Everything You Need To Know about Emerald Green Arborvitae Trees

Written by Brenda Woods Updated 11/13/2024

Brenda Woods

Brenda Woods is an accomplished writer and managing editor with more than two decades of publishing experience. She has spent over 10 years covering home services and home improvement projects. Brenda supports her team in evaluating dozens of home service providers, surveying and speaking to hom…

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Emerald Green arborvitae trees are glossy-green evergreens that are highly versatile and require little maintenance. Whether you’re looking for an elegant accent for your lawn, a stylish foundation plant, or a robust privacy hedge, the adaptable Emerald Green arborvitae is the answer. These trees grow quickly and, once established, maintain their shape and color year-round. Even better—they can tolerate drought and resist insects and disease. Whether you want a single tree or a full stand, we’ll break down everything you need to know to grow your own Emerald Green arborvitae.

Emerald Green Arborvitae at a Glance

• Low-maintenance
• Good for accents, privacy hedges, and foundation plants
• Green year-round
• Resistant to extreme temperatures, insects, and disease
• Good size and width for smaller yards and narrower spaces

Appearance

Emerald Green or “Smaragd” arborvitae trees, which are specific cultivars of the Thuja occidentalis tree, grow in a narrow pyramid shape, eventually to 10–15 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide. Their size makes them ideal foundation plants and natural privacy screens in smaller yards and narrow spaces. These trees can grow up to 1–2 feet per year until established and then grow 6–9 inches per year.

The Emerald Green arborvitae tree’s dense green, scale-shaped foliage is colorful year-round and fans out in feather-like sprays. This thick foliage makes for an ideal hedge or natural privacy screen around a garden or yard.

Emerald Green Arborvitae Specifications

Ideal Hardiness Zones

USDA Hardiness Zones indicate the best regions to plant various species, with 11 total regions describing horizontal bands of climate zones across the U.S. Emerald Green arborvitae does well in Zones 2–8, performing better in cold regions than some other evergreens. The only regions where it struggles are the West Coast, the deep South, and Florida.

Planting

The best time to plant an Emerald Green arborvitae is in fall, when the tree will face minimal heat stress and not struggle to grow. Ideally, choose a location where the tree will receive full sunlight—or partial shade if necessary. Follow these steps to plant your new tree.

1. Remove any weeds, turfgrass, and debris from the area.
2. Loosen the soil with a spade. Dig a hole that is about twice the width of the root ball but no deeper than the root ball’s height.
3. Take the sapling out of its container and tease the roots apart gently, then set it in the hole. The top of the root ball should be slightly higher than the soil surrounding it.
4. Backfill the hole carefully—if the soil is too tight, the roots may suffocate.
5. Set down a 2–3 inch layer of mulch or compost to retain soil moisture.

Water your newly-planted Emerald Green arborvitae tree twice a week until it is established. After that, it will need roughly 1/2–1 inch of water per week.

Placement

If you’re creating a natural privacy screen or wind break with Emerald Green arborvitae, plant the trees 3–4 feet apart from one another. These hassle-free, tidy groupings of trees will grow narrow and pyramidal, so you won’t have to worry about pruning or trimming unless branches break.

Growing Conditions

Emerald Green arborvitae trees are very low-maintenance once they’ve been established, tolerating a range of soil types, differing amounts of sunlight, and even extreme temperatures.

• Sun and shade: Emerald Green arborvitae thrive in full sun but can grow in partial shade as well. Too much shade will lead to sparse growth, however. To flourish, these trees need at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
• Temperature: Emerald Green arborvitae fare better in dry, cool climates. If the air is too humid, they may be susceptible to a fungal disease. However, once established, Emerald Green arborvitae are moderately drought-resistant and cold-hardy, able to tolerate snow and ice.
• Soil: These trees are highly adaptable, able to live in a variety of different soil types. However, their preference is consistently moist, well-drained loamy soils with neutral or alkaline pH levels in the range of 6–8.
• Watering: For the first few months after you plant your Emerald Green arborvitae, it will need to be watered twice weekly. After that, you can transition to watering 1/2–1 inch per week. Watering the right amount is imperative. Too little and the leaves turn brown or yellow. Too much and the tree may suffer from root rot.
• Pruning: Emerald Green arborvitae do not require pruning, but trimming the leafy growths of branches in early spring can encourage thicker, denser growth. Some people prune Emerald Green arborvitae into spiral topiaries. However, you should always remove dead and diseased branches as soon as you spot them.
• Fertilizer: In general, these trees don’t need to be fed. But if your tree is looking sparse and you’d like to boost growth, use a slow-release, balanced fertilizer with an NPK value of 10-10-10 in spring.

FAQ About Emerald Green Arborvitae Trees

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