thuja plant indoor or outdoor Green Giant Arborvitae Tree

The Fast-Growing Privacy Solution Your Yard Has Been Waiting For

Create a tall, green privacy screen fast with the Green Giant Arborvitae Tree-a vigorous evergreen that can add 3 to 5 feet per year under optimal growing conditions.

Designed for homeowners who are tired of waiting years for privacy, the green giant arborvitae helps quickly create natural screening, wind protection, and year-round structure without the constant pruning many hedges require. Whether you need to block a neighbor’s view, soften street noise, or build a living windbreak, Thuja Green Giant is one of the most reliable fast growing evergreen trees for large yards and open landscapes.

Why You’ll Love It

• Fast privacy growth – The Green Giant Arborvitae is known for its fast growth rate, adding 3 to 5 feet in height per year under optimal conditions.

• Year-round green coverage – Thuja Green Giant trees feature dense, soft, scale-like needles that maintain a vibrant, dark green color throughout winter.

• Naturally low maintenance – Once established, Green Giant Arborvitae is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, requiring little to no pruning and no fertilization after the first year.

• Deer-resistant screening – This cultivar is known for its dense, rich green foliage that darkens in winter and is resistant to deer browsing, making it a popular choice for hedges and privacy screens.

• Strong in tough weather – They have strong root systems and sturdy branches, allowing them to withstand heavy snow, ice, and high winds.

The result is a privacy hedge that fills in quickly, holds its color, and gives your yard a finished landscape look with less upkeep than most arborvitae, shrubs, or slower-growing trees.

What Makes It Different

Most privacy trees either grow slowly, need frequent trimming, or struggle with disease problems once planted in real-world growing conditions.

Green Giant Arborvitae provides:

• Hybrid vigor – The scientific name is Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’, a cross connected to Japanese arborvitae and western red cedar genetics. The genus name is Thuja, and the cultivar became widely known after introduction through the National Arboretum.

• Bigger, faster coverage – The Green Giant Arborvitae is a large, vigorous, fast-growing evergreen that can reach heights of 50 to 60 feet and spreads 12 to 20 feet wide.

• Dense from ground to top – Its soft foliage forms a thick green wall when planted with proper spacing, helping reduce the gaps that can appear in poorly sited hedges.

• A good alternative to common screens – Compared with Emerald Green, Green Giant grows much faster and reaches a much larger mature height and mature width. Compared with other popular hedge options like English Laurel or Fern Pine hedges, it is often the better choice where disease resistance, snow damage tolerance, and long-term structure matter.

• Tough once established – It prefers moist, well-drained soil during establishment, then becomes drought tolerant enough for many California landscapes with smart watering and mulch.

This is not a small-space plant. These are large trees at maturity, so they need enough space away from foundations, fences, lawns, power lines, and tight garden beds.

Tips For Success

1. Plant in the right light and space
   Green Giant Arborvitae prefers full sun but can tolerate partial shade, especially in hot climates where it thrives with some afternoon shade. To maintain dense, patch-free foliage, Thuja Green Giant trees require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight daily.

2. Water deeply while roots establish
   During the first year after planting, Green Giant Arborvitae requires regular watering to keep the soil evenly moist, needing about one inch of water every week to ten days until fully established. Young Thuja Green Giant trees focus energy on root growth during their first 1-2 years, resulting in slower visible top growth initially.

3. Let the natural screen fill in
   Once the roots are established, the green giant arborvitae grows rapidly upward and outward, creating natural privacy screens in as little as 2-3 years with proper care, sun, and spacing.

4. Protect the root zone
   A 2 to 3-inch layer of organic mulch around Thuja Green Giant trees helps retain moisture and regulate root temperature. Keep mulch pulled back from the bark and trunk to help prevent rot.

5. Trim only when needed
   Thuja Green Giant trees require little to no pruning, and if trimming is necessary, it should be done in late winter or early spring.

