Seedlingsrus and Highland Hill Farm Green Giant Arborvitae
Information about our Locations
Green Giant Sale
We Grow Green Giant Arborvitae
The Green Giant Arborvitae is more properly named by tree scientists the "Thuja Plicata," with the other common historic names being, "giant cedar," also "western cedar," and "red cedar." There's only one other Arborvitae specie in all of North America, the "eastern cedar," or "white cedar," with "Thuja Occidentalis," as the tree scientist's Latin name, the botanist's name. This short tree is actually what we usually think of when the "genus" juniper is mentioned.
Funny that the eastern cedar was given the Latin name for "west" which is "occidental." You see? As I have observed before, what's in a name? Highland Hill Farm is not located in a town called Highland Hills, or, on Highland Hill Road, etc. Scottish Highland Hills cows that we grazed on our first property provided our company with a distinctive name when we sold our first trees in 1978.
Green Giant Arborvitae ranges naturally all across the United States from Massachusetts, southwesterly to Texas and New Mexico, through northern Arizona, up the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the state of Washington, and British Columbia beyond.
What does arborvitae mean anyway? Now that we know about the derivation of "Green Giant," here's how the Latin name Arborvitae, or "tree of life," came about. As the first explorers of Canada were mapping the St. Lawrence River in 1536, the tree was used for medicine which saved their leader and most of the men too. Jacques Cartier explored the islands off eastern Canada, and then sailed westward where he entered the St. Lawrence River and found Quebec and a Royal Mountain (Mont Real, which is now called "Montreal"). Cartier was searching for the passage to China so many other explorers would also fail to find. Cartier and his men had to spend a long winter inside a little fort, away from the any sun, where they subsisted on meat, fish, and bread, eating no fruits or vegetables. As scurvy was killing most all of them, a friendly Huron Indian gave Cartier's crew tea made from the needles and bark of a tree which looked like the white cedars of Europe. So Cartier took some trees back to France with him, these Thuja Occidentalis Eastern White Cedars, naming them "Arborvitae," the tree of life. How about that?
Arborvitae are native to the pacific northwest where they grow to 200 feet tall, usually 50 to 70 feet is the common height, even including here in Bucks county. Arborvitae do best in wet forests and swamps. The Green Giant appearance is due to this specie's wide 15-25 foot wide base, the slightly tapering conical shape, and the dense branches and leaves casting great dark shadows. The Arborvitae grows in zones 6 to 8, environments with temperatures that get as low as 10 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit, such as in Missouri or Pennsylvania, to environments where winter temperatures get only as low as 20 degrees above 0 Fahrenheit, such as mid-Texas and northern Florida.
Green Giant Arborvitae have pretty, yet surprisingly tiny yellow flowers. The "pine cones," the fruit actually, of the tree, follow the budding of the flowers and are also surprisingly small compared to the size of a mature tree, being no more than a half-inch in size. There are no problems with tree litter understandably, and so few animals are attracted to the Green Giant Arborvitae, perhaps because of this description.
The Green Giant Arborvitae is recommended for growing as a hedge or privacy buffer along a property line, or driveway. Thuja Plicata, Western Red Cedars are ideal "windrow" trees. In a row, they'll truly diminish the wind. The Green Giant Arborvitae is justifiably considered wind resistant considering the windswept mountains of the Pacific northwest. The wood itself is weak, but it is very light. Green Giant Arborvitae trees are decay resistant, too, but the "Achilles Heel," the one and only vulnerability, is to being eaten by deer. Any Arborvitae are a favorite "deer browse," or as we jokingly say, "deer candy." The Western Red Cedar, the Green Giant Arborvitae do have better deer resistance than most arborvitae. Do not plant arborvitae too far away from structures, lights, roads, etc., where there's quietude and privacy for the "browsing deer."
