Thuja Plicata 'Excelsa': Fast-Growing Hedge

Thuja Plicata Excelsa

This tree is excellent for privacy and can be pruned to create an evergreen hedge or left natural. The main advantage of this tree is that it is very adaptable and requires little maintenance. In addition, it is deer- resistant, which makes it ideal for rural areas.

It also tolerates wintry temperatures and will add color to your garden all year round.

Growing Thuja Plicata Excelsa

Over the last few years, the popularity of this tree has increased significantly due to its exceptional screening properties. The beautiful tree maintains its dark green color through the year. When grown under optimal conditions, the tree can reach a height of 45m and a width 10m after 10 to 20 years.

Why you should grow Thuja Plicata Excelsa for hedging purposes

This tree has many great features that make it an excellent hedge plant. Here are a few reasons as to why you should use it for hedging:

• Maintains its evergreen color throughout the year
• Its foliage has a sweet pineapple smell when crushed
• It has an upright conical growth habit which is ideal for hedging
• It is very hardy
• It can be cut excellently and is ideal for a formal or information hedge
• It’s a low-maintenance hedge plant as it only needs to be pruned once or twice a year
• It also has a fast-growing habit
• Deer resistant, making it ideal for rural areas
• It also grows well in urban climates
• It can be used as windbreaks
• It grows well in most conditions, but prefers cultivated soil
• It’s sturdy and beautify tree with a nice pyramidal shape
• Its attractive forest green foliage emerges light green in spring

Where to grow

Thuja Plicata Excelsa grows well in full sun to partial shade. It appreciates average to moist conditions and should not be put at risk of drought stress. Plant in most, well-drained soil and protect young trees from drying winds. 

The tree is somewhat tolerant to urban pollution and will appreciate being planted in relatively sheltered locations. You should also consider applying a layer of mulch around  in winter to protect it in colder microclimates or exposed locations.

How to plant

To establish quickly and grow into a healthy tree, you have to plant it correctly. Follow these simple steps to make this process smooth and successful:

1. Give the plant a good soak in the clod
2. Finding a location with suitable planting conditions for ThujaPlicataExcelsa and get rid of grass and other weeds to eliminate competition for water and nutrients
3. Dig a trench twice as wide and same height as the clod and ensure that the sides of the trench are straight
4. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the trench and amend some soil from the trench with well-rotten manure
5. Place the clod at the center of the trench and ensure that the clod does not protrude above the ground level
6. Fill back the amended soil into the trench and top with garden soil as you firm it down with your foot
7. Water the soil to settle around the roots of the plant
8. Apply a layer of mulch around the plant, careful not to touch the trunk as this will cause rotting
9. Water the plant thoroughly

Tips

Avoid skin contact with the tree as this may cause irritation

Water the plant thoroughly during the first growing season

Young Thuja Plicata Excelsa plants should be protected from drying winds

Spacing

Spacing is very important when you want to create a hedge with these trees. Planting far apart will take a long time to form a hedge whereas planting too close will lead to overcrowding. The recommended spacing distance for these coniferous trees is two to three plants per meter.

Care & Advice

• Watering

Thuja Plicata Excelsa prefers moist, well-drained soil. It is recommended to water these trees thoroughly but less often, especially for new plantings or summer. Add fresh application of mulch every year to moderate root temperature and suppress weeds. You will also need to keep the mulch a few centimeters away from the trunk of the tree as mentioned above

• Fertilizer

Augment new planting areas with a handful of bonemeal. You may also want to use transplant fertilizer. After the first year, apply Arts GardenPro Evergreen fertilizer in spring. Use a balance fertilizer to encourageroot development and green growth. Don’t fertilize after August.

• Pruning

A mentioned above, you only need to prune your Thuja Plicata Excelsa plants once or twice a year. This is important in ensuring that your hedge gets a dense outside. You also need to cut the hedge thin at the top and wide at the bottom. This is to ensure that the whole plant receives enough light from the sun.

Advantages

• Very hardy
• Fast-growing coniferous
• Easy care
• Foliage produces a pineapple scent when crushed
• Ideal for formal or informal hedges
• Its upright conical growth habit ideal for hedging
• Grows in many types of soils
• Retains its evergreen color all year round

Should I buy Thuja Plicata Excelsa for hedging?

As we have discussed above, Thuja Plicata Excelsa makes an excellent hedge plant. It has an upright growth habit which makes it easy to create a hedge. In addition it requires pruning only once or twice a year, making it a low-maintenance hedge plant. And if you are the kind of person who loves the sweet scent of pineapple, these trees will bring it to your garden when winds blow into them.

It grows well in many types of soils except waterlogged soils and should be watered deeply during the first growing season. The fact that it maintains its evergreen color throughout the year means your garden will look beautiful year in year out. So, it is safe to say that this is one of the best hedge plants you can grow in your garden