American Pillar Arborvitae Live Plant – Thuja occidentalis – 4″ Pot – Fast Growing Evergreen Tree for Privacy Screens

Overview

The American Pillar Arborvitae live plant, scientifically known as Thuja occidentalis ‘American Pillar’, is an exceptional evergreen tree destined to transform your garden. This native American conifer is celebrated for its remarkably fast growth rate and naturally slender, columnar habit, making it an indispensable choice for creating instant privacy, dense windbreaks, or elegant back-of-the-border accents. Unlike many other hedging plants, the fast growing arborvitae ‘American Pillar’ offers both rapid coverage and a space-saving footprint, ensuring a lush, verdant screen without encroaching on valuable garden space. It maintains its vibrant green foliage year-round, providing consistent beauty and structure to any landscape. Whether you’re looking to define boundaries, block unsightly views, or simply add a touch of timeless elegance, the ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae is a superior selection for gardeners seeking both vigor and aesthetic appeal.

This resilient Thuja occidentalis American Pillar variety is highly adaptable to various soil conditions and climates, thriving in full sun to partial shade. Its robust nature and low maintenance requirements make it suitable for both experienced gardeners and those new to landscaping. With proper care, you can watch these magnificent trees quickly establish themselves, creating the dense, evergreen privacy you’ve always desired. The ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae truly lives up to its reputation as a miracle plant for speed, coverage, and enduring beauty.

Key Benefits

The American Pillar Arborvitae live plant offers a multitude of benefits for any garden or landscape, making it a top choice for discerning homeowners:

• Rapid Privacy Creation: Known for its incredibly fast growth rate, this fast growing arborvitae quickly establishes a dense, tall screen, providing much-needed privacy and wind protection in a fraction of the time compared to other evergreens.
• Space-Saving Columnar Form: Its naturally narrow and upright growth habit means it takes up minimal ground space, making it perfect for smaller yards or areas where width is a concern, yet still delivering maximum visual impact.
• Year-Round Evergreen Beauty: The vibrant green foliage of the Thuja occidentalis American Pillar remains lush and attractive throughout all seasons, ensuring your garden looks beautiful and well-maintained even in winter.
• Exceptional Adaptability: As an American native, this plant is highly resilient and adaptable to a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions, making it a robust and reliable choice for many regions.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, it requires minimal pruning to maintain its desirable shape and density, freeing up your time to enjoy your beautiful garden rather than constant upkeep.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Ideal for creating a stunning privacy hedge tree, a windbreak, a natural boundary, or as an elegant accent plant in mixed borders, enhancing the overall aesthetic and functionality of your outdoor space.
• Natural Sound Barrier: The dense foliage helps to dampen noise from busy streets or neighbors, contributing to a more peaceful and tranquil garden environment.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your American Pillar Arborvitae live plant is straightforward, ensuring it thrives and provides years of beauty and privacy. These robust trees prefer a location with full sun to partial shade, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth and foliage density. While they are adaptable, planting in well-draining soil is crucial to prevent root rot. If your soil is heavy clay, amending it with organic matter like compost or pine bark can significantly improve drainage.

Consistent watering is vital, especially during the first year of establishment and during dry periods. Aim to keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Deep watering once or twice a week is generally more beneficial than frequent shallow watering, as it encourages deeper root growth. Reduce watering frequency in cooler months. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer formulated for evergreens to support vigorous growth. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can burn the roots. The fast growing arborvitae is hardy in USDA Zones 3-8, tolerating cold winters and hot summers. Minimal pruning is required; typically, only remove dead or damaged branches. For shaping or maintaining a tighter form, light shearing can be done in late spring or early summer after new growth emerges. Watch out for common pests like spider mites or bagworms, which can be managed with horticultural oil or appropriate insecticides if infestations occur. Proper spacing is key for a dense privacy hedge tree; plant them with their centers approximately 2.5 feet apart.

Size & Details

This American Pillar Arborvitae live plant arrives ready for planting in a 4-inch nursery pot, providing a healthy start for your landscape project. Young plants typically stand between 6-12 inches tall at the time of shipment, with a well-developed root system. The ‘American Pillar’ variety is celebrated for its incredibly fast growth rate, often adding 2-3 feet of height per year under ideal conditions. When mature, this columnar evergreen can reach an impressive height of 15-20 feet while maintaining a very slender width of only 3-5 feet, making it perfect for narrow spaces where a tall screen is desired. Its dense branching and rich green foliage provide excellent coverage from top to bottom.

These plants are shipped as actively growing specimens, ensuring they are ready to establish quickly in your garden. For best results, plant them in spring or early fall. The plant’s vigorous growth will quickly transform into a substantial privacy hedge tree, offering a continuous green barrier. Expect to see significant vertical growth within the first few seasons after planting, leading to a mature, dense screen within a few years. This Thuja occidentalis American Pillar is a long-lived plant, providing enduring beauty and functionality to your outdoor space.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How tall and wide does the American Pillar Arborvitae get? A: The American Pillar Arborvitae live plant typically grows 15-20 feet tall and maintains a very narrow width of 3-5 feet at maturity, making it an excellent choice for tight spaces and privacy screens.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The American Pillar Arborvitae live plant is an outdoor plant, specifically bred for landscaping purposes to create hedges, windbreaks, and privacy screens in garden settings.
• Q: How much sunlight does the American Pillar Arborvitae need? A: This fast growing arborvitae thrives in full sun to partial shade, ideally receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for the best growth and foliage density.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae is considered relatively easy to care for. Once established, it requires minimal maintenance beyond regular watering during dry spells and an annual feeding.
• Q: What condition will the American Pillar Arborvitae arrive in? A: Your American Pillar Arborvitae live plant will arrive in a healthy, actively growing state, securely packaged in a 4-inch nursery pot with its root ball intact, ready for planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant American Pillar Arborvitae? A: The ideal times to plant this privacy hedge tree are in the spring after the last frost, or in the early fall, allowing the roots to establish before extreme temperatures.
• Q: What USDA hardiness zones is this columnar evergreen suitable for? A: The columnar evergreen ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae is hardy and thrives in USDA Zones 3 through 8, making it suitable for a wide range of climates across the United States.
• Q: How far apart should I plant American Pillar Arborvitae for a privacy hedge? A: For a dense privacy hedge tree, plant your ‘American Pillar’ arborvitaes with their centers approximately 2.5 feet apart. This spacing allows them to grow together into a solid screen.
• Q: Does the American Pillar Arborvitae lose its leaves in winter? A: No, the Thuja occidentalis American Pillar is an evergreen conifer, meaning it retains its vibrant green foliage throughout the winter months, providing continuous color and privacy.
• Q: What kind of soil does this plant prefer? A: While adaptable, the American Pillar Arborvitae prefers well-draining soil. Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter can improve drainage and promote healthier growth.