American Arborvitae

Highland Hill Farm
Po. Box 517
Fountainville, PA 18923
Call in an order at 215-651-8329
Email Us Your Order

American Arborvitae

These are 7-10' tall in the field.

The American Arborvitae is sometimes called Eastern Arborvitae or Eastern White Cedar. It is in the Cypress Family (Cupressaceae).This arborvitae matures to about 20' tall by 8' wide in the landscape. It can reach 50' x 15'. The American Arborvitae prefers full sun to partial sun in moist but well drained loamy soils but it can tolerate soils that are poor, rocky, clay, compacted, dry, and of various pHs extremely well. The American Arborvitae is very urban tolerant to heat, drought, humidity, and pollution. Do not plant in shady situations as it well not perform well in the shade.

Do you need help in planning or selecting a tree or shrub? Why not email us a picture of the site and let us give you choices for your landscape? We can also have John Murray our in house designer give you a free landscape plan based on the photo. Just let us know what kind of plants you prefer...Evergreen...Natives...Flowering and he will do the rest.

We have thousands of arbs and always have hundreds ready for you to pickup. From 2' to 15' we have inventory balled and burlapped. Don't worry about driving long distances to get to us we can usually deliver. Some jobs we can also deliver and plant.

Our Large American Arborvitae

Arborvitae are commonly used evergreen shrubs or trees useful in urban areas where low maintenance and durability is needed. Many cultivars with forms such as being globed in shape, columnar, or narrow pyramidal, tend to be near buildings, doors, and walkways. Other forms which are larger are used for screens and buffers that are planted in rows. We have the American Arborvitae in the following sizes and prices for pickup:

American Arborvitae 2' B&B....$15
American Arborvitae 3' B&B....$20
American Arborvitae 4' B&B....$35
American Arborvitae 5' B&B....$45
American Arborvitae 6' B&B....$50
American Arborvitae 7' B&B....$65
American Arborvitae 8' B&B....$85

Jamie Hirst grew this Arborvitae from cuttings

Call or email us for prices on delivery and planting...215 651 8329 or Email Us

The form of Arborvitae and its cultivars is small, medium, or large depending on the cultivar. Some reach 50', others only 3'. Most prefer full sun to partial sun. Planting in dense shade conditions should be avoided. A moist , well drained, loamy soil in full sunlight are ideal conditions for growing healthy arborvitae. These plants will tolerate rocky, clay, urban conditions of heat drought and pollution. The most important pest we have is bagworms which must be controlled to prevent complete defoliation. Some cultivars have multiple leaders which also prove to be a detraction for the plant. Pruning out multiple leaders in some cultivars is a simple remedy.
Our most popular American Arborvitae Cultivar is the Emerald Green arborvitae. It is a bright light green color and narrow in shape. It makes a distinctive and impressive natural fence. It is easy to grow ,plant, and keep in shape.

The Hetz Midget arborvitae is a dwarf globe variety. This is a good choice for along walkways and gardens. This is a tough plant that is easy to install and not going to cost a lot. It will maintain its color in the winter and will withstand snow loads well. We carry these plants in 2 and 3 gal. pots. The prices on these dwarfs vary from $15 to $30 depending on size and quantity ordered.

Another small arborvitae that we grow in pots is the Rheingold arborvitae. This is a small globe shaped plant that has a golden green cast to it in the summer and a bronze winter color.
Selecting quality arborvitae for the home landscape :

When you get to the nursery or garden center where you will buy your arborvitae, pick out the healthiest, most robust plants that have no evidence of disease or insect damage. The potting medium should be moist, but not wet, and the roots should well dispersed in the medium. Arborvitae that have roots growing from the drainage holes or circling the top of the pot are less desirable. Many people choose to buy arbs from a mail order company, which is perfectly acceptable. However, realize that most woody plants purchased from mail order catalogs will be shipped dormant and bare root, that is, without any soil attached to the root system. Such plants may be smaller in size because of the expense of shipping. It is important to plant such material immediately upon arrival. Generally it is best to purchase one-year-old material from mail order companies since this material is more vigorous and will transplant better. The larger material that is offered is often composed of the less vigorous plants held over from previous years. Most large sized arbs are balled and burlaped. Don't buy any arbs bare rooted over 3' tall. Any plant larger should be balled and burlaped.

This is a Nigra Arborvita about 12' high. Its single leader is unchanged by a 14" snowfall.
All arborvitae and plants must be sold as we are selling off 150 acres and must cleanout the fields before the dozers arrive!

