A Narrow, Fast Pyramid for Slender Privacy Screens

Tall Guy Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Tall Guy') is a narrow, upright pyramid built for privacy in smaller yards. It grows quickly to 10-15 feet tall while staying a tidy 3-4 feet wide, holding dense, deep-green foliage that resists winter burn. A practical choice when you want height without a lot of width.

Tall Guy Arborvitae Plant Details

Tall Guy Arborvitae Uses in Minnesota Landscapes

Slender Privacy Screens

Tall Guy delivers privacy in a slim footprint — 10 to 15 feet tall but only 3 to 4 feet wide, with a dense, deep-green pyramidal form that reads more polished than a loose hedge. Planted about 2.5 to 3 feet apart it makes a refined living wall along a tight property line or between houses in Maple Grove, Plymouth, and Woodbury. Its moderate-to-fast growth fills the gap within a few seasons. Note for western suburbs: deer browse arborvitae heavily, so see the deer note below.

Corner and Foundation Accents

The neat pyramidal shape makes Tall Guy a natural vertical accent. A single plant anchors a house corner, and a matched pair frames an entry or garage with formal height in Edina or Wayzata — all without the spread of a full-size spruce. The rich, dense green holds its color and fullness from top to bottom.

Part-Shade Screening

Tall Guy tolerates part shade — around four hours of sun — so it can screen the shadier north or east side of a property or a spot under high canopy in Minneapolis and St. Paul where blue evergreens grow thin. It's fullest in more sun but stays presentable in dappled light.

Best Time to Plant Tall Guy Arborvitae in Minnesota

As an evergreen, Tall Guy 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 Tall Guy 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 2.5 to 3 feet apart for a slender privacy screen, or use single plants as 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 Tall Guy 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, Tall Guy 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 Tall Guy Arborvitae survive a Minnesota winter?

Yes — it's hardy to roughly -40°F (USDA zone 3) and holds its deep green through the cold. As with any narrow upright, manage winter burn and snow load: brush off heavy snow so the column doesn't splay, give a deep December watering, and in very exposed sites add a burlap wind screen the first winter or two.

Is it deer-resistant?

No — deer favor arborvitae as a winter food and will browse Tall Guy up to about five feet, 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 juniper screen gives similar privacy with genuine deer resistance.

How is it different from Thin Man?

Both are narrow, fast privacy uprights around 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Tall Guy carries a denser, deeper green and a more distinctly pyramidal shape, while Thin Man has a softer, feathery bright-green texture. Either makes an excellent slim screen — it comes down to the color and form you prefer.

You May Also Like

• Thin Man Arborvitae — a sister narrow upright with softer, feathery bright-green foliage.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic narrow arborvitae for tidy, formal privacy hedges.
• Techny Arborvitae — a tough, fuller arborvitae for broader screens and windbreaks.
• Hetzii Columnaris Juniper — a deer-resistant narrow green column for high deer-pressure yards.

How Many Tall Guy Arborvitae Do I Need?

For a solid slim screen, space Tall Guy 2.5–3 feet on center (its own planting guide's spacing):

For accents, use a single plant at a house corner or a matched pair flanking an entry — give each about 4 feet of width to fill.

Tall Guy Arborvitae Season-by-Season in Minnesota

• Spring: Fresh bright-green tips push from every spray as growth resumes — expect 12–24 inches of new height per year.
• Summer: Dense, deep-green pyramidal foliage at its fullest, knitting a screen closed within a few seasons.
• Fall: Holds its rich green while deciduous neighbors drop, and the screen's value becomes obvious as sightlines open up everywhere else.
• Winter: Deep green color persists through -40°F cold with good burn resistance — brush heavy snow off so the narrow column doesn't splay.

At a Glance

✔ Minnesota Native   ✔ Shade-Tolerant   ✔ Evergreen   ✔ Four-Season Interest

Plant It With

• Thin Man Arborvitae — the softer, feathery sister upright; mix the two textures in one slim screen.
• Emerald Green Arborvitae — the classic formal narrow arborvitae for tidy hedge runs.
• Techny Arborvitae — a fuller, tougher arborvitae where you have width for a broad windbreak.
• Blue Arrow Juniper — a deer-resistant narrow column for the high-pressure stretches of the same property line.

Is Tall Guy Arborvitae Right for Your Yard?

Choose it if you need 10–15 feet of privacy in a strip only 3–4 feet wide, with full sun to part shade and soil that doesn't bake bone-dry — it's native-species tough, zone-3 hardy, and faster than Emerald Green. Not a fit if you have heavy deer pressure and can't protect it: deer browse arborvitae hard in winter, so in Minnetonka- or Chanhassen-level deer country plant a juniper column instead or commit to repellent and wrap for the first few winters.