The Skinniest Arborvitae for Razor-Thin Vertical Accents

Sting Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Sting') is arguably the narrowest arborvitae in the trade - a dramatic dark-green spire that reaches 15-20 feet tall while staying barely a foot wide. It holds rich green color all winter and makes a bold architectural statement in even the tightest planting strip.

Sting Arborvitae Plant Details

Sting Arborvitae Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Razor-Thin Vertical Accents

Sting is the skinniest arborvitae you can plant — just 1 to 1.5 feet wide while reaching 15 to 20 feet tall, a dramatic vertical exclamation point. Use a single plant to draw the eye skyward beside an entry, or a matched pair to frame a doorway with crisp, modern lines in Edina, Wayzata, or Minneapolis. It slips into the slot between a window and a corner where nothing else would fit.

Skinny Screens for the Tightest Spaces

Where a strip is too narrow for any other evergreen, Sting still makes a screen possible. Planted 1.5 to 2 feet apart it forms a tall, slender wall along a fence line, between a house and the lot line, or down a cramped side yard in Plymouth and St. Paul — privacy and height with almost no footprint. One caution for western suburbs: deer browse arborvitae heavily, so read the deer note below.

Architectural and Container Use

That tall, columnar profile suits formal and architectural plantings — flanking a modern entry, lining a walkway, or anchoring large entry containers as living columns. In a pot, give it extra winter protection, since potted roots have little insulation against Minnesota cold.

Best Time to Plant Sting Arborvitae in Minnesota

As an evergreen, Sting 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 Sting 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 spot that doesn't bake dry is ideal — but avoid standing water; if drainage is poor, mound-plant a few inches high.
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 1.5 to 2 feet apart for a skinny screen, or use single plants as razor-thin vertical accents.
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 Sting 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, to limit winter burn.

After Year One

Water deeply through the first two seasons while the plant establishes. After that, Sting 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 less drought-tolerant than juniper or spruce, so don't let it bake, and always finish with that early-December deep watering before freeze.

Will Sting Arborvitae survive a Minnesota winter?

Yes — it's hardy through USDA zone 4, which covers the Twin Cities' zone 4b–5a, and holds dark green color through the cold. Because it's so slender, give it a sheltered spot away from the harshest winter wind, brush off heavy snow so the narrow column doesn't bend or splay, and water deeply in early December. In very exposed sites, a burlap wind screen the first winter or two is worthwhile.

Is it deer-resistant?

No — deer favor arborvitae as a winter food and will browse Sting wherever they can reach, especially in high-pressure western suburbs like Minnetonka, Wayzata, and Chanhassen. Plan to protect it: a winter repellent rotated through the season, a burlap or netting wrap, or fencing. Where deer pressure is severe and protection isn't practical, a narrow juniper offers a vertical accent with genuine deer resistance.

How narrow does it really stay?

Remarkably narrow — just 1 to 1.5 feet wide at maturity against a height of 15 to 20 feet. That extreme slimness is the whole appeal: dramatic height in the tightest of spaces. Plant it in full sun for the densest growth, and space several in a row for a screen since one plant won't fill any width.

You May Also Like

• Thin Man Arborvitae — a fast, narrow green column a bit fuller than Sting for quicker screens.
• Tall Guy Arborvitae — a narrow, deep-green pyramid for slender privacy with more body.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic narrow arborvitae for tidy, formal privacy hedges.
• Hetzii Columnaris Juniper — a deer-resistant narrow green column for high deer-pressure yards.

How Many Sting Arborvitae Do I Need?

For a razor-thin screen, space Sting 1.5–2 feet on center (mature width is only 1–1.5 feet, so tight spacing is what closes the wall):

As an accent, use a single spire beside an entry or a matched pair flanking a doorway — each needs barely 2 feet of ground.

Sting Arborvitae Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Fresh bright-green growth extends the spire 12–18 inches; the column stays pencil-tight without shearing.
• Summer: Dense, dark-green sprays make a crisp architectural line through the growing season.
• Fall: Holds rich green color while everything deciduous drops away around it.
• Winter: A dark evergreen exclamation point against the snow — brush off heavy, wet snowfalls so the slim column doesn't splay.

At a Glance

✔ Minnesota Native   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Thin Man Arborvitae — a slightly fuller, fast narrow column where you want quicker coverage.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic formal hedge arborvitae for wider runs.
• Blue Arrow Juniper — a deer-resistant steel-blue column for high deer-pressure yards.
• Sky Rocket Juniper — silvery vertical companion that deer leave alone.

Is Sting Arborvitae Right for Your Yard?

Sting is the answer when the space is impossibly narrow — a 2-foot strip along a fence, the slot beside a garage — and you still want 15–20 feet of evergreen height. Give it full sun, steady moisture, and some shelter from brutal winter wind. It's not a fit for high deer-pressure yards without protection: deer browse arborvitae hard in winter, so in Minnetonka or Chanhassen choose a narrow juniper instead or commit to repellent and wrapping.