| Plant File 113 | | | | can be windy, as Marilyn Monroe proved in the |
| | | | movies decades ago. |
| What a great bumper sticker slogan we could | | | | |
| make from this very true statement, | | | | Smaragd means "emerald" in Denmark, where the |
| "Arborvitae are for downtown!" Indeed, | | | | Emerald Green Arb was developed. Smaragd |
| arborvitae are evergreen shrubs and trees | | | | Arbs, Smaragdine Arbs, Emerald Cedars, and |
| especially well suited for urban areas where | | | | Emerald Green Arbs are all one in the same, |
| low maintenance and durability are needed | | | | not to worry, we just use the descriptive |
| most. | | | | English name Emerald Green... |
| | | | |
| A great many cultivars of arborvitae are | | | | The texture of the Emerald Green reddish |
| available. There are forms such as ball-like | | | | brown bark is quite fine, cinnamon red when |
| globed shapes as little as a foot high, tall | | | | the tree is young, covering what will become |
| thin columnar shapes and narrow pyramidal | | | | a strong softwood when the tree is mature. |
| shapes with heights ranging all the way up to | | | | The Emerald Green Arborvitae has a conical |
| 100 feet. Aren't some of these ideal | | | | form narrow to broadly pyramidal (your |
| descriptions of plants for alongside | | | | choice) reaching heights from 12 to at most |
| buildings, near sidewalks and streets, and | | | | 20 feet where it's exceedingly sunny with |
| beautifying entrance doorways and terraces, | | | | widths only about 3 to 6 feet. As a conifer |
| "decorating with year 'round greenery?" The | | | | tree, the Emerald Green's flowers/fruit are |
| smaller arborvitae can even be grown in | | | | pretty half-inch erect cones, worth |
| containers like barrels and pots, placed | | | | collecting too. Mature Emerald Green |
| where they add beauty, having the added | | | | Arborvitae cast dense shade. If bagworms and |
| advantage that they can be moved. The forms | | | | salt spray are kept off this tree it should |
| of arborvitae which are usually found in the | | | | outlive even your great grandchildren's great |
| medium sizes are useful for planting in rows | | | | grandchildren. Seriously, these trees live |
| so when they are mature they will create sun | | | | for hundreds of years. |
| and wind blocking privacy screens or | | | | |
| "buffers." Doesn't a line of tall, thin | | | | The Hetz Midget Arborvita is a dwarf globe |
| evergreen trees give benefits far beyond | | | | variety, at the other end of the size |
| using a rusting chain link fence to mark off | | | | spectrum from the Emerald Green. This is a |
| property boundaries, or block off what's | | | | good choice along walkways as well as in |
| unsightly? Just think about how, on a | | | | gardens, on terraces, even for windowsills. |
| blustery winter's day, a line of mature | | | | It's a tough plant that's easy to "install," |
| arborvitae can cut down the effects of the | | | | and easy to pay for with its low cost. The |
| gusts of wind on us as we walk by, and on a | | | | li'l Hetz Midget will maintain a nice green |
| blazing hot summer's day, the effects of the | | | | color throughout the winter and handles snow |
| sun can be cut down as we walk by in shade. | | | | piling on top of it too. We carry these |
| | | | plants in 2 and 3 gallon pots. Prices range |
| Why are arborvitae considered so durable and | | | | from about 15 to 30 dollars depending on the |
| "low maintenance" for urban usage? Well, | | | | plant size and the quantity ordered. |
| most arborvitae only require at least partial | | | | |
| sun to grow, though they will thrive in full | | | | The Rheingold Arborvita is another small |
| size sun. That's pretty good for a start, | | | | globe shaped variety which is a little larger |
| right? A mere 3 hours per day of direct | | | | than the Hetz Midget. It has a bronze winter |
| sunlight is necessary even for the | | | | color and a golden green cast to it in |
| non-demanding arborvitae and that's not much. | | | | summer. It's "purty fer shure." |
| If your downtown site is surrounded by tall | | | | |
| walls very close, arborvitae can't be used. | | | | "Tiny Tim" is an American Arborvita that |
| Dense shade conditions do have to be avoided. | | | | grows in hardiness zones 2 through 7, where |
| No plant can grow in total shadow anyway. | | | | minimum wintertime temperatures can go from |
| As for the soil, though moist, well drained, | | | | 10 degrees to as low as 50 degrees below |
| silghlt acidic loam is best, healthy | | | | zero. Minus 50 degrees, Brrrr. In zone 7, |
| arborvitae can grow well in rocky clay. Low | | | | summertime high temperature can reach over |
| maintenance and durable arborvitae are known | | | | 100 degrees. This little Juniper ground |
| for being drought resistant and insect, pest | | | | cover plant of the Cupressacae Family will |
| and disease resistant too. How about that? | | | | grow from just a half a foot to a foot tall |
| | | | and spread as much as a foot and a half wide. |
| Bagworms are the single worst problem for | | | | (Just who was Tiny Tim? He was a popular |
| "arbs," capable of completely defoliating | | | | entertainer/singer right about the same time |
| every last needle leaf on the plant they | | | | Petula Clark was singing "Downtown" in the |
