Forever Goldy Arborvitae
Thuja plicata '4EVER'
Forever Goldy Arborvitae
Thuja plicata '4EVER'
How are the heights measured?
All tree, and nothin' but the tree! We measure from the top of the soil to the top of the tree; the height of the container or the root system is never included in our measurements.
What is a gallon container?
Nursery containers come in a variety of different sizes, and old-school nursery slang has stuck. While the industry-standard terminology is to call the sizes "Gallon Containers", that doesn't exactly translate to the traditional liquid "gallon" size we think of. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft.
How does the delivery process work?
All of our orders ship via FedEx Ground! Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. You will receive email notifications along the way on the progress of your order, as well as tracking information to track your plants all the way to their new home!
Why are some states excluded from shipping?
The short & sweet answer is: "United States Department of Agriculture Restrictions." Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. While we wish we could serve everyone, it's for the safety of native species and helps prevent the spread of invasive disease & pests. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all.
About Me
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The Forever Goldy Arborvitae is the first golden form of western redcedar that stays yellow all year round. This breakthrough tree is yellow all year, turning an even richer gold when temperatures fall below 40 degrees. It makes a wonderful accent tree, forming a gold column among other green plants, and looks attractive in beds with other yellow foliage or flowers, or with blue or silver as an exciting contrast. It can also be used to create a colorful hedge or screen, growing steadily to any height needed, and with or without trimming it will make a dramatic visual barrier. This is a handsome, low-maintenance plant that is valuable in all kinds of gardens, with an attractive form and dramatic coloring.
- Attractive golden foliage all year round
- Upright evergreen for the perfect accent
- Colorful hedging or screening plant
- Easily grown and pest free
- Good growth rate for early maturity
Choose a sunny spot for this tree. In hotter areas, some afternoon shade is easily tolerated, and even of value. It grows best in mild, moist areas of the country, with good rainfall, such as the central east coast and the northern west coast. It is hardy down to minus 20 degrees, and grows well in humid areas that are not extremely hot. It does best in all deep soils with plenty of organic material, and benefits from good drainage in the soil.
- Plant Hardiness Zones 5-7
- Mature Width 5
- Mature Height 10-12
- Sun Needs Full Sun, Partial Sun
From time to time breakthroughs occur in gardening that open up new possibilities and bring us plants that give us new options for color and interest in our gardens. The Forever Goldy Arborvitae is one of those plants. This is the first form of this tree to be truly golden all year round. It is a lime-gold in summer, and then when colder temperatures arrive it turns a dramatic and vibrant golden yellow for the winter, until spring and new growth turns it back to lime-gold. This gives us the opportunity to have a golden column of color as an accent in our garden.
This plant can be used as a focal point, or to give height in a bed of mixed shrubs. Plant a pair on either side of a doorway, or among rounded evergreens in the foundation planting around your house. It looks great among blue-foliage evergreens such as Blue Spruce, where the two colors form a dramatic contrast with each other. It will turn a group of ordinary green-leaved shrubs into a interesting arrangement, bringing contrast and accent to any boring planting you want to make exciting.
The Forever Goldy Arborvitae also gives us the opportunity to make a dramatic golden hedge or screen to give exciting color instead of a plain background. This would be especially useful where we have a hedge with a simple lawn or driveway beside it. You could even mix together this golden form with plain green arborvitae, like Thuja Green Giant, or Thuja Emerald Green, to create a unique ‘tapestry hedge’ with contrasting areas of green and gold. This will definitely create a different and attractive feature in any garden.
Growing Forever Goldy Arborvitae
The Forever Goldy Arborvitae forms an upright tree reaching perhaps 20 feet and staying less than 5 feet wide. It is evergreen, with sprays of foliage covered with tiny leaves that cling to the stems. It has no significant flowers or cones, and remains attractive all year round. The foliage is held right to the ground for many years, so the trunk and stem – which are covered in a fibrous reddish-brown bark – are normally not seen. It will naturally grow dense and compact, with an upright habit, without any trimming needed. For an even denser plant, or to control its size, it can be trimmed once or twice a year, in early spring or early summer. Never cut back to branches that have no foliage on them, as these will not re-sprout.
Hardiness and Climate
This tree grows best in the damper, milder parts of the country. It thrives in areas that are not extremely cold in winter – although it is hardy all the way down to minus 20 – and that do not become very hot and dry during summer. It will grow 8 to 12 inches a year to soon become a beautiful and unique specimen in your garden. It is free of any significant pests and diseases and it needs no trimming to maintain its beautiful upright, columnar form.
Planting and Initial Care
In order to develop the golden color well you will want to choose a sunny spot for your tree. In hotter areas, some shade from afternoon sun will be beneficial to your tree. Plant it in any well-drained garden soil, with the addition of a good amount of organic material when preparing the planting area. Use organic mulch in spring, especially for the early years, to conserve moisture and provide nutrients for your tree. A fertilizer designed for evergreen trees can be used in spring to give the best growth and keep your tree healthy and vigorous.
History and Origins of the Forever Goldy Arborvitae
The Forever Goldy Arborvitae is a form of the Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata). This tree is also known as the giant arborvitae, to distinguish it from the hardier Thuja occidentalis, called arborvitae or ‘tree of life’. Western Redcedar is a native tree to the Pacific Northwest, growing in extensive forests in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and in British Columbia. It forms a large tree, up to 200 feet tall, but in gardens it remains much smaller. As the hybrid tree Thuja Green Giant, it is widely grown as a hedging plant across much of the country.
This tree was found growing in a nursery in Steensel, The Netherlands, in 2002. It was a single plant in a field of ordinary green forms of western redcedar, spotted by Andreas Luijten, at the Boomkwekerij Dries Luijten nursery. This unique tree was grown and tested before being give the official name of ‘4EVER’.
Buying Forever Goldy Arborvitae Trees
Clearly such a special tree cannot be grown from seed, and it must be carefully reproduced under license from the original grower. Our trees are grown by experts and conform exactly to the original tree in all their characteristics, especially in its unique golden coloring. Other forms will not have this unique feature, so be careful – we will definitely give you the correct plant and not a cheaper ‘alternative’.
This special tree is destined to become a great favorite with gardeners, adding a new color choice in this type of evergreen tree. Here at The Tree Center we are thrilled to be able to offer this great new introduction to our customers. We predict that this tree will be very popular with many gardeners, and because this is a new tree the supplies are limited. Don’t hesitate and order right away, so that you can enjoy being among the first to grow this terrific new plant.