Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae is a perfect selection for those living in colder climates that want to add year-round greenery to their landscapes. The shrub tolerates temperatures as low as -25°F without skipping a beat. There’s no reason for worries when it comes to winter damage to this hardy shrub. However, if your area has a tendency to become extremely cold, it is best to plant your Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae in a protected location. To protect the root system and keep it warm, place a layer of mulch around its base. In addition to its cold-tolerance, it even stands up to hot summers within its hardiness range.
Growing Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae
If working in the yard and tending plants isn’t your idea of fun, then a Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae is the shrub for you. When grown in preferred conditions, its maintenance requirements are low and the only pruning you may have to do is to remove any dieback. If you do prune, only trim off the current season’s growth during the growing season. Always use sterilized pruning tools to do your trimming so you do not transfer any disease or pests to the shrub. Just wipe off your blades with rubbing alcohol and you are ready to trim. When it comes to pruning, you do not want to prune off large branches or too deep into the shrub, as the cut areas might not grow back.
No serious pests or diseases plague the shrub, making maintenance requirements even lower. To promote healthy and carefree growth, fertilize your Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae in springtime with a slow-release blend specific to trees. Do you have a problem with deer eating your plants? This isn’t a problem with this shrub as it is resistant to deer damage, making it an even more useful addition to your garden. It even grows well in suburban locations. With all these fine attributes, what’s not to love about a Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae?
Uses on Your Property
Spring Grove® Western Arborvitaes are workhorses in the landscape, as they fulfill a variety of useful needs beyond simply adding lush greenery. Besides being deer-resistant, they also grow well on slopes to help hold the soil if you have an erosion problem. Its dense growth of shiny green foliage makes it suitable used as a screen or privacy hedge, which you can shape through trimming or allow to grow in its natural form.
The conifer’s stunning year-round green foliage makes it a great addition to a winter garden, or used as a specimen. In addition, it works well used in woodland gardens, a shrub border or used to add eye-catching appeal lining a driveway. It also makes a great addition to mixed gardens used with other plants that have a different growth habit, leaf texture and form. You won’t be at a loss of where a Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae can fit attractively into your landscape.
Planting Location
When selecting an appropriate site to plant your Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae, consider it grows best located in full to partial sun. It will not perform well if planted in a location that is shady all day. You also want to consider its mature height and width, as this shrub quickly obtains its mature height of around 20 to 30 feet. This means you will not want to plant it in a location where it will interfere with powerlines or another structure. In addition, consider that at maturity this shrub can spread anywhere from 12 to 15 feet, so if you are planting multiple shrubs be sure to allow adequate space between them. Planting too closely reduces the circulation of air, which can open the Arborvitae up to problems with disease and the roots don’t grow properly.
Although Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae tolerates a variety of well-drained soils, planting in fertile soil that drains well but is moist produces the best growth. If needed, and if you want to pump up your soil’s fertility, amend the planting site with well-rotted manure or compost. The shrub is relatively tolerant to drought once established, but during its first season of growth you should water deeply several times each week and while the root system establishes itself into the planting site.
History and Origins of Spring Grove® Western Arborvitae
The cultivar ‘Grovepli’, better known as Spring Grove®, is a cultivar of Thuja plicata, commonly called Western Arborvitae or Western Red Cedar, although it isn’t a cedar at all. These are long-lived plants, thriving for around 70 years and its parent Thuja plicata living for 400 years or more. Spring Grove® is protected under the Plant Patent Act so asexual reproduction of the shrub is prohibited during the life of the patent. When purchasing one of our Spring Grove® Arborvitae you can rest assured it has been raised in a nursery environment and given the absolute best of care, which ensures you receive a healthy plant that will thrive in your landscape for years to come.
