If you’re ready for a natural privacy screen but short on space, the Junior Giant Thuja Tree is your solution! An ideal option for planting in smaller yards, the Junior Giant will add vibrant color and texture to any location.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Bred from the famous Green Giant, Junior Giant Thuja has a compact frame that is perfect for creating privacy in smaller spaces with a maximum height of 20 feet. You can install this easy shrub in hedges, borders, and privacy screens. The foliage is a deep-textured green that rarely needs pruning and will stay green all year. This non-flowering shrub is perfect for beginner gardeners or those who want a low-maintenance privacy shrub. It brings a sense of calm and lightness to a border and can increase property value.
Perfect for mass plantings, this shrub features a fantastic evergreen fragrance that will fill you with delight. It grows quickly at a rate of two feet per year to form an upright, uniform shape. Junior Giant grows in zones 5-8 and is cold hardy down to -10°F; it is a lover of heat and humidity and will adapt well to any location. As a bonus, it is incredibly deer resistant and drought tolerant. Junior Giant Arborvitae is perfect for creating the serene privacy you want. You can also plant these shrubs in a container, ideal for framing entryways, or for use for balcony or terrace privacy!
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Plant your Junior Giant thuja tree in a spot that receives full sun — at least six hours of direct light a day.
Watering and Fertilizing
To help the roots become established, for the first month or so after planting, water your Junior Giant thuja tree every other day unless you receive rain.. Taper back to twice a week for the rest of the first growing season. Once established, your tree will only need supplemental watering if you’re experiencing extreme heat or drought conditions. The Junior Giant thuja tree is a light feeder and does not generally need fertilizer. It does benefit from an annual application of compost under the mulch, however.
Planting Instructions
Site your Junior Giant thuja tree in a spot that has well-drained soil and receives at least six hours of sun a day. Avoid planting it under overhead utility cables, as it may interfere with them when mature. Unpot your tree and tease out any encircling roots, which can girdle the tree and slowly kill it. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and two to three times as wide. Place the tree in the hole, spreading out the roots. Holding it upright and steady, fill in around the roots with topsoil, tamping down as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly. Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone to conserve moisture and hinder weed growth, keeping it from touching the trunk itself.
Pruning
The Junior Giant thuja tree doesn’t need regular pruning. It naturally forms a tall pyramidal shape that is quite pleasing. The only pruning duty you’ll have is to monitor the tree for broken, diseased, or damaged limbs, which should be trimmed out when you see them.
Pollination
Thuja trees are monoecious, which means that the male and female reproductive elements are on one tree. It reproduces, like all conifers, by cones that produce pollen and seeds. The pollen is dispersed by wind, fertilizing the seed cones.
Pests and Diseases
Although the Junior Giant thuja tree is resistant to most pests, you may occasionally see bagworms, which make small brown bag-like objects that hang off the tree. Pick these off if you see them; the insects can defoliate your tree. Diseases of the thuja tree include phomopsis twig blight, a fungal disease that causes dieback at the tips of the branches. Prune out damaged leaves and apply a copper fungicide if it spreads. Few animals will bother your thuja tree, although young saplings may be browsed by deer.
III. Uses and Benefits
Junior Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata ‘Junior Giant’) is a versatile, fast-growing evergreen tree perfect for creating privacy screens and windbreaks or as a striking focal point in any landscape. With its lush, dense foliage and uniform, upright growth habit, this compact version of the traditional Giant Arborvitae grows to a manageable height of 15-20 feet, making it ideal for smaller gardens or tight spaces. Its rich green foliage retains its vibrant color year-round, offering a stunning backdrop to your landscape while also providing excellent coverage for privacy and noise reduction.
Whether used in formal hedges, as a natural screen, or as a solitary specimen, Junior Giant Arborvitae is an excellent choice for adding year-round greenery and structure to your garden. Its moderate size makes it suitable for residential landscapes, while its fast growth rate ensures that you’ll have a beautiful, lush privacy hedge or windbreak in just a few years. For gardeners seeking a versatile, easy-care evergreen with lasting visual impact, Junior Giant Arborvitae is an ideal solution.
