Thuja Green Giant Trees Are A Fast-Growing Solution For Backyard Privacy

No matter how much you love your neighbors, sometimes you just want to enjoy some privacy. Whether it's a cookout with friends and family, playing with your children or just taking a moment to relax and unwind after a long, stressful day — you could surely appreciate some peace and quiet in your backyard. There are many ways to make your yard more private but large fences could make your home feel like a maximum security compound. Luckily,  Thuja Green Giant trees are a natural and low-maintenance solution to shield your yard from prying eyes.

This lush giant hybrid, developed in Denmark in the 1930s, is the answer to your privacy needs. When planted in a row, this tall, evergreen tree grows in lush and dense pyramids with small fanning leaves that overlap to give you and your family all the peace you need. The Thuja Green Giant (Thuja plicata x standishii 'Green Giant') thrives in USDA zones 5 through 8 and even though fertile, well-drained loamy soil is best, it can adapt well to poor soil and clay. Though these trees need regular tending in their first six months, they grow to be very resilient and independent with time.

Thuja Green Giant trees can be planted in a row, keeping 5 to 6 feet of space between each tree. For a full privacy screen, plant your trees in two rows with the second row placed at a diagonal to cover the gaps between the trees behind them. If you have clay soil, you can prep your soil for successful planting by adding potting mix and compost to your soil. Even though it's not essential, you can use fertilizer and mulch to help boost your tree's growth and help maintain good moisture in earlier months when they need it the most. Thuja Green Giants can grow an average of 5 feet per year, which means they can be fully mature at 40-60 feet tall within 10 years and live up to 40 years if you take good care of them.

Thuja Green Giants are great because even though they need the majority of their care in the first six months, they're self-sufficient beyond that. Your trees will need to be watered regularly for the first six months but they will grow to be resistant to drought, heat, humidity, cold, wind, ice, snow, and pests. Even though they're a hybrid, these trees adapt very easily to the ecosystem and live in harmony with birds and small animals who find the high branches with a rough, shaggy bark to be a safe nesting spot.

While Thuja Green Giant trees are weather and pest-resistant, no plant can really be weather and pest-proof. These trees are still susceptible to bagworms and scale. You will need to keep up with regular inspections to make sure you stay ahead of the problem and take action before these issues threaten the rest of the tree and those around them. Because Thuja Green Giant trees can get so large and are planted so close together, it's easy for a disease to quickly spread from one tree to the next. Whether you're planting these trees for privacy or along your driveway to increase your home's curb appeal, it wouldn't be a good idea to plant them too close to a wall. These trees grow tall and wide. Depending on the trajectory of the sun in your yard, some of the branches might stop getting sunlight as time goes on, and they will start yellowing and dying off. Even though this doesn't hurt the entire tree, it's not an appealing look and detracts from the tree's overall health.

Thuja Green Giant trees may be good for shielding some wind from your yard, but they're also vulnerable to stronger winds that could push them over and uproot them. This risks damaging structures like fences and walls. While there may be quick-growing alternatives like Lombardy poplar or Leyland cypress, Thuja Green Giant trees are unbeatable when comparing growth speed, foliage density, and the maintenance needed.