What Trimming Evergreen Trees Can Do

Green Giant Arborvitae

Green Giant Arborvitae is a fast-growing evergreen tree with vibrant, emerald-green foliage, a tall, columnar shape, and dense branching, making it a popular choice for privacy screens and windbreaks in landscaping. It is a highly advantageous and versatile evergreen tree widely used in landscaping. Belonging to the Cupressaceae family, this tree offers many benefits, making it an extent choice for various outdoor spaces. Green Giant Arborvitae gets its name from its huge size. They can expand as towering as 60 feet with a diameter of 18 or more feet. These massive trees are part of the Cupressaceae or cypress family. Their scientific name is Thuja standishii x plicata. Although, that's often shorted to just the Thuja Green Giant. This evergreen got its start in 1967 when a single tree made its way to the U.S. National Arboretum from Denmark. Recognizing the positive landscaping qualities of this evergreen, propagations were sent out. Today, it's known for its ability to adapt to numerous climates. The Hybrid Green Giant Arborvitae The Thuja standishii x plicata is a hybrid tree. It was created in Denmark in 1937, using the Thuja Plicate or Western Red Cedar and the Thuja Standishii or Japanese Arborvitae. While it was being sent out from the U.S. National Arboretum, The massive evergreen was confused with the T. Occidentalis Giganteoides. Luckily, the tree's true roots were uncovered by three botanists from the New York Botanic Garden, USNA, and Holden Arboretum. Once its true roots were known, it was given its current name in order to delineate it from other similar evergreen trees. Identifying the Green Giant Arborvitae The Thuja standishii x plicata has a fast growth rate of three to five feet per year. At thirty years old, it averages 30 feet in height and can continue to grow up to 60 feet. It's characterized by its cone shape and the uniform appearance of its foliage. Best Places to Plant the Green Giant Arborvitae Due to its massive size, this tree does well in large yards and parks where Leyland Cypress may not be desirable. Benefits of the Thuja Standishii X Plicata The Thuja standishii x plicata keeps its color all year, even through winter. Gardeners with large yards can plant these evergreens in order to create natural privacy barriers. These trees are known to attract deer who forage for food, and birds tend to make their nests in them. Gardeners and landscapers love the Thuja standishii x plicata for its rapid growth and ability to create privacy screens. These trees work best for larger properties.

Sweet Bay Magnolia

The Sweet Bay Magnolia is a medium-sized evergreen tree with highly fragrant white flowers and elliptical leaves, often found in wetlands and coastal areas. It is a versatile and visually appealing tree that offers a range of benefits when incorporated into landscaping projects. This magnolia species contributes to the aesthetic beauty, structure, and functionality of outdoor spaces with distinctive features and adaptability. One of the standout benefits of using it in landscaping is its graceful appearance. Sweet Bay Magnolia also called the "beaver tree," "castor-wood,' and "swamp sassafras," is an ornamental, semi-evergreen plant that is known for its fragrant flowers, scarlet-red fruit, and lush foliage. Colonists introduced the plant into European gardens in the late 1600s, where it was welcomed with open arms. The Native Habitat Of Sweet Bay Magnolia Native to the eastern and southeastern Atlantic coasts of the United States, it grows naturally in swamps and shaded and open woodlands. This late-blooming tree flowers from late April to July and can bear fruit from July through October. The Appearance Of Sweet Bay Magnolia It can reach 10 to 35 feet tall, sometimes reaching a 50-foot height in the deep South. Its compound, slender, upright trunks branch out horizontally and support shiny, three-to-six-inch-long oblong leaves that are dark green on top with silvery-white undersides. They contrast with the plant's creamy-white, cup-shaped blooms that scent the air with a delicate, sweet, lemony fragrance. Each solitary blossom has up to twelve petals and measures two to three inches in diameter. The flowers will open after dawn and close up at twilight, lasting for two to three days. Fruits appear later as clusters of bright red seeds. Sweet Bay Magnolia In the Garden Gardeners appreciate it for its ornamental appeal in a variety of landscape designs. It works well in large gardens and along woodland edges. The tree is adaptable enough to suit patios and borders where its aromatic fragrance can be appreciated. Wetter sites near ponds can also accommodate this plant nicely. Since the blooming season is relatively late, frost is rarely a concern. The Ecology Sweet Bay Magnolia Those who want to enhance biodiversity in their landscapes will find that it makes a wonderful habitat for birds and small mammals. The tree's fruit attracts a variety of songbirds, woodpeckers, wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, and many more species as well. Many birds use the plant's leaves to construct their nests. Squirrels and chipmunks also find food and shelter in the magnolia's dense foliage, and deer browse its leaves and twigs all year. If you're looking for a handsome plant that will bring aromatic beauty to your yard, it is sure to bring pleasure for many seasons to come.