Woody > Thuja > Thuja 'Green Giant'
Thuja
'Green Giant'
Green Giant Aborvitae
Origin: Thuja 'Green Giant' is a hybrid cultivar. It is a large, needled, evergreen and conifer tree; it is a cross between the Western Red Cedar and Japanese Arborvitae, and was developed in Denmark in the 1930s. In 1967, D.T. Poulsen of Denmark introduced a single plant called Thuja standishii x plicata to the United States National Arboretum. From this plant, a clone called 'Green Giant' was spread. The Green Giant Arborvitae has quickly become a popular plant and is a good alternative to hemlock in the northeast, and Leland cypress in the southeast.
Mike's
Opinion
"
Green Giant Arborvitae is a dense and magnificent tree in the shape of a pyramid. Many people use this plant for hedges, screens, and windbreaks because it grows fast; this means that people can see a quick effect. It is attractive for songbirds and provides nests and cover for them. It appears glossy green in summer, slightly darker and richer green in winter, and leaves a pleasant scent when squeezed. It is also wind-resistant and can withstand heavy snow, making it an excellent choice for North America. However, it does not like salt, so it is not recommended as a street tree.
Michael Pascoe, NDP., ODH., CLT., MSc. (Plant Conservation)
"
| Family |
| Cupressaceae |
| Genus |
| Thuja |
| Cultivar |
| 'Green Giant' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 5 - 8 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4a - 8a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H4 - H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| (-29) - (-9) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| (-20) - 20 |
| Height |
| 12 - 18 m |
| Spread |
| 3 - 6 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| Arborvitae is colder tolerant than Japanese arborvitae and more resistant to the deadly fungus Didymascella thujina than Western Red Cedar. It grows quickly in a natural pyramidal shape and has lush brown bark and boasts dark, rich green leaves all year round. No special maintenance is required other than cutting off dead branches. It grows magnificently and evenly. It is suitable for use as privacy, screens, hedges, and vertical accents. The canopy is low and should not be planted under wires. |
| Cultivation |
| It prefers full sun but allows partial shade. It grows quickly and easily in moist, fertile, and well-drained soils. It is very sensitive to salt and does not like poorly drained or soaked and compacted soil. It thrives in cool summer climates but does not tolerate dry conditions; it needs to be protected from dry winds, especially when the tree is young. It prefers to grow on acidic or alkaline sandy soils. This tree can live up to 40 years or more. |
| Shape |
| Green Giant Arborvitae is a dense multi-stem evergreen tree with a unique and refined pyramid shape. Its relatively fine texture differentiates it from other landscape plants with less refined leaves. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| ID Characteristic |
| Narrowly-conical-to-pyramidal tree with horizontal-to-slightly-upright branching, with sprays of scale-like rich glossy green foliage above and paler green foliage below. It produces a pleasant scent when its leaves are squeezed. |
| Pests |
| No serious insect or disease problems. It can however be affected by insects such as conifer aphids and coryneum canker, and occasionally Bagworms. Root rot can occur in poorly drained soil. The tree is toxic to grazing animals, such as horses, cattle and sheep. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. This tree works best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average conditions over wet ones, and needs to avoid drying. It does not require a specific soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution and will benefit from planting in relatively protected locations. In winter, it should be protected in exposed locations or colder microclimates by applying a thick root cover around the root area. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| This tree has a shaggy reddish-brown bark. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Since these are conifers they do not have flowers, but produce cones. These form at the end of the stems so they are often not seen much on trimmed plants. There are separate male and female cones. Both types are small, made up of a tiny cluster of 8-12 scales and are single, not in groups. These cones look like tiny buds. The male cones produce pollen which is blown by the wind to the female cones. The female cones develop into small, round seed cones which are about ΒΌ inch across. These are usually green and leathery, but in the Oriental Arborvitae (T. orientalis) they are hard and woody, with a pronounced spine on each scale. After the cones open and the seeds are released the cones of all kinds of Thuja become brown. |
| Leaf Description |
| Green Giant has glossy green and scale-shaped leaves of 1-10mm in length. The dark green spray leaves of needles are arranged opposite, alternating in 4 rows along the branches. This tree retains a deeper and more vivid green colour than its parent trees, Thuja plicata and Thuja standishii. If you touch or squeeze the leaves, you can smell the natural fragrance. |
| Flower Description |
| Thuja is gymnosperm and it has cones, but it does not have flowers. |
| Fruit Description |
| Cones are small, upright, light brown or copper coloured, and are 2 to 5 cm long. |
| Colour Description |
| This tree does not lose its leaves in winter and always remains green. The upper part of the scaly leaf is rich glossy green, while the lower part is light green. In winter, it becomes deeper and darker green. |
| Texture Description |
| It is medium to fine texture, so its relatively fine texture differentiates it from other landscape plants with less refined leaves. |
| Propagation |
| It propagates with softwood cuttings and seeds. Also, it is a public domain tree, which means that anyone can propagate it from cuttings. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| This family has a fresh, camphor-like scent and it has been traditionally used for centuries by Native Americans (and later adopted by European settlers) to treat a variety of ailments. The master of young branches and leaves was used to treat coughs, fever, headaches, intestinal parasites, bladder inflammation, and venereal diseases. Externally, thuja was used as a blister to treat burns, rheumatism, gout, arthritis, warts, and psoriasis. Native Americans believed that smoke could stop evil spirits, so they burned trees to produce thick smoke. Today, thuja is mainly used for warts and polyps, but due to its hub gurgling and anti-Qatar properties, it is also used to some extent as a treatment for acute bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. Thuja is a diuretic and used in the treatment of bladder inflammation and nocturia in children. |
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