Arborvitae privacy screens are one of the most popular landscaping projects in the Rochester area — and for good reason. They're evergreen, relatively fast-growing, deer-resistant, and give you year-round privacy without a fence. Here's what you need to know.
Emerald Green vs. Green Giant: Which One?
Emerald Green (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd') is the most popular choice for Rochester properties. It grows to 12–14 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide at maturity, making it ideal for residential lot lines and smaller yards. It grows about 6–9 inches per year and maintains a tight, narrow columnar shape without much maintenance. It's also the most deer-resistant of the common arborvitae varieties — an important consideration in the Rochester area.
Green Giant (Thuja standishii × plicata) is the choice for larger properties where you want a taller, faster screen. It reaches 40–60 feet at maturity and grows 3–5 feet per year in the right conditions. Green Giant works well on large lots, rural properties, and situations where you need to screen a two-story building or highway noise. It's not ideal for small suburban lots because of its mature size.
Spacing and Planning
For Emerald Green, we typically plant on 3–4 foot centers for a dense privacy wall. At this spacing, the trees will fill in and form a solid screen within 3–5 years. Wider spacing (5–6 feet) creates a more natural look but takes longer to fill in.
For Green Giant, 5–6 foot spacing is standard. These trees grow large and need room to develop their natural form.
What Does It Cost?
Arborvitae pricing depends primarily on specimen size. Smaller trees (3–4 feet) run $150–$250 installed per tree. Larger specimens (5–6 feet) run $250–$350 installed. Rows of 10 or more trees typically receive volume pricing.
A typical residential privacy row of 10–15 Emerald Green arborvitae runs $2,000–$4,500 installed, including the trees, planting, mulch, and initial watering.
Best Time to Plant
In Rochester, fall (September through November) is the best planting window. The cooler temperatures and fall rains help new trees establish roots before winter. Spring (April through June) is also excellent. We avoid planting during the heat of summer unless the trees can be watered consistently.
What We Include
When Spartan Tree plants a privacy row, the job includes: site assessment and species recommendation, delivery and planting at correct depth and spacing, mulch rings around each tree, initial deep watering, and written care instructions for the first year. We stand behind our plantings.
Ready to plan your privacy screen? Call or request a free estimate. We'll visit your property, assess the site, and give you a firm quote.