skip to main content

Has anyone in Southern Calif. planted a Green Giant Thuja?

13 years ago

I am in Glendale of Southern Ca. My Zone is either 9 or 8-11. I have a privacy problem and want to plant Green Giant Thujas to create privacy from the neighbors. I am trying to find out if anyone out there has planted these in Southern Calif and how they are doing. According to Monrovia Nursery it is too hot here. According to others, it may work. Perhaps installing a mister to keep the humidity high would work. There is also the Leland Cypress that was recommended in place of the the Thuja. I need a fast growing and clean (the neighbors dislike leaves) and at least 20' high. I would appreciate any feedback you can give me on this. Thank you! smooregrow

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

scotjute Z8
13 years ago
I planted one GG last year in Z8 Texas with drought of about 23" of rain for the year, no growth visible. This year is much wetter, and it has grown about 6". My impression is that it will do ok here once established but will not provide the advertised 3-4 ft. yearly growth.

We have several 5 yr. old Leyland Cypress that suffered die-back and we watered to save those remaining. Saw several Leyland die last year in other settings around here. 23" rainfall is insufficient for them. Don't think they will survive well with much less than 32"/yr. How much rainfall do y'al get?
Have you considered Arizona Cypress or Eastern Red Cedar? They are both able to survive on 23" of rainfall and make a nice screen.
pineresin
13 years ago
I'd go for one of Calif's native cypresses - much better adapted to the climate. Try Piute Cypress (Cupressus nevadensis) from the southernmost Sierra Nevada, or either of Tecate Cypress (C. forbesii) or Cuyamaca Cypress (C. stephensonii), both native to the hills east of San Diego, for best growth in the south of CA.

Leyland Cypress is a non-starter in CA away from the fog belt; it succumbs very quickly to Seiridium canker.

If you want to look at cypresses to compare between them, go to the Rancho Santa Anna Botanic Gardens at Anaheim. They have a comprehensive collection.

Resin
Related Discussions
Fruit Trees
Q
Comments (93)
We reside in Chicago, but our heart is out west. About ten years ago my husband had a Meyer lemon tree shipped to us. In lives out side from May through October inside through the winter where we enjoy the fragrance of its blooms if you are not familiar think gardenia. We average about 40 lemons a year we do share some while most are used for lemon drop martinis. It is a pleasure to share with the locals that citrus has varieties and for those who are very unfamiliar a band-aid after they encounter a spike. For those who are having trouble growing their lemon trees ours is potted, we use only organic potting soil and citrus food. We did pay more for a larger tree and had lemons the second year.
...See More
POLL: Real or Fake Grass?
Q
Comments (195)
Global SYN Turf....I have been to San Diego many times...have relatives there...and maybe I haven't been in the neighborhoods where you have installed fake grass because I have never seen it in any neighborhood that I have been in. What I see is people choosing smaller yards or more concrete. It might be nice to have artificial turf if you want a small putting green in your yard. However, I grew up with sheep, a goat, rabbit, parrots, several dogs, chickens in a chicken pen, and now I have a cat. And we kept the sheep and goats in a separate yard than the lawn and the chickens had their own enclosed area. But there has never been a problem with having real grass and having dogs and cats. My cat needs to eat grass for his digestion and thats also how cats clean their teeth. My dogs were trained to go to the bathroom in one corner in the garden area so the lawn wasn't dirty. Maybe some places need to restrict water use but not all people everywhere need too. And how are you saving water if you have to cool down the fake turf on hot days using cold water? And when the turf wears out it goes to the garbage dump. Grass is natural and won't harm the planet by ending up in the garbage dump. And does raking the leaves off the lawns or using the lawn mower to pick up the leaves damage the turf? Because I refuse to live in a neighborhood where I have to wake up hearing people using their blowers to get rid of the leaves from the trees...and possibly blow their leaves into my yard. Some kinds of fake turf are nice to look at...but if you want to play and lay on it it's not like the real thing.
...See More
Help,we need to block our nosey neighbors!,,,,,,,,
Q
Comments (34)
Leland Cypress trees,Thuja Green Giant both grow really fast 3-4 ft a year and get tall great staying green for privacy all year round. Neighbor spats can spiral out of control surprisingly quick. Best to avoid them and if they do anything try to not let them get the best of you or under your skin. Just plant the trees in front of windows first then add more when ever you can afford more even if it is one at a time until that side of house, yard is protected/blocked from their prying eyes. You can also buy rolls of bamboo made for privacy or shade from Lowes/HomeDepot that you could put up outside of house in sections in front of each of the windows just using tree stakes,tall pieces of rebar,or tall metal fence post to hold the bamboo up. Another similar idea is to put chicken wire/stucco wire on some tall pieces of rebar or fence posts in front of windows 3 ft or so away from house then grow some fast growing vine on wire such as Trumpet vines,Jasmine,Honeysuckle,Virginia creeper. Some vines would not be good in winter when leaves are lost. You could even grow them on the bamboo making it more beautiful or even fragrant,while providing food,nectar for hummingbirds,bees,& butterflies
...See More
Green Giant trees dying
Q
Comments (7)
Near Columbia South Carolina, we planted 40 Thuja Green Giants along our back fence in 2009. Some have grown to be over 20 feet tall, while most are around 10 feet. They are all on a common dripper system. Each tree has four 0.5 gph drippers spaced and just inside tree canopy. The drippers are operated five hours (10 gallons per tree) once per week in the summer and less in the winter. Over about the last four years, we have lost 6 trees. They always die in the same manner: first, one lower branch turns brown while the rest of the tree stays green, then the whole tree starts yellowing, then the whole tree turns brown. The process takes a few months. Last year, we lost one of our 20' trees. This year, we are losing two more of the 20' trees. The rest of the remaining trees look healthy, but I have sadly resigned myself to the conclusion that they eventually all will die unless I can figure a solution. A couple of years ago, we took a lower branch that had turned brown to the agricultural extension for examination. No apparent cause of stess/death was found. Any educated advice would be appreciated.
...See More
pineresin
13 years ago
Ooops! Make that Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden!

