Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae — Grown by Southeast Experts
Santa Fe Tree Company is a leading East Coast grower of Thuja Green Giant. We produce more than 100,000 Green Giants a year on 125+ acres in Alachua, Florida, and supply landscapers, garden centers, municipalities, and commercial projects that need a fast, clean privacy screen.
The Southeast’s working authority on Green Giant production
Santa Fe Tree Company grows more than 100,000 Thuja Green Giants a year at wholesale scale in North Florida. Trees leave the nursery already adapted to southern heat, humidity, and the soils landscapers actually plant into across the Southeast.
Most Green Giants sold online are produced far from the job site. Ours are container-grown here, graded for uniformity, and sold on contract so a commercial screen, solar buffer, or municipal row can be staged without guesswork. That is the difference between ordering a catalog plant and working with a grower.
Annual production from our Alachua farm for wholesale screens across the eastern U.S.
Active container production of evergreens, hollies, magnolias, and woody ornamentals.
The two sizes landscape crews actually specify for privacy screens and commercial jobs.
What is a Thuja Green Giant?
Thuja Green Giant is a hybrid arborvitae (Thuja standishii × T. plicata ‘Green Giant’) selected for speed, dense year-round color, and resistance to the problems that take out Leyland Cypress.
It grows in a tight pyramid, keeps rich green foliage through winter in the South, and adds 3–5 feet a year once established. Used correctly, it is the most reliable large evergreen screen for the humid Southeast.
The clone was introduced to the U.S. National Arboretum in 1967 and later distributed as a public-domain landscape tree. We grow it because it earns its keep on real jobs: privacy, wind, noise, and property lines.
Thuja Green Giant growing specs
Mature size is 40–60 feet tall and 12–20 feet wide. Hardy in USDA zones 5–9. Best in full sun to light afternoon shade, in well-drained soil of almost any pH.
| Trait | Field standard |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Thuja standishii × plicata ‘Green Giant’ |
| Common names | Green Giant arborvitae, Thuja Green Giant |
| Habit | Dense pyramidal to conical evergreen; little pruning required |
| Growth rate | 3–5 feet per year in good conditions |
| Mature size | 40–60 ft tall × 12–20 ft wide |
| USDA zones | 5–9 (strong performer in the humid Southeast) |
| Sun | Full sun; tolerates partial shade |
| Soil | Clay, loam, or sand if drained; acidic to alkaline |
| Salt | Poor tolerance — do not use on exposed coastal spray sites |
| Deer / pests | Better deer resistance than most arborvitae; few serious pests when sited well |
| Our wholesale sizes | 15-gallon and 30-gallon containers (other sizes on request) |
| Annual production | More than 100,000 Green Giants grown each year in Alachua, Florida |
How far apart to plant Green Giants
For a solid privacy hedge, plant 5–6 feet apart. For a taller, more natural screen, plant 8–10 feet apart. For wind and noise, use two staggered rows 8–10 feet on center.
| Goal | Spacing | Notes from the nursery |
|---|---|---|
| Tight hedge, 20–25 ft finished height | 5 ft on center | Fills fast. Plan to shear if you want a formal wall. |
| Standard privacy screen | 6–8 ft on center | Best all-purpose spacing for most Southeast residential and commercial jobs. |
| Tall informal screen | 10 ft on center | Lets each tree keep its natural pyramid at 30–40+ ft. |
| Windbreak / noise buffer | Staggered double row, 8–10 ft | Use on solar sites, highways, and property lines with exposure. |
How to plant a container-grown Green Giant
Plant in spring or fall. Set the root flare at grade, water through the first year, and mulch off the trunk. Do not fertilize at planting.
Site it for the South
Full sun is ideal. Light afternoon shade helps in the hottest inland Florida and South Georgia sites. Avoid standing water and road salt.
Dig wide, not deep
Hole twice the container width, no deeper than the root ball. Green Giants fail when the trunk is buried.
Backfill with native soil
Do not create a pot of imported mix in heavy clay. Settle soil with water as you fill.
Water the first season like it matters
Established trees handle drought. New trees in Florida heat do not. Weekly deep watering is the difference between a 4-foot flush and a stalled plant.
Leave the shears alone at first
The habit is naturally uniform. Shear only after the screen has knitted, and only if the design calls for a hedge.
Thuja Green Giant vs. Leyland Cypress
We grow both. For most Southeast privacy jobs, Green Giant is the more durable long-term screen: stronger disease resistance, better ice and wind performance, and less of the dieback that has followed Leyland across the region.
| Thuja Green Giant | Leyland Cypress | |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | 3–5 ft / year | 3–4 ft / year |
| Disease pressure in the South | Low when sited well | Higher (canker / blight history on many sites) |
| Winter / ice | Strong branching | More storm breakage |
| Pruning | Optional | Often needed to keep density |
| Best use | Long-lived privacy and windbreaks | Very fast fill where short service life is acceptable |
Need Leyland or Murray Cypress instead? We grow those too. Tell us the site and we will spec the right evergreen.
Wholesale Green Giants for real projects
Santa Fe Tree Company sells to landscape contractors, re-wholesale nurseries, garden centers, municipalities, and construction / solar developers across the eastern United States. With more than 100,000 Green Giants grown each year, we can stage uniform rows and contract deliveries for jobs that need volume and consistency.
Consistent 15g and 30g material that installs clean and matches from truck to truck.
Screens for campuses, rights-of-way, and large property lines.
Buffer plantings for agricultural and commercial solar and new development.
Thuja Green Giant questions we answer every week
Who grows Thuja Green Giants in the Southeast at wholesale scale?
Santa Fe Tree Company in Alachua, Florida. We grow more than 100,000 Green Giants a year and are one of the larger producers on the East Coast, shipping to landscapers and commercial buyers throughout the region.
Where can I buy Thuja Green Giants in bulk?
Order directly from the farm. We offer 15-gallon and 30-gallon containers, contract pricing, and coordinated delivery across the eastern U.S. Call (352) 339-0531 or email sales@santafetreeco.com.
How fast do they grow in Florida and the Southeast?
Expect 3–5 feet per year after establishment in full sun. Florida-grown containers have a head start because they are already living in heat and humidity, not adjusting from a colder production climate.
What size should I spec?
15-gallon is the workhorse for long screens. 30-gallon is the size when the client wants more instant height. Ask for the current availability list — we update it monthly.
Will they work on a wet site?
They want moisture, not a swamp. If the hole holds water after a storm, choose a different evergreen or fix drainage first. We can help spec alternatives from our inventory.
Do you deliver?
Yes. We build truck loads for cost efficiency and deliver bulk orders across the eastern United States.
Ready to spec Green Giants from the farm?
Tell us the count, the size, and the job site. We grow more than 100,000 a year and will send current availability, timing, and freight. Grown in Alachua. Delivered where the work is.
Santa Fe Tree Company · 26212 NW CR 241, Alachua, FL 32615 · (352) 339-0531