Thuja Green Giant in Austin: Not a Shade Tree, But a Great Screen

Classification Correction

Green Giant (Thuja plicata × standishii) is a screening/hedge conifer, not a shade tree. Shade trees have broad, spreading canopies (oaks, maples, elms).

Green Giant Dimensions

• Height: 20–30 ft (up to 50 ft long-term).
• Width: 5–8 ft in rows.
• Growth: 3–5 ft/year once established.

Best Uses

• Privacy hedge (plant 5–6 ft apart).
• Windbreak.
• Property line screen.

Shade Tree Alternatives for Austin

• Live oak (Quercus virginiana) – evergreen, broad canopy.
• Cedar elm (Ulmus crassifolia) – tough, adapted.
• Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis) – fall color, heat tolerant.

Sourcing

Local Austin nurseries (Great Outdoors, Barton Springs, etc.) carry or can order 6-ft Green Giants. Call ahead.