Website at the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
Soni
4 days ago
last modified: 4 days ago
We have planted rows of them successfully in some spots and unsuccessfully in others that receive day long direct sunlight.

They need a ton of care, water, fertilizer, a good landscaper, worry... I’m giving up on them in the direct sunlight spots. Hope that helps.

When I had them layered with white roses, architecture, small hedges, and a deciduous tree or two (to break up the sunlight) they took very nicely. See profile photo. Enjoy!

From the Inland Empire

Related Stories

INSPIRING GARDENS Native Plants Bring 10 Southern California Front-Yard Gardens to Life

By Annie Thornton

Rare plants, rain gardens and wildlife habitats are just a few of the features showcased on the 2016 Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Crinum Americanum

By Falon Land Studio LLC

Bright white flowers with thin delicate petals grace this water-loving southern lily

GARDENING GUIDES Great Garden Combo: 3 Wonderful Plants for a Deer-Resistant Screen

Protect your privacy and keep deer at bay with a planting trio that turns a problem garden area into a highlight

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Anise Hyssop Delights Licorice Lovers

By Pollination Press LLC

With its distinct scent and flower spikes, drought-tolerant Agastache foeniculum stirs interest among humans and winged creatures alike

LANDSCAPE DESIGN The 7 Best Plant Types for Creating Privacy and How to Use Them

By Falon Land Studio LLC

Follow these tips for using different kinds of plants as living privacy screens

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

HOUSEPLANTS 8 Essentials for Healthy Indoor Plants

By Balance Garden Design

Houseplants add so much to our homes — and can thrive when grown in the right conditions. Keep these tips in mind

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

SPRING GARDENING Top 10 Scented Plants for Your Garden

By Carol Bucknell Garden Design

A palette of perfumed plants can transform even the smallest of gardens into a sensory delight

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Retreat to the Shade of Hardy Catalpa

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Big foliage and a towering height provide a shady respite in summer, but that's not all hardy catalpa offers dedicated gardeners

More Discussions

Picea Health Question

11

Greenhouse questions

20

How often do you water young Glauca Pencil Pines?

12

What happens after a Leland Cypress trunk is pruned?

5

Winter woes (not really)

12