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American Pillar Arborvitae, tall narrow evergreen conifer used for privacy screening

American Pillar Arborvitae – 3 or 7 Gallon Container

$68.00

$149.00

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American Pillar Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'American Pillar')

American Pillar Arborvitae is a fast-growing, narrowly upright evergreen for a living privacy screen. American Pillar can reach roughly 25 feet tall while staying around 4 feet wide. The vigorous growth that makes it useful for screening also means planting distance and long-term height deserve careful planning. This is a strong choice along boundaries where a broad, spreading evergreen would consume too much garden space. Gardeners looking for a plant with a clear role in the landscape will appreciate its combination of visual interest and practical growing character.

Why Gardeners Love American Pillar Arborvitae

- Dense evergreen foliage: The closely held foliage creates a substantial green backdrop that remains attractive when deciduous hedges have dropped their leaves.

- A slim silhouette: Its narrow habit lets gardeners establish a vertical accent or privacy row without surrendering as much lawn or planting-bed space.

- Fast vertical growth: When growing conditions are favorable, its relatively vigorous upright growth helps a new screening project take shape over successive seasons.

- Its columnar habit: This columnar form is especially useful along fences and property boundaries, where wider evergreens could eventually crowd walkways.

- Hardy foliage provides: Evergreen branches maintain visual structure in winter, giving nearby perennials and ornamental grasses a consistent background.

Where to Plant American Pillar Arborvitae

American Pillar can reach roughly 25 feet tall while staying around 4 feet wide. The vigorous growth that makes it useful for screening also means planting distance and long-term height deserve careful planning. This is a strong choice along boundaries where a broad, spreading evergreen would consume too much garden space. Consider the plant's mature dimensions and the way its color or texture will interact with neighboring plants throughout the year. Leave adequate room for healthy growth and place it where its most distinctive features can be enjoyed from a path, patio or window.

Growing and Care Tips

Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil. Water deeply during establishment, especially through the first growing season, and mulch without covering the trunk. Space plants for their mature width and air movement rather than crowding them for an instant wall. It is listed for USDA zones 3–8. Newly planted shrubs and vines benefit from careful watering through their first growing season. Check soil moisture below the surface before irrigating; conditions vary with rainfall, temperature and soil type. A thin layer of organic mulch helps moderate soil temperatures and suppress weeds, but should not touch stems or trunks.

Explore a Related Plant

For another option to compare in your garden design, see our Green Giant Arborvitae. Select a planting site based on mature size, light exposure and drainage rather than flower color or foliage alone.

Description

More Info

Mature Height: 25'

Mature Width: 4'

Flower Season: Does not flower

Sun: Full Sun

Hardiness Zone: 3 to 8

This plant is suitable for the low temperates below:

Temp (F)

Zone

Temp (C)

-40 to -30

-40.0 to -34.4

-30 to -20

-34.4 to -28.9

-20 to -10

-28.9 to -23.3

-10 to 0

-23.3 to -17.8

0 to 10

-17.8 to -12.2

10 to 20

-12.2 to -6.7

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How fast does American Pillar Arborvitae grow?

In favorable conditions this vigorous arborvitae can put on several feet of growth in a year, although actual growth depends on soil, water, climate and establishment. Avoid treating a maximum growth claim as a guarantee.

2. How wide does American Pillar Arborvitae become?

Its mature spread is listed around 4 feet, with a height near 25 feet. That narrow profile is why it is popular for tall privacy screens where planting space is limited.

3. Where should I plant American Pillar Arborvitae?

Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil. Water deeply during establishment, especially through the first growing season, and mulch without covering the trunk. Space plants for their mature width and air movement rather than crowding them for an instant wall. It is listed for USDA zones 3–8.

4. How much space does American Pillar Arborvitae need?

American Pillar can reach roughly 25 feet tall while staying around 4 feet wide. The vigorous growth that makes it useful for screening also means planting distance and long-term height deserve careful planning. This is a strong choice along boundaries where a broad, spreading evergreen would consume too much garden space.

5. What makes American Pillar Arborvitae useful in a landscape?

A fast-growing, narrowly upright evergreen for a living privacy screen. Dense evergreen foliage offers year-round coverage; a slim silhouette fits tighter property lines.