American arborvitae: Thuja occidentalis, in the limelight

Our InstantHedge blog is brimming with advice on maintaining healthy hedges. In today's blog, we'll talk about thuja occidentalis, an American arborvitae hedge.


An American Arborvitae hedge, scientifically known as thuja occidentalis, remains dark green all year and retains its feathery needles throughout the winter. The narrow conical shape and dense foliage combine to form a strong and visually appealing hedge.


Except for the southern parts of Florida, Louisiana, Texas, California, Arizona, and Nevada, this tree grows in most of the United States. Its tolerance to all soil types makes it resilient even in urban environments. Depending on the environment and available sunlight, this evergreen can grow up to 20-40 feet tall and 10-15 feet wide.

The Arborvitae is a winner in everyone's backyard since it grows well in full sun to part shade and is regarded as a low-maintenance plant.


GARDENING TIPS FOR USING AMERICAN ARBORVITAE


Do you dislike the view next door?

Because it is an evergreen and grows to greater heights than most, it can be used as a privacy screen on your property. Arborvitae as a living screen is always an option. Without adequate plantings to soften the scape, even fences can appear obtrusive and stark at times. This evergreen can help to provide a privacy hedge while creating an effective boundary that's lush and provides a beautiful backdrop to more plantings in the garden.


Beauty to your backyard

They are used in formal gardens to create a privacy hedge and to lead the visitor along a pathway with lushness on both sides. You can grow this landscape spotlight as a wall and create seating areas next to it with container gardens flanking each side of the bench if you use this as residential inspiration. Other uses include a poolside hedge or a screen for a private garden boundary, which is a great alternative to a brick wall. Their grandeur and foliage also serve as a sound barrier in urban areas, providing respite.

Let's take an example of an American Arborvitae Hedge (White Cedar) to understand in detail:

White cedar thuja occidentalis, also known as American arborvitae, is a small, slow- to medium-growing evergreen conifer. It is a native of the eastern half of North America, from Manitoba to North Carolina, and is frequently planted as a tree or shrub, depending on the variety.

Its natural habitat includes bogs, ravines, and other places with high soil moisture and humidity levels, making them ideal for Minnesota's recent greater rainfall levels.

White Cedar grows best in the following conditions:


Arborvitae prefers well-drained loam soil and can withstand a wide range of acidic or alkaline conditions. Once established, it can withstand heat and drought, but it is vulnerable to wind and heavy snow. It thrives in broad light, but in more shaded areas, it can become sparse and thin out.


  • Zones 3 to 7 of hardiness; are not suitable for hotter temperatures.

  • Performing well in direct sunlight, scarce in partial shade

  • accepts momentary floods

  • once planted, tolerates slight drought

  • Wind and/or heavy snow damage prone

  • Some species develop winter burns.


Soil recommendation:

  • Soil pH: tolerant of 5.0 to 8.0, best in 6.8 to 7.2 loam soils

  • can tolerate limestone

  • moist and well-drained


As American Arborvitae hedge makes a great privacy screen when grown in a tight row. And requires little maintenance as well.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Top 10 Landscaping Ideas to Design Garden-

Image
There is no better time than spring to get outside & make your garden smarter. The Sun is getting brighter and warmer, The icy cold weather is on the way.  Landscaping, when you think about it, is a process that alters the visible features to make land more attractive. By planting trees and shrubs with some Ornamental additions creates beauty within the landscape. From dwarf plants to fast growing shrubs, there’s something new for new gardeners to design their garden best. Thanks to InstantHedge for providing top hedge selections to design garden. Here is how you can design your garden with hedges- 1. Contemporary Garden - A Contemporary garden aka Modern garden is defined by the use of clean designs with hard rocks like stones, rocks. Use of hedging plants is an impactful way to give garden a formal shape. By using hard materials like wood, stones and sometimes steels, hedge green foliage against these adds significant value and visual impact. Planting hedges like Laurels,
Read more

Top 5 Plants for Both Chain Link Fence Aesthetics and Privacy

Image
Chain link fencing is inexpensive, and easy to use, but they lack beauty that fails to deliver aesthetic value in your life. Fencing is a part of your landscape design that gives structure to your garden. “Good fences make good neighbors”, but fencing is only not the option when you require privacy, barrier and peace. Hedges have been used for centuries. Backyard privacy is must sometimes! Depending on your desires and circumstances, you may want to opt for a more natural appearance and privacy. Something that grow tall and form a handsome hedge that not only deliver privacy, but protect you from a windbreak. Hedges are great options for enhancing the ugly fences that may border your yard. Below are some favorite hedge selections to settle a fence- American Arborvitae - Thuja Occidentalis (American Arborvitae), is an ideal choice if specifically height, species, and delivery are all important to you. Along the back edge for privacy, American Arborvitae stays dark green y
Read more

Best Way to Trim Hedges

Image
Trimming a hedge isn’t always just a matter of making a line. Here we are going to offer practical advice on a way to sharpen up your act and make some desirable shapes and long-lasting composition in your garden. Hedge maintenance can be a simple process that can be easily unified into a landscape procedure. Most of the people are often confused about the way they can trip hedges. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts one should keep on mind before pruning hedges. 1. DO keep your hedge clippers keen and washed. 2. DO NOT pin evergreen hedges once they are parched, so during the summer water the hedges,  and also the evening before you start trimming 3. DO NOT be tempted to chop straight lines ‘by eye’; some reasonably clipping guide is required. A bit of cord extended between two poles is one of the easiest techniques to form a straight and level line to prune against. Rough, tossed, domed and other complex hedge shapes may need a wooden template to confirm a uniform shape along
Read more