Emerald Petite™ Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Petite'
This one's sold out. These are ready to ship
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Thuja occidentalis 'Tater Tot'
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Specifications
| Hardiness Zone | 3a to 7b |
|---|---|
| Sunlight | Full sun, Partial shade |
| Height | |
| Width | |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Watering Needs | Moderate |
| Preferred Soil | Clay, Loamy |
| Landscape Use | Hedge & Privacy, Foundation, Rock Garden |
| Growth Habit | Bushy, Upright |
| Blooms In | Spring |
| Flower Color | Green |
| Foliage Color | Green |
| Plant Characteristics | Cold hardy, Low Maintenance, Compact/Dwarf, Evergreen, Clay Tolerant, Hedge/Screen, Drought resistant, Container Friendly, Non-invasive |
| Botanical Name | |
| Does Not Ship To | AK, HI, ID, MT, PR, VI |
Description
Emerald Petite™ Arborvitae: Dwarf Evergreen Wonder
The Emerald Petite™ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Thusid4') is a garden gem for those craving year-round greenery in a tidy, manageable form! This compact evergreen shrub boasts finely textured, scale-like foliage in a vivid emerald green hue that keeps its color even in winter.
As a dwarf Arborvitae variety of the beloved Emerald Green Arborvitae, Emerald Petite™ stays small, making it ideal for tight spaces, patios, or formal gardens. Plus, it's a low-maintenance and deer-resistant choice, yes, you heard right!
Naturally narrow and upright, this cultivar matures at just 5-6 feet tall and about 1-2 feet wide, perfect for small gardens or as an accent in large mixed borders. Its foliage is soft to the touch and pleasantly aromatic when brushed, forming dense, vertical sprays that maintain their shape without shearing. No flowers or fruits to fuss over, just consistent color and structure all year long!
Culturally, it carries the symbolism of eternal life and protection, making it popular in traditional landscapes and sacred spaces. It's related to the classic Arborvitae clan, known for their adaptable evergreen presence and stalwart reliability in urban and rural gardens alike!
Key Features
- Dwarf variety of Eastern Arborvitae
- Dense, fragrant emerald green foliage
- Naturally narrow, columnar habit, no shearing required
- Deer-resistant, low-maintenance evergreen
- Cold-hardy down to USDA Zone 3
Landscaping Uses
Use this dwarf evergreen as a narrow vertical element or lush green screen, it tops out at just 5-6 feet tall with a 1-2-foot spread. Hailing from native Eastern North American stock, this dwarf Thuja thrives in USDA Zones 3–7, handling frigid winters and humid summers with ease. It's bred for cold hardiness, pest resistance, and compact form.
- Perfect as a formal foundation planting
- Lined up as a low living hedge or privacy screen
- Beautiful in symmetrical pairs flanking an entry
- Excellent for tight spaces or small yards
- Works well in large containers for patios, balcony gardens, or courtyards
- Mixes nicely into Rock Gardens and perennial borders for year-round structure
Care and Maintenance
This woody, evergreen shrub is a tough, no-fuss garden essential. For a low-maintenance garden backbone, this is a drought-tolerant shrub that appreciates full sun. Read in-depth Arborvitae care information here.
- Planting Time: Spring or fall is best
- Sun Needs: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy to sandy soil; tolerates clay if not soggy
- Moisture Needs: Moderate; water regularly in the first season
- Arborist Mulch: Use a 3–4 inch deep layer of mulch to retain soil moisture and insulate roots from heat and cold
- Fertilization Needs: Light feeding in spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer
- Pruning Info: Minimal pruning needed; shape in early spring if desired
- Special Perks/Growing Tips:
- Pest0resistant
- Deer-resistant
- Pollution-tolerant
- Extremely cold-hardy
Stay Sharp With Emerald Petite™ Softness
If you're looking for year-round green without the garden drama, Emerald Petite™ Arborvitae is your go-to. Its neat habit, charming color, and cold toughness make it a true garden stalwart, whether lining a walkway or standing proudly in a container. Small in stature but big on impact, this tree lives up to its lofty Arborvitae lineage!
Order now at Nature Hills Nursery, and we'll ship at the perfect planting time for your region.
Planting & Care
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping Rates
Ships in 3-5 business days • Tracking provided • Weather protected
| Under $50 | $9.99 |
| $50 - $99.99 | $14.99 |
| $100 - $149.99 | $16.99 |
| $150 - $198.99 | $24.99 |
| $199+ | FREE |
✓ Zone-specific timing • ✓ Professional packaging • ✓ Health guarantee
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The weather has been not conducive for transplanting so they are showing some stress, brown leaves so I am hoping that with cooler and wetter weather they will adjust.
