White Cedar Hedge

Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'

White Cedar 'Smaragd', Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd', is a narrow, upright conifer with bright emerald-green foliage that keeps its colour through winter.

It grows slowly, around 10–20cm a year, and holds a slim natural shape, so it makes a neat hedge of 1.5–3m that needs little width and only one trim a year. Choose root-balled plants from 100cm to 175cm for a finished hedge straight away, delivered from autumn to spring.

Compare our Thuja hedging.

Narrow, upright shape
Bright emerald green all year
One trim a year
Root balled 100–175cm

Growth Rate Slow 10-20cm per year

Overall Height Medium up to 5 metres

Plant Position Full Sun

Root Types Pot Grown, Root Balled

Choose your plants

White Cedar Hedge Root Types

Choose from our range of White Cedar Hedge sizes and root types below.

Root Balled Larger plants · Seasonal planting From £21.95 per plant
Pot Grown Flexible · Available year-round Sold out

Selected root type

Root ball White Cedar hedging

From £21.95 per plant 3 heights in stock

Great value for money and a very environmentally friendly way to establish a hedge, our root balled hedging is all field grown on our own nursery. Root ball hedging plants are normally available between October and April depending on the weather.

Planting window

Availability

In Season
Pre Order
Out Of Season

Step 2

Choose your height

Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.

Available height

100-125cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£21.95
£21.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

125-150cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£36.95
£36.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

150-175cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£52.95
£52.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Choosing your White Cedar plants

Because 'Smaragd' grows slowly, buy it close to the height you want. All sizes are planted at the same density.

Root type	Size	Plants per metre	When
Root balled	100–125cm	3	Autumn to spring
Root balled	125–150cm	3	Autumn to spring
Root balled	150–175cm	3	Autumn to spring

These are single-row figures. Planted at 3 per metre, the narrow plants knit into a continuous hedge within a season or two.

Why plant a White Cedar 'Smaragd' hedge?

A neat hedge for tight spaces

'Smaragd' grows as a slim cone, so a hedge takes up little more than 60–80cm of width. It suits front gardens, driveways and narrow borders where Laurel or Leylandii would quickly take over.

Colour that lasts through winter

Many conifers turn bronze or dull in cold weather, but 'Smaragd' keeps its bright emerald green all year, giving a fresh, formal look.

Low maintenance

Slow growth and a naturally tidy shape mean one light trim a year keeps it neat, far less work than the faster conifers.

White Cedar compared with other evergreen hedges

	White Cedar 'Smaragd'	Western Red Cedar	English Yew
Growth a year	10–20cm	30–60cm	20–40cm
Width needed	Narrow	Wide	Medium
Best hedge height	1.5–3m	2–4m+	1–4m
Trimming	Once a year	Twice a year	Once a year

For a taller, faster screen choose Western Red Cedar; for a formal hedge that grows in shade, compare English Yew hedging.

Choosing the right hedge

Is White Cedar 'Smaragd' right for you?

A great choice if you want:

A neat, narrow evergreen hedge
Front gardens and tight spaces
Bright green colour all winter
A hedge of 1.5–3m with one trim a year

Consider another hedge if:

You want a fast or very tall screen
The site is deeply shaded or very windy
Your ground stays waterlogged or very dry

Compare our Thuja hedging

Buying help

Buying FAQs

What size White Cedar should I buy?

Because 'Smaragd' is slow growing, buy it close to the finished height you want. Choose 150–175cm plants for a head-height hedge straight away, or 100–125cm plants for a lower hedge or to save on cost.

How many White Cedar plants do I need per metre?

Plant White Cedar at 3 per metre in a single row for every size we sell. The calculator on this page works out the total from your hedge length.

When is root-balled White Cedar delivered?

Root-balled plants are lifted while dormant and delivered from autumn to spring, depending on the weather. Plant them as soon as possible after delivery, keep the root ball intact and water them in well.

How tall does a 'Smaragd' hedge grow?

As a hedge it is usually kept at 1.5–3m. Left untrimmed it can eventually reach 4–5m, but it grows only 10–20cm a year, so it is easy to hold at the height you want.

Is White Cedar the same as Western Red Cedar?

No. Both are Thuja, but White Cedar 'Smaragd' (Thuja occidentalis) is narrow and slow, while Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) is broad and fast, for taller screens.

Why is my new Thuja turning brown?

The most common cause is dry roots in the first year, especially from spring to late summer. Water thoroughly once or twice a week in dry weather until the hedge is established, and check that the ground is not waterlogged.

Helpful guides

More help with White Cedar

Thuja hedge care & growing guide Compare all our Thuja hedging Hedging root types explained

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White Cedar Hedge