i do not have actual experience ....

where are you... with a little more specificity that mid atlantic ...

how many hours of sun do you actually have ... lack of full sun ... or reduced hours ... excepting total shade .... usually only reduces annual growth rate and fullness ... most things dont simply fail ... they just dont perform to expectations ...

what are you trying to accomplish??

ken

Thank you.

Annapolis, MD to be specific. Trying to block view of neighbor’s house. I just took out a Green Giant that was doing well until drought hit. It was about twelve feet. Gets some sun, then sits in between tree canopies.

I’d do skip laurels but worry about my dogs, as skips can be toxic.

Thanks!

photo just taken. 9:30 am

Not the same plant at all as Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd', aka Emerald Green !! (this is where common names like "arborvitae" become confusing :-)) They are of the same hybrid parentage as 'Green Giants' - a T. plicata/standishii cross. So just as shade tolerant as the GG's are but in a smaller size. And more tolerant of summer heat and humidity than the standard American arborvitae is for southern gardens.

ETA: unless you have a very unusual dog, any kind of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus or caroliniana) is not the slightest bit appealing to them and can be used safely without concern for toxicity with any dogs beyond the puppy chewing stage.

i grow on sand ... in summer MI heat .... and havent watered my GG in 20 years ... since the summer they were planted .... i am surprised ... you would have lost a GG to drought ...

how long was yours there?? .. was it fully established???

ken

Thanks, Gardengal. Yes, my dogs won’t chew anything, I was worried about berries dropping. Stuff on the ground, yes, they might eat.

Ken_adrian. GG was in the ground well over ten years. Lost two camellias I planted nearby, as well. I brought a branch of the GG to the owner of local garden center and he said it wasn’t disease, as I thought it would be, but the drought.

i love the thought of the skips, but also wouldn’t mind Alice Oakleaf Hydrangeas. Not worried about winter view, so deciduous would be ok. Was hoping Virginians would work because I love the look.

Many thanks for the help!

What kind of drought conditions do you get in Annapolis?? I'd have a hard time imagining them to be severe enough to kill off camellias or the GG's!!

Here in the PNW we get consisently less annual rainfall than you (by almost 10 inches!!) and virtually none during the summer months (June through to the end of September) so a recurring summer drought area. Yet established GG's, camellias and virtually all other established plantings need almost no additional irrigation to withstand our dry summers.

I think your problem - whatever it was - was misdiagnosed.

Apparently, there was a big drought. But I agree. I’ll post pictures of the branches when I get home. Camellias were a year old. I have to admit, I neglect that part of the yard. Otherwise, I would have watered.

Lelands, emerald greens, and limelights on the other side of the yard are fine.

if one side of the yard is in drought.. then i wonder what kind of trees are creating the shade...

im thinking water super competitors like big old maples ...

ken

Maryland had a flash drought coupled with record breaking heat temps. It was a hot dry one for sure...
Many trees south of the op's location suffered...

As Temperatures Rise, “Flash Drought” Takes Hold across South

Areas have gone from near-record wetness to drought conditions in just a matter of months

Alley_cat. Yes it was odd. Last summer we got soaked, this year nothing.

Usually during a heavy soaker that area of the yard gets runoff from the higher ground behind me. I suspect since that didn‘t happen this year, the competing trees got any of the water near the GG. It was close to a dogwood, and there are many, many old sweet gums, oaks, maples in the area.

Back to the drawng board.

btw: i have lilacs on my circular drive .... in drought.. they start going limp .. i dont care ... lol.. they are run it over with the truck plants ... but it does give me an indication of drought.. so i start thinking about other plants that i do need to water ... they also trigger me to look around town and i start noticing all kinds of signs of drought ... and that is when i start giving them long.. slow.. deep drinks ... getting moisture down into the entire root zone ... not just a little shower on the leaves ... perhaps whatever you plant.. you could also plant a few perennials that would give you an indication of water problems ...

it really sounds like its a watering issue ... a fully established tree oughtn't need supplemental water .. except in severe drought [which it seems you had] ... and even then.. one good soaking in august might have avoided the problem ... leave the hose on trickle for a couple hours .... and it should survive ...

of course ... new transplants need to get fully established before they attain any drought avoidance.. so regardless.. you would be in for a few years of making sure it has adequate moisture ....

i think you are trying to solve an issue through plant selection.. when the problem might be more along the lines of a watering problem ....

ken

btw: i have lilacs on my circular drive .... in drought.. they start going limp .. i dont care ... lol.. they are run it over with the truck plants ... but it does give me an indication of drought.. so i start thinking about other plants that i do need to water ... they also trigger me to look around town and i start noticing all kinds of signs of drought ... and that is when i start giving them long.. slow.. deep drinks ... getting moisture down into the entire root zone ... not just a little shower on the leaves ... perhaps whatever you plant.. you could also plant a few prennials that would give you an indication of water problems ...

ps: all that said ... good odds you got that once in 10-20 year drought ... and it might never be a problem again ... like we just got 11 inches of snow 10 days ago ... that was a once in 10 - 20 year early snow dump ...

Thanks Ken!

Trust me, if I had any indication my tree was dying I would have pulled all stops to save it. Can’t stand to see a healthy tree cut down or die.

Whatever I put I will definitely be more aware of watering. I was out there watering everything else, didn’t think to water the GG.