All arborvitae and plants must be sold as we are selling off 150 acres and must cleanout the fields before the dozers arrive!

These are Emerald Green Arbs, about 3' high. Most of these are a single leader. We have these in quanity up to 6'.

These are easy to transplant..We must sell 3000 of these arborvitae as some of our fields have been sold

These Emerald Greens are 3-4' and starting to fill out well. These plants transplant easily. Arbs have masses of small fiberous roots which allows them to transplant at most times of the year. The Emerald Green has the best year round color, but is narrow in form. In real dry years this plant does not survive as well as the more open arbs such as the American, Techny, Nigra, and Elegantissma. This variety, because its foliage is more dense than other varieties, is less tolerant than more open cultivars. In an urban area with deer problems, this variety will be consumed before the next season. We have in stock and ready to pickup these arbs from seedlings (6-10") to 6-8' trees. All arborvitae and plants must be sold as we are selling off 150 acres and must cleanout the fields before the dozers arrive!

This is an Elegantissima arborvitae hedge that we have used to buffer the street in front of our home. Note the strenght of this plant even with a heavy snow load. The only problem that this hedge has is salt spray from the road. Its a real sound barrier to a busy road which is only 18' from our door. The hedge is 15-18' high and only 4' wide. We have these arbs form 2-3' to 6-8' B&B. All arborvitae and plants must be sold as we are selling off 150 acres and must cleanout the fields before the dozers arrive!

This past spring my neighbor noticed that our arbs have produced mini-like pinecone looking nuggets, which are bronze in color, all over its branches. Some of them dried up and fell off, but most remained. He asked me if they could be lacking acid. He insisted that this was not the normal. He could easily see that there is plenty of new growth. He is worrying needlessly. The fruiting bodies are an indication of the plant�s maturity. Some are more prolific at producing than others. As long as the plants are maintaining their rich full green color there is nothing to worry about.

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The only pests that I really worry about are bagworms.CHECK YOUR ORNAMENTAL SHRUBS FOR BAGWORMS. These can defoliate your nursery stock. June is time to start looking. It's time to inspect junipers, arborvitae and pines .... even broadleaf shrubs and trees like rose, sycamore, willow, beech, maple, elm and black locust.

The bagworm gets its name from its spindle-shaped bag that the caterpillar carries around as it feeds on your plants.

The bag is woven from silk and is covered with bits and pieces of leaves and twigs from the your plant. The bag of a worm feeding on juniper will not look the same as the bag of a worm feeding on willow. Ultimate size will be slightly over one innh and hang down on the plant.

The larva itself is dark brown with a yellow head and yellow and black spots on the body. You will have a tough time opening up the bag to see it. Adult females are wingless and lack usuable legs, eyes and antennae. They are almost maggot-like, and seldom seen. Adult males are typical moths, black and densely hairy. Wings are nearly clear with a span of about an inch. I have never seen one in our nurseries only in pictures. The problem with bagworms is that they defoliate them. Heavy populations kill will an ornamental arborvitae and juniper. But control is possible.

The larvae hatch from overwintering eggs in the spring usually in May. Each larvae spins a silken bag that it carries about while it feeds on the plants foliage. As it inlarges, the larva enlarges the bag as it keeps adding bits of foliage as camouflage. Many people don't know that the bag is there because it looks like a seed pod on shrub or tree.

Because the larval stage is the only mobile stage, one bush can have a high population and another one several feet away can be free of bagworms. Several parasites feed on bagworms. Birds eat them and the worms can be killed by low winter temperatures.

A very effective control is to pick the bags off the host plant in the winter.

Young bagworms are especially sensitive to the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This is commercially available under the trade name Dipel.

The disease caused by the bacterium affects only the moth larvae and is very safe to use. Always read and follow label directions before treatment. Best results will be obtained when spraying in late afternoon or early evening.

Treat early when you first notice the bagworms, since small larvae are easier to kill. Other insecticides which will control bagworms include acephate (Orthene) and carbaryl (Sevin). There are some mites, midges and bettles that can be problematic. Rusts, make the tree unsightly don't harm this tree but can effect other plants such as pines and apple trees. If you are looking for a hardy, native evergreen, for a constrution or landscape site that needs little care, this is your tree. We have plenty of seedlings and B&B trees upto 6' ready for your pickup. Its best to call in advance if you want more than 10 as we will dig them fresh for you.

Thanks, Bill Hirst Disclaimer

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American Arborvitae

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