Minnesota's Native Evergreen for Hedges, Screens, and Windbreaks

American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), also known as Eastern White Cedar, is the wild parent of nearly every garden arborvitae - and a tough, adaptable evergreen in its own right. Native to Minnesota's swamps, ridges, and shorelines, it forms a dense pyramid 20-40 feet tall and thrives where other conifers struggle. An economical, fast choice for big hedges, rural screens, and windbreaks.

American Arborvitae Plant Details

American Arborvitae Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Tall Privacy Screens and Hedges

American Arborvitae is the classic Minnesota privacy plant — dense, evergreen, and reaching 20 to 40 feet tall. Planted 4 to 6 feet apart it forms a solid screen in a few seasons; a 40-foot back line takes roughly 8 to 10 plants. It's the go-to for blocking views and street noise in Maple Grove, Woodbury, and Plymouth. One honest caveat for western suburbs: deer browse arborvitae heavily, so see the deer note below before planting in high-pressure areas.

Windbreaks and Wet, Low Spots

Unlike most evergreens, American Arborvitae actually thrives in moist to wet soil, which makes it ideal for the low, soggy corners and drainage swales where a spruce or juniper would rot. As a Minnesota native (Eastern White Cedar) it's perfectly suited to a windbreak along an open property line or a planting in a damp rain-garden edge in Eden Prairie or Lakeville.

Native Plantings and Shade Tolerance

Thuja occidentalis is native to Minnesota, so it fits naturalized and heritage plantings and supports native songbirds with dense winter cover. It also handles part shade — four or more hours of sun — better than nearly any other evergreen, which lets it screen along the north or east side of a house or under high oak canopy in Edina and St. Paul where blue spruces thin out.

Best Time to Plant American Arborvitae in Minnesota

As an evergreen, American Arborvitae establishes best when planted in late August through mid-September. The soil is still warm enough to drive root growth, while cooler air eases transplant stress and gives the plant six to eight weeks to settle in before the ground freezes around mid-November. Spring (late April through May) is the solid second choice, leaving a full season to root before the first winter. Avoid the heat of midsummer, and never plant after mid-October — evergreens set out too late are prone to winter desiccation before their roots can support them.

How to Plant American Arborvitae

1. Dig wide, not deep. Make the hole 2 to 3 times the width of the root ball but no deeper — the top of the root ball should sit slightly above grade. In heavy clay, go even wider.
2. Mind the moisture. Arborvitae like consistent moisture, so a low or damp spot is fine — but in pure standing water, mound-plant a few inches high so the crown doesn't sit submerged.
3. Backfill with amended soil. Mix your native soil with 20 to 30 percent compost to hold moisture and loosen heavy clay; this species rewards a richer backfill than junipers do.
4. Space for the use. Set plants 4 to 6 feet apart for a privacy screen or hedge, or 8 to 10 feet apart as individual specimens and windbreak rows.
5. Build a water basin. Form a 3 to 4 inch soil ring around the base to channel water to the roots. Flatten it before winter so ice doesn't collect against the trunk.
6. Mulch with bark. Spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark or wood chips, kept 2 inches off the trunk, to lock in the moisture arborvitae crave. Skip gravel mulch — it bakes roots and gives no winter insulation.

Watering American Arborvitae in Minnesota

First Year Watering Schedule

• Weeks 1–2: Deep soak every 1 to 2 days (15–25 minutes at a slow trickle).
• Month 1–2: Every 2 to 3 days — arborvitae need more consistent moisture than junipers.
• Month 3–6: Every 4 to 6 days during active growth; don't let the root zone dry out.
• Stop watering 2 to 3 weeks before the ground freezes (late October in the metro) — then give one last deep soak in early December, especially if fall was dry. This is the single best defense against the winter burn arborvitae are prone to.

After Year One

Water deeply through the first two seasons while the plant establishes. After that, American Arborvitae needs supplemental water mainly during dry spells — a deep soak every 7 to 10 days when there's been two-plus weeks without rain. It is far less drought-tolerant than juniper or spruce, so don't let it bake. Always finish with that early-December deep watering before freeze to limit winter browning.

Will American Arborvitae survive a Minnesota winter?

Yes — it's hardy to roughly -40°F (USDA zone 3) and is native to Minnesota, so cold itself is no issue. The two things to manage are winter burn (foliage bronzing from sun and wind on frozen ground, worst on the south and west sides) and snow load, which can splay multi-stem plants. A deep December watering and, in exposed sites, a burlap wind screen the first winter or two go a long way.

Is it deer-resistant?

No — this is the big one. Arborvitae are among the deer's favorite winter foods in Minnesota, and an unprotected plant can be stripped bare to browse height by spring, especially in high-pressure western suburbs like Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Chanhassen. If deer visit your yard, plan to protect it: a repellent rotated through winter, a burlap or netting wrap, or fencing. Where deer pressure is severe and you can't protect the plants, a juniper or spruce screen is the safer choice.

Does it handle wet soil and shade?

Better than almost any other evergreen. American Arborvitae thrives in moist to wet clay-loam — ideal for low spots and drainage edges — and tolerates part shade down to about four hours of sun, so it can screen the shadier, damper sides of a property where spruces and junipers struggle.

You May Also Like

• Techny Arborvitae — a tough, cold-hardy arborvitae that holds green winter color and resists burn better than most.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic narrow upright for tidy formal privacy hedges in tighter spaces.
• Hetz Wintergreen Arborvitae — a fast, tall, vigorous selection for quick large screens and windbreaks.
• Moffat Blue Juniper — a deer-resistant blue evergreen alternative for screens in high deer-pressure yards.

How Many American Arborvitae Do I Need?

For a solid privacy screen, space plants about 5 feet apart (use 4 feet for the fastest fill, 6 feet for a looser line):

As individual specimens or in a windbreak row, space plants 8 to 10 feet apart instead.

American Arborvitae Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Fresh green new growth pushes out on the flat sprays as the plant resumes growth.
• Summer: Dense green pyramid provides full evergreen screening and cool, shaded cover for songbirds.
• Fall: Holds its green as deciduous neighbors drop; small cones mature on the branches.
• Winter: Foliage may take on a bronze-green cast; the dense form blocks wind and gives birds shelter, though deer browse is the main thing to guard against.

At a Glance

✔ Minnesota Native   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Shade-Tolerant   ✔ Rain-Garden / Wet-Soil

Plant It With

• Techny Arborvitae — a tough, cold-hardy arborvitae that holds green winter color and resists burn.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic narrow upright for tidy formal privacy hedges in tighter spaces.
• Hetz Wintergreen Arborvitae — a fast, vigorous selection for quick large screens and windbreaks.
• Moffat Blue Juniper — a deer-resistant blue evergreen alternative for high deer-pressure yards.

Is American Arborvitae Right for Your Yard?

American Arborvitae is ideal for fast, affordable evergreen screening and windbreaks, and it shines in the moist-to-wet, part-shade spots — down to about four hours of sun — where spruces and junipers fail. Not a fit if you have heavy deer pressure and can't protect the plants — deer browse arborvitae hard in winter, so in those yards choose a juniper or spruce screen instead.