North Pole® Arborvitae (Thuja)
Shrub
- Space-saving evergreen takes up just a fraction of the space!
- Native evergreen with hardy, fragrant foliage.
- Naturally grows as a dense, narrow column.
- Best-selling Proven Winners ColorChoice shrub.
- Zones 3-8, sun/part sun, 15' tall x 5' wide at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Patent #: PP 22,174
Common name: Arborvitae, Eastern red cedar
Zone: 3 -8
Sun exposure: Full sun (6+ hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 10-15' tall x 3-5' wide
Flower color: Evergreen conifer, does not flower
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Year-round
Bloom time: Evergreen
Features: Space savers, Proven Winners, privacy & screening, native, evergreens, cold tolerant
Uses: Specimen, hedge, perennial gardens, landscaping
How to Grow
Light: Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun/shade (4-6 hrs light daily)
Water: Keep moist. Water 1 inch a week. Appreciates well-drained soil.
Spacing: 5 - 7 ft
Fertilizing: Top dress in spring with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer.
Winterizing: Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones. Tolerates wind once established and withstands heavy ice or snow. Darkens or bronzes slightly in the winter. Note -- The oldest interior branchlets on arborvitae usually turn brown and fall off in autumn. This aging process is different from drought stress, which on arborvitae appears on the tree outside the interior foliage as an abnormal yellowing or browning, known as flagging. This discoloration may not occur until a season or two after the drought stress was most severe.
Maintenance & Pruning: Requires little or no pruning but can be sheared easily if necessary. If pruning, avoid pruning in late summer or fall as pruning stimulates new growth, which can be easily damaged by fall and winter temperatures.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.
Arrived on time and healthy!
Always impressed with my tree purchases from Great Garden Plants! Thank you!
This was my first time ordering live plants online. I ordered 9 of these Arborvitaes and a few other plants for my garden. When my delivery arrived and I saw the box sitting on my porch, I thought to myself "Oh, great. I'm sure these plants are in horrible shape." I was so wrong. When I opened the boxes, I saw the most beautiful, healthy green trees I've ever seen compared to your local store. The soil was still moist, the roots were healthy and growing out from under the pot (100% not root bound). Customer service goes above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction. Will definitely be purchasing from Great Garden Plants again! A+
Hello Kevin! Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're thrilled to hear that your plants arrived to your home safely, that's our goal. Please let us know if we can ever help you with anything else. Happy gardening!
The 3 I bought are quite small, but came well-packaged and appear healthy. I'm hoping they're still in the sleep stage, but will soon enter the creep stage and hit the leap stage before I'm too old to see it. So far, I'm impressed by the plants I've ordered.
Arrived healthy and seems to growing well.
I let them rest as directed, Roots looked good, I planted them and I am hoping for good growth throughout the years. 4 stars because I haven't seen growth yet. I will update next spring.
The healthy trees (sprouts) that arrived have survived two weeks. The 4 that arrived looking parched didn’t survive the planting and were too small to become toothpicks. I was thinking they would all be a little bigger for the price. Generally, a good (and learning) experience.
We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! On each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. The size of our plants varies depending on the time of year and whether they were recently trimmed. The most important thing when purchasing plants, online or in garden centers, is a full and robust root system, which we prioritize. We’re sorry that you received plants that are not up to our standards. We try our best to provide excellent plants, but some factors, like shipping and handling, are outside our control. That’s why we have a 60-day guarantee on all of our orders. Please email your order number and pictures of your plants to [email protected] to start the claims process. We look forward to helping! https://bit.ly/ggp-guarantee
Arrived fast, and plants were packaged well and healthy.
Hoping they both grow as quickly as it states as a fast grower. Very pretty so far.
I ordered 15 of these last year, a little disappointed in the small size, but the quality was amazing! Bright green, very supple! They all made it through the winter here in mid-Michigan and have grown about 8-12”. I am going to order 12 more to intersperse with the originals in a second row to add more privacy. I just love them! 💗
great so far
Great plants - beautifully packaged. I love Great Garden Plants and I will continue to order from them!!
Right now it’s in the middle of my beautiful zinnia plants., I’m sure they won’t last too much longer. This is my fav!
They came nicely packaged! I followed the instructions and planted them. Unfortunately I broke my leg and could not care for them enough and some withered
The ones that survived look all right, but two of them died even though I did everything that they said to do.
Hello! Please email pictures of the plant to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we do have a 60-day guarantee on all of our plants. If you received your plants within that timeframe, we will be happy to apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Happy Gardening!
We planted 5 North Pole Arrbovitaes in our back yard about a month ago and they look great.
Although smaller than I would have liked, the trees arrived in excellent shape…deep, luscious green with very pliable branches. I planted them immediately and so far, they are ALL (15) doing well and have even grown a couple of inches. I love them!
Arrived packaged well with great instructions. They actually were adorable little plants that were vibrant green.
North Pole® Arborvitae
Hi Lourdes, If you're having trouble with your Arborvitae send us a few photos to [email protected] and we'd be happy to give you some care tips. We do offer at 60-day warranty on our plants. If your order is within that window, and your arborvitae is damaged or dying we'd be happy to set up a replacement or refund. Happy Gardening!
I have purchased several plants from this site and have always been perfectly satisfied. I always receive nice, healthy plants, packaged perfectly, as described and on time. My new favorite place to shop plants online.
I am very pleased with North Pole Arborvitae. I ordered the smallest ones you sell because of the price, and they've already grown about 3 to 4inchs since I planted them. They look very healthy, so I'm happy with them. I would buy from Great Garden Plants again
i would like to order these to make sure of availability but i don't need them until end of May. Any suggestions?
We begin shipping plants at proper planting time in your area, which is determined by your USDA Hardiness Zone. If you prefer, you may specify a later shipping date during the checkout process. Our shipments go out within five to seven business days of the date you select. Amount of time for you to receive your order after it ships depends on your distance from Grand Haven, Michigan.
How fast does North Pole aborvitae grow? James
Arborvitae are known to be fast growing. Once it is established, it will grow 6-12"/year, depending on growing conditions. They should reach their full maturity in 4-5 years.
We are in zone 4 our home sits high with extraordinary views but we have neighbors we look down on we have some ornamental grasses but when winter comes they die back and the I am looking at Thuja North Pole can I trim them to about 5-6ft high?
We are facing south with moderate soils
We don’t recommend any heavy trimming or cutting arborvitae down to size. Rather than trimming your arborvitae to keep it small, we suggest choosing a cultivar that has a compact habit like 'Emerald Green' Arborvitae which you can find here:
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/products/emerald-green-arborvitae-aka-smaragd
How tall will this shrub get.
North Pole® Arborvitae will grow up to 15 feet tall at maturity!
What is the largest (tall) North Pole Arborvitae you can ship and how much are they?
Hello! North Pole® Arborvitae will be shipped in a one quart container. Plant size varies widely depending on the variety that you purchase and the time of year.