There’s a Lovely Moment after Rain When Thuja Foliage Darkens and the Whole Hedge Smells Gently Resinous if You Brush Past It.

Evergreen Hedges And Screens That Really Work

Thuja (often sold as western red cedar or arborvitae) is one of the best choices for evergreen hedging in real‑world UK gardens. It clips neatly, fills out quickly and gives you a dense, green wall without the harsh look some conifers can have. You can keep it low and tidy at chest height, or let it rise into a lofty privacy screen that still stays relatively slim. In a Cambridgeshire back garden overlooked by neighbouring houses, a Thuja hedge can transform the space, cutting out unwanted views and noise while still feeling soft and leafy rather than stark.

  • Evergreen Hedges And Screens That Really Work
  • Soft Texture And A Fresh, Resinous Scent
  • Tough, Hardy And Quite Forgiving To Prune

Thuja at a Glance:

Common name: Thuja

Latin name: Thuja

Size in UK gardens: Very variable; hedges are often kept between 1.5–4m high, while free‑growing specimens can reach 6–10m or more. Compact columnar and dwarf forms stay much smaller.

Best position: A sunny or lightly shaded, reasonably sheltered spot, with room for the chosen variety to form a hedge, screen or specimen without constantly being cut back from paths or buildings.

Soil: Moist but well‑drained, reasonably fertile soil; will tolerate clay and chalk when drainage is good, but dislikes heavy, waterlogged ground.

Flowering time: Tiny flowers and cones are not the main feature; the key interest is evergreen foliage and clipped or natural form.

Hardiness: Generally fully hardy in most UK gardens once established.

Care level: Easy to moderate – straightforward if given reasonable soil and drainage, with regular but simple pruning and sensible watering while establishing.
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Thuja Care at a Glance:

Planting time: Container‑grown thujas can go in almost any time the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged; autumn and early spring are usually easiest. Root‑balled hedging plants are best planted during the dormant season from late autumn to early spring.

Watering: Water regularly for the first couple of years, especially in dry spells and on lighter soils, so the rootball and surrounding soil don’t dry out completely. Established plants usually cope well with normal dry periods but will appreciate a deep soak in prolonged drought.

Feeding: In decent garden soil, Thuja doesn’t need heavy feeding – a spring mulch of compost or well‑rotted manure is normally enough. On very poor or sandy soils, you can add a light scattering of balanced, slow‑release fertiliser in early spring to support steady growth.

Pruning: Clip hedges and shaped plants once a year in late summer, with an optional light tidy in late spring if needed. Thuja can often be cut back into older wood to reduce size, but it’s better to do this gradually and avoid removing all the green growth at once.

Winter: Established thujas need little winter care beyond decent drainage and a mulch over the root area. Young hedges in exposed sites may benefit from some temporary wind protection until they’re well rooted.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer campestre

Acer campestre 'Elsrijk'

Acer campestre 'Queen Elizabeth'

Acer campestre 'Carnival'

Frequently Asked Questions

For many smaller UK gardens, the answer is “often, yes”. Thuja tends to grow a little more steadily and is easier to keep in check than classic fast‑growing leyland hedges, while still giving you a dense, evergreen screen. It also responds better if you need to cut back into older wood and has a softer, more refined texture. That said, any conifer hedge will become a problem if it’s left untrimmed for years, so regular clipping is still important. For a typical Cambridgeshire back garden, a Thuja hedge at 1.8–2m high, trimmed once a year, is usually much more manageable than a leyland wall pushing for the sky.

For hedging, you can normally plant a single row of Thuja around 45–60cm in from the fence line, spacing plants roughly 45–90cm apart depending on the eventual height and variety. This gives enough room for roots and branches to develop without forcing you to prune hard, flat faces against the fence. For larger specimens or columnar forms used as features, allow a little more breathing room – at least 60–90cm from solid structures – so you can access the plant for clipping and so it doesn’t feel squashed as it matures.

Thuja is more forgiving than many conifers when it comes to renovation pruning. You can often cut back into older wood and get new shoots, especially if the plant is otherwise healthy and well rooted. However, it’s still best to proceed in stages: reduce the height or one face first, give it a season or two to recover with new growth, then tackle the other side. Avoid cutting right back to bare, bark‑only stems everywhere in one go. Good aftercare – mulching, watering in dry spells and a little balanced feed in spring – helps hedges bounce back more strongly.

Thuja is fairly low‑maintenance once established. The main regular job is clipping, which, for hedges and shaped plants, is usually once a year in late summer, with possibly a light touch‑up in spring. It doesn’t drop masses of large leaves in autumn, so there’s less clearing up than with many deciduous hedges. Watering is important in the first couple of years, but established plants on decent soil in Cambridgeshire generally look after themselves. If you’re happy to give it a yearly haircut and the odd bucket of water in a very dry summer, Thuja will repay you with reliable evergreen structure for decades.