How to Use Arborvitaes in Your Landscape

Create a privacy screen by planting a row of arborvitae to separate your property from surrounding distractions and prying eyes. Use Eastern arborvitae "Emerald Green," which grows to 15 feet high but only 3- to 4-feet wide, to separate a small urban garden and patio from neighboring yards. On a larger property, block the view and noise of street traffic with Thuja plicata "Green Giant," a fast-growing arborvitae that spreads to 20 feet wide and 50 feet high.

Accent your home's architecture, or downplay its less stellar features, with arborvitae foundation plantings. At a corner of the house, place Thuja occidentalis "Nigra" with its 20-foot height, columnar form and dark green foliage that highlight the structure's dimensions. Emphasize the house's vertical plane with a row of round 3-by-3-foot Thuja occidentalis "Hetz Midget' planted along the front wall.

Establish a focal point to draw the eye across an expanse of lawn or garden. Set a single Thuja occidentalis "Peabody" at the far end of a smaller property where the shrubs' gold-tipped foliage, bronze coloring in winter and 10-foot height attract attention. On a very long or wide property, a grouping of three to five arborvitae placed near a corner adds definition to the land's boundaries.

Compose a grouping of arborvitae mixed with complementary evergreens in an island bed. Place the small Thuja occidentalis "Rheingold" with its copper-toned foliage next to a large, blue juniper and several light-green dwarf conifers for a dramatic landscaping statement. Set up a short row of deep green arborvitae as a backdrop for a perennial flower bed or to anchor a collection of rhododendrons, azaleas and other flowering shrubs.