PlantFiles: Western Red Cedar, Giant Arborvitae
Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant'

Wonderful tree. I bought five small trees and put four along my back fence to create privacy. The first year they grew about 12 inches. The second year they put on about 24 inches. This year, the third they have doubled in size and now are around six feet tall. I did plant one tree at the top of a hill and it is growing slower but it is exposed to lots of wind.

I water the trees only when there is no rainfall for a month and they are doing great. Since I have heavy clay soil I did plant them higher than the surrounding ground. I also added some compost/manure to the backfill soil. So far I have not noticed it being bother by any insects and they are fairly drought tolerant. I also love the fragrance they give off when you brush ups against them.

Have stood up well to snow and ice and drought. They grow very fast vertically (full sun and regular watering for fastest growth), but are slower to put on width. I would suggest planting them in two staggered rows for optimal quick privacy screen.

'Green Giant' is a vigorously growing, pyramidal evergreen with rich green color that remains outstanding throughout hardiness range.

It has no serious pest or disease problems and has been widely grown and tested in commercial nursery production. 'Green Giant' is an excellent substitute for Leyland cypress.

Height and width: To 60 feet tall with a 12–20 foot spread at
maturity; 30 feet at 30 years.

Growth rate: Rapid.

Habit: Tightly pyramidal to conical evergreen tree; uniform appearance.

Foliage: Dense, rich green, scalelike foliage in flattened sprays borne on horizontal to ascending branches; good winter color except, perhaps, in the southeast.

Fruit: Persistent, oblong cones, approximately 1/2 inch length. Cones emerge green and mature to brown.

Culture: Adaptable, grows in soil types from sandy loams to heavy clays.
Requires little to no pruning.

Purchased nine Thuja Green Giants and planted them on April 25th 2007. Planted them 5 ft apart. Beginning height of these trees was 12-18 inches. Some are growing faster than others, but, on the average they have grown 10-15 inches in the first 9 months after planting.
I made sure the holes were dug extra large before planting, giving roots soft soil in which to start growing. I made sure their was no grass or weeds within 2-3 feet of every tree. This is very important for growth of Green Giants. Grass and weeds to close will slow growth! I mulched the areas with 2-3 inches of wood mulch, keeping the mulch 3-5 inches away from the stems (trunk). Water them throughly and as often as needed. Never let the soil or trees dry completely up or this could cause slow growth or cause death. Keep up with the watering!
About 2-3 weeks before our first fall frost I watered the trees very good, so, the roots could soak up the water and get ready for our winter months. I also will water in winter if needed. Pile straw 8-10 inches or better around the trunks (stems) to protect stem from winters cold winds.
Note: I have not and will not be using fertilizer the first full year. Not sure yet what i'll do this Spring and Summer. Some say use Miracle Gro (All Purpose) at half the strength. Hummm ? Just not sure yet.

Planted 10 in Spring of 2001 as a screen for my backyard at the proper spacing. All original plants were between 1 and 2 feet tall at time of planting. The first Winter, I thought I had lost them as they all turned brown, but rebounded the following Spring. They did not start showing rapid growth until 2004. It is now May of 2007 and they are all doing well. They all have full growth from top to bottom and all are over 7 feet tall - they average 2 to 3 feet a year now.

They do not require any care, although I fertilize in the Spring of each year with Holly Tone. They have a good evergreen odor and seem to be solid growers...very pleased so far!

I have 2O planted. So far so good. They held up great through winter cold.

The U.S. National Arboretum says this clone is Thuja standishii x plicata. It was formerly erroneously labeled Thuja occidentalis 'Gigantoides'

I have these in my backyard as a screen. They look great and are growing very well here. No problems with deer eating them or ice causing damage.

This is a very good plant, I have several in my yard and plan to propagate more in order to sell. It is very fast growing with 5-feet per year not uncommon. It is a very dense and perfectly shaped tree, very upright and stately. They should be planted 5-6 feet apart for a super-fast privacy screen, or 12 feet apart otherwise.