Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald"

Has any one grown this in poorly drained soil? It is noted to be tolerant of wet soils and occasional flooding. I need a screen in a fairly damp area. Also, how is the winter color?

Susan K

I have a one of the 'globe' type, can't remember the exact name. But it's in heavy clay in an area that receives runoff from rain. So it stays pretty moist definitly through winter and spring or whenever it's raining a lot. It's doing very well there.

It's in this photo, to the left, but to the right of the holly.


This message was edited Jan 28, 2005 9:12 AM

Sfk....you can plant it a taddy high also, so the crown is just above the moisture....maybe1/2 to 1"...old landscaper's trick....

Thanks for the advice. I will be planting on the high side due to tree roots anyway. I can't add much soil because of them, either. We'll just have to see how it does!

Susan K

It should do fine. Thuja are native to swampy areas so damp, heavy soil should not cause any problems. Emerald stays quite green through the winter while most others turn a bronzy colour.

Susan, if those tree roots are from trees that will shade the Thuja planting significantly, the shade will present worse problems for them than will the wet soil. They probably will survive, but their vigor, uniformity, and density will be affected if the shade is heavy.

If you have flooding from active flowage (rather than backwater or poor drainage) then you'll have to be ready for mechanical damage as well. Flood waters carry ice and/or debris, and if they flow fast and deep enough your planting could be leveled. Installing a strong fencepost upstream of each tree might help.

Finally, using that single species and selection in a large planting is an invitation for bagworms and other pests to leapfrog from tree to tree, so watch for that too. If possible, consider using a mixture of species, and try to design the planting pattern as a positive landscape element rather than merely a screen.

Guy S.

The area does not have a strong flow, even during heavy rain. The trees are to the north, and have thin canopies- the lot was just cleared. I'm not expecting the first row of trees to survive very long due to the construction and the added soil- the builder added quite a bit of soil to the cleared area.

The screening needed is not very long, I'm thinking 5 or 7 ought to do it, with other plants along the ends and in front. My thought is bayberry, with winterberry, but the person I'm helping wanted Leyland cypress. I thought the Thuja would be a close match, while tolerating the poor drainage better. I also like anise-tree, Illicium, but it is not fast enough. I'll use it in the screen as well. It's a tough spot!

I appreciate your input- Susan K

I'm with you Susan, the lacy look and the green of the T. 'Emerald' will look much better, besides they're listed as fast growers (12-15'!). I'm designing a row for my MIL's new house, with a 2 story house behind her. They are narrow growers tho, only 3-4 feet so plant them close. Take a pic when you're done, would love to see them!

I have 4 "emeralds", two on the south side of my yard in full sun, and two on the east side, sheltered by tall deciduous trees and some hemlock. They have been in for 3 years and every winter the two east ones always have dieback on the shaded side. Shade is definitely the culprit. The neighbors recently cleared out a lot of the hemlock that was diseased so I'm giving it till the spring- if they dieback this year I'll move them. By the way they always recover by the middle of summer, but I'm worried that they are stressed and will get some disease.