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DeGroot's Spire Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's Spire'
The most columnar of the arborvitae trees. It maintains the same width from the bottom of the plant to the top. Arborvitae DeGroots Spire is the best tree for screening your patio or deck because you have no need to worry it will grow wide and overtake your sitting area.
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DeGroots Spire Arborvitae for Sale Online
Degroot's Spire Arborvitae trees are a narrow, upright, very fastigiate form of Eastern arborvitae with medium-green, twisted foliage. The outline is less smooth and symmetrical than most upright arborvitae, making it even more interesting. This cultivar is quite suitable as a solitary exclamation point in the garden or for use as a formal hedge.
An exceptional selection of the eastern arborvitae, Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire is very popular because of its narrow, columnar form with dense green foliage that sometimes twists and layers over itself. This conifer, of intermediate size, is often used for hedging, screening, or as a single specimen.
Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire is a dense evergreen shrub with a long life. They’re tolerant of our local alkaline soils and don’t have any difficulty enduring our scorching summer or cold winter conditions. They have no serious insect pest problems in our area and no common leaf diseases or blights.
Most people use the Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire as a privacy barrier to block out noisy neighbors. The Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire only grows 18 to 20 feet tall, so it’s perfect for medium to large landscaping areas. If you want to create a privacy barrier with the Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire, we recommend you plant 2-3 feet apart and follow our planting instructions. Arborvitae trees are a deep and rich green color year-round, which displays how robust they are. Like the Leyland Cypress, their foliage grows in flat sprays; close up, the needles appear covered in fine green scales.
The Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire is a perfect evergreen for smaller spaces due to its compact width. The Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire grows to a mature height of eighteen to twenty high by 4 to 5 feet wide, and it grows between one and one and a half feet per year under optimum growing conditions. Grow these trees as living screens that won’t overpower your entire lawn and garden with their size.
For best results, plant these trees six feet apart to enjoy their columnar shape or three feet apart for a dense hedge.
Arborvitae ranges from Nova Scotia to Manitoba south through the Great Lakes region and along the Appalachians to North Carolina and Tennessee. It tends to be closely aligned in the north with low, acidic, wet areas such as river banks and bog edges. At its mountainous southern extent, it becomes less common and more likely found on limestone cliffs.
This species, seldom sought by lumbermen (besides those used for cabin roofing shingles) because of its “weakness,” had been the premier wood for canoe frames for millennia. Its tendency to separate at the growth rings provided thin, super lightweight, flexible, and rot-resistant material that could easily be shaped into ribs or used for planking.
Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire is widely adaptable, and there are a great variety of sizes available from which to choose. It performs well in humid regions. Provide a site with full to partial sunlight on consistently moist soil. Heavy clay and light sandy soils should be well amended with organic matter to improve drainage and water retention. Arborvitae Degroot’s Spire trees grow best in full sun, but they can withstand partial shade (afternoon sun is best in this case).
| Hardiness Zone | 3-8 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height | 18 to 20 Feet |
| Mature Width | 4 to 5 Feet |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Foliage Color | Dark green |
| Growth Form | Dense upright and conical |
| Soil Conditions | Grow best in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Will not tolerate extremely dry conditions |
| Water Requirements | Well drained soil |
| Does Not Ship To | CA, WA, OR, AZ |
How to Care for DeGroot's Spire Arborvitae
Before you buy a Degroot's Spire Arbovitae Tree, make sure to read about the recommended care instructions to keep this plant healthy and thriving. For a more detailed description on how to plant Arborvitae, see our panting guide.
How do I plant Arborvitae Degroot's Spire?
Never plant Arborvitae Degroot's Spire deeper than originally planted in the pot. As a rule we always say that before you mulch you should still be able to see the soil from the original pot. Planting to deep can cause rotting of the stem and death to the tree. Arborvitae Degroot's Spire are fairly drought tolerant, however they grow very slow without adequate water. Staking young trees is recommended to minimize the stress on the stem from winds blowing the tree. When tying trees to stakes remember the tree will continue to grow. Loosely tie the tree with several twist ties to allow for growth. Check trees every three months and loosen as needed. If this is not done, the twist tie will grow into the tree causing injury. A Pro tip that we can offer is to use a short length of old garden hose and run the tie wire through the hose. this will protect the trunk of the tree from being damaged by the tie wire. The one question that comes up often when talking to customers is "when is the best time to plant."? For the most part, container trees can be planted year around, provided the ground isn't frozen. Below Virginia many nurseries and Christmas tree growers field plant year around, weather permitting. When planting a potted tree, remember the only water source the tree has, is its small root ball, and all the water the tree uses must come from them until new roots can grow into the surrounding soil. New trees should be watered twice weekly (Minimum), under hot drier conditions possibly more. Care should be taken not to over water. More trees die from over watering than under.
How do I fertilize Degroot's Spire Arborvitae Trees?
We recommend when planting your plants to use Bio-tone starter fertilizer by Espoma. We have trialed many so called “starter fertilizers” over the years and have come to rely on Bio-tone exclusively for our own use. Simply mix the recommended amount of Bio-tone into the back fill soil and water in generously when back filled. Bio-tone® Starter Plus is an all-natural plant food that is combined with a stronger concentration of our beneficial bacteria along with both endo and ecto mycorrhizae. Basically the “good” fungus in Bio-tone colonizes on the growing roots of your newly planted plant and does not allow disease causing fungus to attack the new roots. It has also shown promise in stimulating the growth of the new roots which means quicker establishment for you plant. After establishment and during the following years we recommend Holly-tone used at the recommended rates for your arborvitae 'emerald green'. It is also organic and slow release which will feed your trees the proper amount of nutrients over a period of time rather than all at once which can burn the root tips and actually have the opposite effect of slowing down plant growth. It also will help to maintain the acid level in the soil that Arborvitaes need to thrive.
How often do I water a Degroot's Spire?
After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the plant a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks.
How do I mulch a Degroot's Spire?
We highly recommend that you mulch your Arborvitae Degroot's Spire with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. Its better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.
Additional Information
History and Lore of the Arborvitae
The name “arborvitae” means “tree of life” in Latin and was applied to the Eastern species, Thuja occidentalis, by early french explorers who noted that Native Americans used its foliage for medicinal purposes. Eastern arborvitae is the species most commonly used in Midwestern yards, although green giant arborvitae (T. plicata), a larger Western species, is also popular because “it has a reputation for being more deer-resistant,” Riske says.
For the living tree the name arborvitae, which means “tree of life,” was given by French explorers who had been cured of scurvy by local native people using tea made of the foliage and sap that is rich in vitamin C. Because of his appreciation for this medicinal tree of the new world, Jacques Cartier sent specimens home to be grown in France in the mid-1500s.As for longevity, the name arborvitae is a perfect fit in this regard as well.
Members of this species are the oldest trees in eastern North America. Although they once were believed to be a short lived tree, some of the gnarly, ancient cliff-dwelling specimens have been aged at more than 1000 years. Arborvitae Emerald Green (Thuja occidentalis) was one of the first North American native trees to be cultivated in Europe. Its common name was a symbol of its importance to weary travelers, more so than its own long life. Such a commonly used landscape plant rarely has the romantic appeal of this one.
