Do deer eat green giant arborvitae? - Chef's Resource (2024)

FAQs

Will deer eat green giant arborvitaes? ›

Deer don't care for Western arborvitaes, like green giant, steeplechase or spring grove. So, if you plant these, they may leave them alone. Though, when deer are very hungry, they become less picky and will eat almost anything, including those deer-resistant arborvitaes.

Green Giant Arborvitae

It seems to have inherited extreme deer-resistance from its Western Red Cedar parent, because they don't touch this one either. It grows fast, which is another bonus since it can quickly become a tall enough hedge to discourage them from trying to leap over it or go through it.

Arborvitae can be sensitive - A major draw for arborvitae is that they are low maintenance, but this is only true if you can give them ideal conditions. They will quickly brown in a drought and poorly tolerate dry winds and salt. The typical response to stress is to brown and drop needles, sometimes permanently.

Answer: When a prolonged period of snow cover deprives deer of food on the ground, deer often feed on trees and shrubs in woodlands, windbreaks, and home landscapes. Among evergreens, arborvitae and yews are most susceptible to browsing by deer in winter.

Bare branches without needles likely won't grow back after a deer's gotten to them. But if there is some green growth left, there's hope for your arborvitae! Trim off the branches that are bare, brown or beyond repair. Then, give it water and fertilizer as needed.

A popular fence with nurseries, parks, and arboreta, plastic fence is the best, first line of defense to keep deer away from your arborvitae. We can even go beyond just protecting arborvitae to include all conifers. Since all conifers are susceptible to deer damage, plastic fence is the best fence remedy.

Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae Spacing

For a living privacy screen or hedge, a windbreak, or a snow break, position Green Giants 5-6 feet apart. Or better yet for a unique green giant hedge, plant them in two rows, 4 feet apart, with the trees staggered 8-15 feet apart within each row.

With potential growth rates of 3 to 5 feet per year, its ability to adapt to most soil types, and its tolerance to shade and drought, the Green Giant is a low-maintenance species that is fast to grow and easy to maintain, even for the novice gardener.

The genus name Thuja is the Greek name for Juniper (Juniperus). The specific epithet plicata means 'pleated' while standishii honors English nurseryman John Standish (1809-1875). In optimal growing conditions, Green Giant arborvitae can grow 3 to 4 feet per year! It has an average lifespan of 40-60 years.

Either variety will create a lush, dense privacy hedge. The Emerald Green is a better fit for tight spaces around driveways and property borders due to its smaller size, while the Green Giant is a good fit for large spaces needing to be filled.

Which is better cypress or green giant arborvitae? ›

While both the Leyland Cypress and the Thuja Green Giant have impressively easy growth, the Thuja Green Giant in particular is known for its disease resistance. Thujas have no significant insect or disease problems, which means you'll get fast-growing privacy without worrying about spraying your trees.

A few of the most common include: catmint (Nepeta), bee balm (Monarda), lavender (Lavandula), salvia/sage (Salvia), creeping thyme (Thymus), ornamental onion (Allium), Russian sage (Perovskia), ornamental oregano (Origanum), anise hyssop (Agastache) and yarrow (Achillea).

The Green Giant was bred to have superior pest-resistant qualities, and thus, it isn't a tree that deer will typically choose to eat. Keep in mind, however, that if there aren't other food sources available, deer will occasionally snack on them.

The most cost-effective deer fencing with the easiest install is the plastic deer fence. A popular fence with nurseries, parks, and arboreta, plastic fence is the best, first line of defense to keep deer away from your arborvitae.

Deer are especially fond of arborvitae foliage, as are porcupines, squirrels, rabbits, hares and beavers. Many songbirds eagerly consume the seeds and make their nests in the tree's branches.

Like deer, hungry rabbits will eat a variety of plants, but among their favorites are crabapples, plums, cherries and other fruit trees, maples, yews, burning bush, serviceberries and arborvitae as well as viburnums, hydrangeas and smokebush.