Tater Tot Arborvitae are tough little plants, and some browning during transplant stress is completely normal, especially when the weather is not cooperating. Once cooler temps and consistent moisture arrive, you should see them settle in and push new growth. If the browning continues well into the new season, feel free to reach out to our team and we can help you troubleshoot.
Received the quart plant in a well packaged shipping box with no damage and immediate planted it with some fertilizer in it's new home. It appears to have taken to the location and is looking happy and healthy.
Glad to hear it arrived in good shape and is settling in well, Richard. Tater Tot tends to establish without much fuss when it goes in the ground promptly like you did. That early fertilizer is a nice boost. Thanks for sharing the update.
so far they are doing great.
Tater Tot Arborvitae tend to settle in well once they get established, so it is good to hear yours are off to a solid start. Keep the watering consistent through the first season and they should reward you with that tight, rounded shape they are known for. Thanks for sharing the update, Denise.
Nature Hills Nursery shipped healthy high quality plants that look great in my yard. Grateful for the excellent customer experience.
Healthy plants settling into a new yard is exactly what we hope for, Lucas. American Pillar Arborvitae are such a solid choice for structure and privacy, and they tend to establish well when they arrive in good shape. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
I have eight of these. One thing is that they definitely bronze in the winter. These do not remain green like a Smargd. However they have had no problems like some arborvitae and are looking beautiful.
Hello Ronni,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with these arborvitae! We’re thrilled to hear that all eight of your plants are looking beautiful and thriving without issues. You’re absolutely right — unlike the Smaragd arborvitae, which tend to hold their green color through the winter, other varieties often bronze as a natural reaction to colder temperatures. This bronze color is typically a seasonal change and does not indicate a health problem.
If you’re ever interested in refinement tips to help maintain vibrant foliage during colder months, we’d be happy to share some seasonal care advice tailored to your specific arborvitae variety. Feel free to reach out anytime for guidance or any plant-related questions.
Bloom on,
The Nature Hills Plant Knowledge Team
tree was in great shape and i planted it and with in a wk it was budding out
Got two of these a couple of months ago. They have grown and look great already. Every morning my kids come out to see how much more they've grown. We can't wait to see them in a couple of years.
These tree could provide privascy
I just planted two Autumn Blaze Maple trees, one last Fall and one last April! Next two my slow growing Surgar Maple of 14 years! The two Autumn blazes look real good, I can't wait to see them grow year.
The Autumn Blaze Maple is awesome! Probably my favorite shade tree after watching ours for 2 years. Im back to buy some red twigged dogwood shrubs. The first I bought did awesome. It was 5-6 feet when it arrived and is now over 9 feet tall. It has a beautiful shape. I bought a second last year, it was 4-5 ft and the roots didn't develop as well. I didn't mix my hard soil with anything like I did the first one. It also seemed to have shorter roots than the first one. It took quite a while to get rooted in but since then it has grown almost 2 feet
This is a large but not too wide, fast growing cedar. Perfect to make a natural fence in our backyard.
I love the fall color this tree has. We have a home that had old damaged trees in the yard and had to clear the ground and start over. This tree was planted and pretty much forgotten. The growth has been amazing from an inch trunk to about four in just over a year. I do have one question about the tree's trunk. There seems to be splits happening in the bark and I am not sure what is causing this. Any advise?
I purchased the Autumn Blaze Tree two years ago and I planted in a pot. I wanted it to grow a little before I planted it. Well it s getting pretty big and now that the leaves as blooming, it s getting blown over when the wind kicks up. Is it ok to plant now or should I hold out until the fall? Answer From NHN: You sure can plant it now.
I purchased this tree for N. Illinois and my yard had 6 inches of clay(bad top soil) and under that was construction backfill consisting of construction waste, rocks, clay and sand. The tree in 7 years grew from a young whip to a beautiful 30 ft height. The fall colors are the highlight to this tree with bright red leaves. I moved to Charlotte and had to leave my beautiful yard and the first thing I am planting in my new yard is this Autumn Blaze. Just don't plant it too close to your home. You will love this hardwood tree!
I bought a Autumn Blaze Red Maple Tree about 2 or 3 years ago and Boy oh boy I can not Image the Growth the Tree has showed over such a shot amout of time and it looks so nice in my yard I cant belive its my tree I am so Proud of it. with the right amout of watering and care any one can do it.