Now that you know all about 'em, Highland Hill Farm has at least 50 or more Green Giant Arborvitae in our nursery ready for pickup at any time. They will range from 1.5' to 12' and be balled and burlapped or potted. We also have field liners and seedling Green Giant available. There are many more varieties of arborvitae available which we have in stock. If we don't stock the variety you want we will find it for you if possible. We also sell Arborvitae that are very similar to the Green Giants. One variety is called the Excelsa. It has bright grren foliage,pyramidal in form, is fast growing. I believe it will reach 30-35'. The best exposure for this plant is full sun. It is cold hardy to -20F. This plant responds well to pruning and shearing. Its foliage color is retained throughout the year. For a hedge or a screen the plants should be spaced 4-5' stem to stem. A 10' screen needs only 2 plants. A 50' screen needs only 12 plants.
The Thuja Plicata 'Can Can' is another interesting variety. Its is a semi dwarf. Its deeper green foliage is complimented by a touch of white on its new foliage. This is an adaptable plant that can widthstand heat,drought,poor soils, and wet conditions. For hedges and screens its plant spacing can be 4' from stem to stem. A 10' screen needs 3 plants. A 50' screen needs 12 plants. See Can-Can
picture of the site and let us give you choices for your landscape? We
can also have James Hirst our in house designer give you a free
landscape plan based on the photo.
what kind of plants you prefer...Evergreen...Natives...Flowering and he
will do the rest.
See How We Can Help Deliver and Plant Our Stock
Arborvitae - Were Ready To Load Your Truck! We May Also Be Able To Deliver and or Plant For You!!!
See How We Dig Many of Our Arborvitae. We can also sell and install watering systems to help you maintain and establish your plants. Call us at 215 651 8329 ... or if you have any questions. Some of the common varieties available at Highland Hill Farm (not all listed):
This dense, compact, 3' green arborvitae is carried by many growers. This arborvitae is not deer resistant. Their maximum height is about ten to fifteen feet. It retains its color through out the winter.
This dense, compact, 5' Balled and burlapped green arborvitae is carried by many growers. This arborvitae is not deer resistant. Their maximum height is about ten to fifteen feet. It retains its color through out the winter.
Note if you pick up at the farm or just need them dropped off we will do that ....call 215 651 8329 for a price quote and availability. ********************************************************************************************************************************************
Our Plants on Line For You To View.....These we UPS
This European Bright Gold Arborvitae can be sent by UPS.
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This Reingold Arborvitae can be sent by UPS.
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This Fast Growing Spring Grove (Green Giant) Arborvitae can be sent by UPS.
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This Holmstrup Arborvitae can be sent by UPS.
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This Green Giant can be sent by UPS.
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Our Large American Arborvitae
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The genus Thuja contains about 6
species world-wide native to North America [2] and Asia [4]. The word thuja comes from the Greek thuia, an aromatic wood
(probably a juniper). The word occidentalis means western,
referring to the western hemisphere (New World).
Other Common
Names:
Abendlandische lebensbaum, albero della vita americana, American arborvitae,
arborvitae, arbre de vie de l'ouest, Atlantic red cedar, cedar, cedre blanc,
cedro rosso dell'atlantico, eastern arborvitae, eastern cedar, eastern white
cedar, gemeiner lebensbaum, gewone thuja, livstrad, Michigan white cedar, New
Brunswick cedar, Noordamerikaanse levensboom, northern white cedar, swamp
cedar, swamp-cedar, thuja, thuya de l'occident, tuia occidentale, tuya, tuya
occidental, vanlig tuja, vitae, vit-ceder, western thuja, white cedar.
Distribution: Northern white cedar is
native to Quebec (the Anticosti Islands and Gaspe� Peninsula), New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, southwestern Nova Scotia and Maine, west to northern
Ontario and southeastern Manitoba, south to southeastern Minnesota and
northeastern Illinois, east to extreme northwestern Indiana, Michigan, southern
Ontario, southern New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Also locally in
central Manitoba and the Appalachian Mountains in western Pennsylvania, Ohio,
West Virginia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee.
The Tree: Northern white cedar
trees normally reach heights of 50 feet, with diameters of 2 feet. Exceptional
trees may reach grow 80 feet tall, with a diameter of 5 feet. The record is 113
feet, with a diameter of 6 feet.
We Deliver and Plant...Call 215 651 8329 For a Quote