Tree Specifications

• Product type: Fast growing evergreen tree

• Common names: Green Giant, Green Giant Arborvitae, Thuja Green Giant, Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae

• Scientific name: Thuja standishii x plicata ‘Green Giant’

• Genus: Thuja

• Mature height: Mature Green Giant Arborvitae can reach heights of 50 to 60 feet

• Mature width / spread: Mature Green Giant Arborvitae can have a spread of 12 to 20 feet

• 10-year growth expectation: In 10 years, a well-cared-for Green Giant Arborvitae can exceed 50 feet in height and 5 feet in width

• Growth rate: 3 to 5 feet annually in ideal conditions

• Hardiness: Green Giant Arborvitae is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 5 to 7 and prefers full sun to partial shade, thriving in a variety of soil types including loamy, sandy, and clay soils

• California suitability: Often used in compatible California zones and microclimates, especially where irrigation, mulch, and light afternoon shade support summer growth, and often paired with resilient California natives such as California Pepper Trees or California Sycamores.

• Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade; best density with at least 6 hours of direct sun

• Soil preference: This tree does best in well-drained, loamy soil and can grow in a range of soil types, including sandy and clay soils, but should be protected from poorly drained conditions to avoid root rot

• Foliage: Dense, soft, scale-like needles with rich dark-green color

• Winter color: The rich, dark-green needles of Thuja Green Giant trees may experience light bronzing or a reddish-brown hue during cold winter months before reverting to vibrant green in late spring

• Water needs: Regular watering during establishment; moderate drought tolerance after roots are established

• Fertilizer: Minimal fertilization is required for Thuja Green Giant trees, with balanced, slow-release evergreen fertilizer recommended in early spring

• Pruning: Little to no pruning required; trim in late winter or early spring if shaping is needed

• Spacing: For a solid privacy hedge, space Thuja Green Giant trees 5 to 6 feet apart, or 8 to 10 feet apart for staggered rows or windbreaks

• Uses: These evergreens are used as privacy evergreen trees for living fences, windbreaks, and large ornamental specimens, and can complement versatile evergreens like the Fern Pine tree in layered landscapes

• Lifespan: 40+ years with proper care

Who It’s For

Ideal for:

• California homeowners who want fast privacy from neighbors, streets, or exposed property lines

• Property owners who need a windbreak around outdoor entertaining areas, patios, lawns, or garden spaces

• Landscapers building natural property boundaries for clients

• Homeowners who want a low maintenance evergreen hedge with fewer insect, deer, and disease problems

• Larger yards where the mature size of the plant can be used as a specimen or living wall, or where you want the instant impact of mature trees for sale from a full-service nursery near you

If you want a tall, dense, green privacy hedge without waiting decades, the Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae is a perfect choice for the right space.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast does it really grow?
The Green Giant Arborvitae is known for adding 3 to 5 feet per year in height under optimal growing conditions. Growth may look slower during the first 1-2 years because young Thuja Green Giant trees are putting energy into roots before pushing strong top growth.

Will it survive California drought conditions?
Once established, Green Giant Arborvitae is drought tolerant and low maintenance. During the first year, keep the soil evenly moist with about one inch of water every week to ten days. In hot California climates, mulch and light afternoon shade can help reduce drought stress.

How close can I plant them together?
For a solid privacy hedge, plant Thuja Green Giant trees 5 to 6 feet apart. For staggered rows, windbreaks, or a more open natural screen, space them 8 to 10 feet apart.

Do deer eat Green Giants?
Green Giant is considered deer resistant compared with many other arborvitae species. No evergreen is completely deer-proof, but this cultivar is resistant to deer browsing and is often chosen for landscapes where deer pressure is a concern.

What soil does it need?
Green Giant does best in well-drained, loamy soil, but it also grows in sandy and clay soils. Avoid poorly drained soils because soggy ground can lead to root rot.

Does it need pruning or fertilizer?
Thuja Green Giant trees require little to no pruning. If trimming is needed, prune in late winter or early spring. Minimal fertilization is required; use a balanced, slow-release evergreen fertilizer in early spring, especially during establishment.

What if my tree doesn’t thrive?
Yardwork supports your planting success with expert guidance and a satisfaction guarantee policy. If your tree struggles, contact us so we can help evaluate sun, soil, watering, roots, spacing, and site conditions.

Ready to Transform Your Landscape?

Stop settling for thin fences, slow-growing shrubs, or privacy screens that take too long to fill in when you could mix in seasonal interest with flowering trees suited to California yards or accent evergreens like California Pepper Trees for sale.

Choose Green Giant Arborvitae Tree from Yardwork and get a fast growing, low maintenance evergreen selected for strong growth, dense foliage, and long-term landscape performance. We offer expert selection, California delivery service, consultation support, and soil testing services to help you plant with confidence.