Thuja plicata 'Emerald Giant'

Thuja plicata ‘Emerald Giant’ is recommended to customers desiring a great privacy tree. Emerald Giants are fast-growing, evergreen, cold hardy, wind-resistant, adaptable to almost all soils, and most important attain the optimal size for privacy screening. Emerald Giants are the optimal privacy screening tree for climate zones 5 and warmer.

The Emerald Giant presents like a hybrid between the Thuja occidental ‘Emerald Green’ and the Thuja plicata ‘Green Giant’ using only the best characteristics of the two species.

The Emerald Giants really work well for privacy screening. They are not too large and still have an outstanding growth rate with thick privacy. Emerald Giants grow to 18’+ tall and 6’-8’ wide with a fast growth rate.

Many customers think they want the tall and lush privacy of the Green Giants but the large footprint makes it prohibitive. Green Giant can get 12-15’ wide and 30-40 tall. They have a fast growth rate but the large size at the base makes them hard to incorporate in most landscapes. Optimal for estate size lots with room to accommodate spread.

A common option is the Emerald Green. They are beautiful as an accent plant but they can look small and not attain the desired heights if using for a privacy screen. Emerald Greens mature at 8-12’ tall and 3-4’ wide with a moderate growth rate.

The plicata species (Emerald Giant and Green Giants) grow much faster than the occidental species. Both of these species are native to North America.