| infest. Yet, as bagworms don't travel | | | | 1960's. How appropriate here for an American |
| downtown quite so often as commuters do, | | | | Arborvita.) |
| usually bagworms are found out in the | | | | |
| countryside, it's "no problem." Very few | | | | Now, when you go to buy your arborvitae, pick |
| deer make it downtown too, so the fact that | | | | out the healthiest, most robust plants that |
| many arborvitae cultivars are deer food is | | | | have no evidence of disease or insect damage. |
| again "no problem," again arborvitae are | | | | Of course, you're thinking, but more than |
| ideal for downtown. | | | | that, the potting medium should also be |
| | | | thoroughly inspected. Most of us don't |
| Now, also make note, some cultivars of | | | | ordinarily remember to do that. The potting |
| arborvitae may require a little bit of | | | | medium should be moist, a rich, dark, loose, |
| pruning. There may be multiple leaders which | | | | "loamy" soil. Look for roots that are |
| can prove to be a detraction for the plant in | | | | growing from the drainage holes or circling |
| confined spaces. Just one occasional cut | | | | the top of the pot or burlap ball and avoid |
| where you see multiple leaders will be all | | | | those plants. |
| that is required, a simple remedy. And, one | | | | |
| other "issue" to mention is salt spray. | | | | Many people choose to buy "arbs" from a mail |
| Excessive salt spray is not good for any | | | | order company. This is perfectly acceptable. |
| landscape plant, yet some species of | | | | However, please realize that most woody |
| arborvitae are "hypersensitive." When actual | | | | plants purchased from mail order catalogs |
| rock salt is used as "snow-melt," the briny | | | | will be shipped "dormant and bare-rooted," |
| water doesn't help any plant's leaves or | | | | that is, without any soil attached to the |
| roots, but for arborvitae, this is their | | | | root system. Such plants may be smaller in |
| "Achilles' Heel." If your downtown site is | | | | size because of the expense of shipping. It |
| very close to the curb on a street where salt | | | | is important to get such plant material |
| is regularly used, and there's a great deal | | | | immediately into soil upon arrival. |
| of snowfall every year, you simply cannot use | | | | Generally, it is best to purchase |
| arborvitae to "decorate with greenery." | | | | one-year-old material from mail order |
| Sorry. It is, in fact, difficult to suggest | | | | companies since this plant material is more |
| what would be a good choice for planting on a | | | | vigorous and will transplant better. Be |
| busy street in a place like downtown Buffalo, | | | | advised, the larger plants which are offered |
| New York, which averages about 200 inches of | | | | often comprise the less vigorous plants held |
| snow in its long winters. | | | | over from previous years to get bigger and |
| | | | stronger. Most large sized arbs are balled |
| At Highland Hill Farm our most popular | | | | and burlapped. Don't buy any arbs more than |
| arborvitae for downtown is the Emerald Green. | | | | 3 feet tall that are bare-rooted. Any plant |
| By the way, many people prefer to spell the | | | | larger than 3 feet tall should be balled and |
| name arbor vitae, because the name is from | | | | burlapped (that's measuring from the top down |
| Latin, "the tree" (arbor) "of life" (vita) | | | | to the uppermost root, not the ground). |
| (vitae when there's more than one). Ohhh... | | | | |
| | | | Our main farm, the Highland Hill Farm, is |
| The hardiness zones for arborvitae are given | | | | located in a solid clay soil in southeastern |
| as low as 2 and as high as 8, where minimum | | | | Pennsylvania close to Doylestown, in the |
| wintertime temperatures get as low as 50 | | | | center of Bucks County. We like plants that |
| degrees below zero to relatively mild 20 | | | | grow well in clay. All arborvita grow well |
| degrees above. That's -50 to +20 on the | | | | enough here, we raise over 15 diferent |
| Fahrenheit thermometer on the coldest winter | | | | varieties for sale, but the Emerald Green |
| night in a particular locality. | | | | Thuja Occidentalis Cultivar, this is our |
| | | | favorite. |
| The Emerald Green Arb is a slow steady | | | | |
| grower, commensurate with downtown | | | | When you stop in to our nursery we would like |
| conditions, adding at most a foot of height | | | | to show you our many variations of |
| each year. Like other arborvitae, not much | | | | arborvitae. We'll take you into the fields |
| water, not much sun, and most any soil are | | | | and show you the plants. There are lots and |
| the non-demanding site requirements. You can | | | | lots of plants to see so don't expect to see |
| plant Emerald Greens as close as 3 feet | | | | them all in 10 minutes. If you call in |
| apart, 4 feet from any walls. When young, | | | | advance it is appreciated so we can set aside |
| protection from wind is a requirement, but | | | | time especially for you. If you are coming |
| using a stake or two adds all the support | | | | from a long distance let's make your drive |
| that's necessary for exceptionally windy | | | | truly worthwhile. |
| locations. Close between two tall buildings | | | | |