Green Giant Western Arborvitae Care, Seeds, Planting and Benefits

Green Giant Western Arborvitae is one of the most dramatic and versatile evergreen trees on today’s market. This hybrid hybrid has been in high demand from homeowners, landscapers and gardening enthusiasts due to its phenomenal growth rate, unique pyramidal habit and incredible adaptability. The Green Giant Western Arborvitae care is a perfect choice for privacy screens, windbreaks and specimen plantings. 

Its dense rich foliage provides a rich vibrant emerald green color year round adding year round beauty and structure to any yard. While the need for concern about the environment and sustainable gardening methods grows stronger this low care disease resistant evergreen provides an environmentally friendly solution that performs well in a variety of growing conditions throughout much of the United States.

What is Green Giant Western Arborvitae?

It is a striking evergreen hybrid conifer that has gained tremendous popularity in residential and commercial landscaping. This vigorous tree, a cross between is prized for its impressive growth rate of 3-5 feet per year and its majestic mature height of 40-60 feet. With dense rich emerald green foliage that maintains its color year round the Green Giant features a naturally pyramidal shape that requires minimal pruning. 

Highly adaptable to various soil conditions and resistant to common pests and diseases that plague other arborvitae varieties it excels as a privacy screen windbreak or elegant specimen planting. Its exceptional hardiness across USDA zones 5-9 and ability to withstand both drought and heavy snow make it a reliable low maintenance choice for creating impressive evergreen borders and hedges throughout much of the United States.

Green Giant Western Arborvitae History

The Green Giant Western Arborvitae first emerged on the horticultural scene in the middle of the 20th century as a chance hybrid discovered at the Poulsen nursery in Denmark. This remarkable hybrid of the Japanese and the North American Western Red Cedar was imported into the United States in the late 1960s by the U.S. National Arboretum. Originally, it was dismissed and not until the 1990s did horticulturists value its extraordinary qualities and began to sell it commercially. 

Green Giant was what the tree came to be called due to its enormous energy, rapid growth habit and height capability. It went on to revolutionize landscape architecture across America particularly as Dutch elm disease and Leyland cypress problems created interest in substitute screen trees. Now the Green Giant is one of the greatest plant introductions of the last decades, with the finest features of its parent species and with better adaptability and disease resistance.

Green Giant Western Arborvitae Seeds

Green Giant Western Arborvitae seeds represent a specialized propagation method for this popular hybrid conifer though they are rarely used in commercial production. As a cultivar, the Green Giant does not produce viable seeds that reliably pass on its desirable characteristics, which explains why professional growers predominantly rely on vegetative propagation through cuttings to maintain genetic consistency.

For gardening enthusiasts interested in seed collection the small winged seeds develop within woody cones that mature in autumn typically requiring stratification cold treatment to break dormancy before germination. However seedlings grown from these seeds may display variable characteristics that differ from the parent plant.

Green Giant Western Arborvitae Planting and Growing

Green Giant Western Arborvitae planting and cultivation demands little effort for high return. This versatile evergreen tolerates USDA hardiness zones 5-9 and grows best in full sun to partial shade although fuller sun encourages denser growth and best form. Plant trees 5-8 feet apart for privacy screens or 10-15 feet apart for specimen plantings with sufficient space for their mature spread. The Green Giant prefers slightly acidic well draining soil but shows excellent tolerance for most soil conditions including clay. 

Water regularly during the first growing season after planting to develop an extensive root system. Established trees are moderately drought tolerant. With its high growth rate of 3-5 feet per year under ideal conditions, low pruning needs and native resistance to deer bagworms and most diseases, the Green Giant provides an easy maintenance option for building striking evergreen landscapes that mature fast and stay looking good year round.

Guide About Green Giant Western Arborvitae Care

Green Giant Western Arborvitae care is refreshingly simple, qualifying it as the perfect selection for both beginner and seasoned gardeners. These rugged evergreens have low maintenance requirements once installed requiring only the occasional deep watering during periods of prolonged drought. While naturally coming to an appealing pyramidal form, light pruning late winter or early spring can also preserve density and desired size if necessary. 

Fertilization is not normally needed in average soils but a springtime application of slow release, balanced fertilizer can enhance growth where soil is poorer. The natural resistance to many common pests and diseases possessed by Green Giant means that preventative treatment is not required on a regular basis, separating it from a lot of other landscape conifers. Winter care is not normally needed other than under extreme conditions because these robust trees tolerate snow loading and cold well.

Green Giant Western Arborvitae Uses And Benefits

• Privacy Screening: Creates tall dense living walls that effectively block unwanted views and provide secluded outdoor spaces.
• Windbreak Protection: Forms robust barriers that reduce wind velocity by up to 60%, protecting properties from harsh winds and potential damage.
• Noise Reduction: Dense foliage absorbs and reflects sound waves, significantly reducing traffic and neighborhood noise pollution.
• Air Purification: Filters airborne pollutants and produces oxygen, improving local air quality around residential and commercial properties.
• Erosion Control: Extensive root systems help stabilize soil on slopes and prevent erosion in vulnerable landscape areas.
• Wildlife Habitat: Provides shelter, nesting sites, and protection for birds and small wildlife throughout the year.
• Energy Efficiency: Strategic placement around buildings can reduce heating and cooling costs by blocking winter winds and providing summer shade.
• Property Value Enhancement: Mature specimens add significant curb appeal and increase overall property values.
• Low Maintenance Landscaping: Requires minimal pruning, fertilization, or pest management compared to many other landscape options.
• Architectural Element: Serves as living sculptures that add vertical interest, define spaces, and create garden rooms within landscapes.

Green Giant Western Arborvitae Fun Fact

• Despite its name the Green Giant isn’t related to the true giant arborvitae Thuja plicata Gigantea but earned its name from impressive growth rate rather than relation.
• Under ideal conditions some specimens have been documented growing over 5 feet in a single year among the fastest growing evergreens available.
• The Green Giant has been planted in several royal gardens across Europe including properties owned by the British and Danish royal families.
• This hybrid hybrid wasn’t deliberately created but was discovered as a chance seedling at Denmark’s Poulsen Nursery in the 1930s.

• Before commercial popularity, it was tested and introduced through the U.S. National Arboretum’s plant introduction program in 1967.
• The Green Giant industry now represents hundreds of millions of dollars annually in nursery production across North America.
• These trees have been planted at several presidential libraries and governmental facilities for their impressive appearance and security benefits.
• A single mature Green Giant can host nesting sites for up to 20 different bird species throughout the year.

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Conclusion

The Green Giant Western Arborvitae care is the ideal choice for homeowners and landscape professionals who want a resilient, fast-growing evergreen that brings not just beauty but also benefits. Its superior resistance to widespread diseases, insects and environmental stressors puts it a class ahead of so many other landscape plants and its low maintenance requirements make it accessible to all gardeners.

Whether employed as an elegant privacy screen, a defining border feature, or a freestanding focal point the Green Giant’s architectural impact and year round appeal add inestimably to property value and landscape aesthetic. 

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