerald Green Arborvitae is cold hardy and suitable for growing zones 3 through 8. In areas with heavy snow, winter wind, or reflected sun, water well before the ground freezes and gently remove heavy snow from branches when needed. Avoid late-season pruning that encourages tender new growth before winter.

When is the best time to plant?
Fall and early spring are the best times to plant Emerald Green Arborvitae. Fall planting gives roots time to establish before summer heat, while spring planting works well when soil is workable and temperatures are mild. Avoid planting during extreme heat whenever possible.

What if they don’t establish well?
Yardwork can help with plant selection, soil testing, and expert consultations so your trees are matched to your site before planting. For best results, choose well drained soil, water consistently during the first year, mulch the root zone, and monitor for common pests such as bagworms, spider mites, and aphids.

Ready to Create Your Privacy Screen?

Stop settling for an exposed yard or a bare privacy fence. Choose Emerald Green Arborvitae for a dense, emerald green screen that brings structure, privacy, and year round beauty to your landscape.

Yardwork makes it easier to select the right size, understand your soil conditions, and plant with confidence. Our team can help with soil testing, consultations, and plant selection so your emerald green arborvitae hedge has the best possible start.

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Free shipping in California on orders over $600. Expert advice, healthy container-grown trees, and Yardwork plant support included.