Emerald Green vs. Green Giant Arborvitae: Which Privacy Hedge for Rochester?

By Margaret Ellison, Tree & Shrub Health. Last updated: July 22, 2026

Nearly every Rochester homeowner planning a privacy screen ends up choosing between the same two evergreens: Emerald Green and Green Giant arborvitae. They look similar on a nursery bench, but they solve different problems, and picking by growth rate alone leads to either a screen that takes half a decade or a wall that outgrows the space and gets stripped bare by deer. This guide lines them up head to head for Monroe County conditions: narrow suburban lots, heavy Finger Lakes deer pressure, and zone 5b to 6a winters.

Emerald Green vs. Green Giant arborvitae: how do they compare at a glance?

Emerald Green and Green Giant solve two different privacy problems in Rochester. Emerald Green stays a narrow 12-15 foot column that suits tight side yards, while Green Giant races to a 40-60 foot screen for open lots. The table below lines up the six factors that decide which arborvitae belongs on your property, so you can match the plant to the space and the deer pressure rather than the price tag.

How fast does each arborvitae grow?

Green Giant grows far faster than Emerald Green. Green Giant adds roughly 3 to 5 feet of height per year once established, the fastest rate of any arborvitae, while Emerald Green plods along at about 6 to 12 inches a year. In practice, a Green Giant screen closes in a handful of years, whereas an Emerald Green hedge takes closer to half a decade to knit together into a solid wall.

That speed gap is the single biggest reason people reach for Green Giant. If you need to block a new neighbor's second-story window this decade rather than next, the math favors the giant. The trade-off is that fast growth keeps going: Green Giant does not politely stop at hedge height, so the same vigor that fills a screen quickly also demands more room and, if you want it kept short, more shearing.

How big does each get, and will it fit your space?

Size is where these two part ways hardest. Green Giant matures near 40 to 60 feet tall and 12 to 18 feet wide, a genuine tree, while Emerald Green tops out around 12 to 15 feet tall and only 3 to 4 feet wide. For a narrow suburban side yard or a spot near the house, the compact Emerald Green fits where a Green Giant would swallow the space and crowd the foundation within a decade.

The Morton Arboretum notes that giant arborvitae may grow up to 40 feet tall, and grower and extension data commonly push mature Green Giant higher on good sites. That makes it a poor fit for a tight property line but an excellent one for a back-lot screen or windbreak with open ground behind it. Emerald Green's tidy footprint is exactly why it dominates front-yard foundation plantings and formal hedges. If you are still weighing species for the property, our roundup of the best trees to plant in Rochester for zone 5b and 6a puts arborvitae in context with other options.

Which arborvitae is more deer resistant in Upstate New York?

Green Giant is the more deer-resistant of the two, and in the Finger Lakes that difference matters enormously. Rutgers rates Emerald Green's species, Thuja occidentalis, in its worst deer category, so hungry deer routinely strip it bare from the ground up through winter. Green Giant, a western arborvitae hybrid, is browsed far less, though no arborvitae is truly deer proof under the pressure common across Monroe County.

Rutgers NJAES places Thuja occidentalis, the eastern arborvitae behind Emerald Green, in its "frequently severely damaged" rating, the category reserved for plants deer eat readily unless they are fenced or sprayed. The Morton Arboretum, by contrast, describes giant arborvitae (the western species group behind Green Giant) as less appealing to deer. That is not a promise of immunity. In a hard winter with deep snow, deer will sample young Green Giant too, especially anything below browse height. Deer damage also compounds the winter desiccation that already thins evergreen hedges, so if yours is browning out, our guide on why an arborvitae turns brown in Rochester walks through the usual culprits.

Can either arborvitae handle Rochester winters and snow load?

Both arborvitae are reliably hardy in Rochester, but they handle winter stress differently. Emerald Green is cold-hardy well past our zone 5b to 6a winters and holds green color, yet its multiple upright stems can splay open under heavy, wet lake-effect snow if they are not tied or brushed off. Green Giant is also zone 5 hardy and its stronger central leader sheds snow load better, though young plants still need attention their first few winters.

The bigger seasonal threat here is not cold but desiccation. Winter wind and frozen soil pull moisture from the foliage faster than the roots can replace it, leaving evergreens scorched and brown by spring. New plantings of either arborvitae benefit from a thorough soaking before the ground freezes, a layer of mulch, and sometimes an anti-desiccant spray or burlap screen. If your evergreens look ragged after a Rochester winter, see why evergreen trees turn brown for how to tell ordinary winter burn from a real problem.

So which arborvitae should you plant?

Choose by space and deer pressure, not growth rate alone. Plant Green Giant when you have room for a tall, fast screen and deer traffic is heavy, and plant Emerald Green when the space is narrow, the look is formal, and you can commit to protecting it from deer. Both are sound choices for the right Rochester lot, and the wrong pick usually comes from ignoring the mature size or the deer.

For a long back property line, a windbreak, or any spot where you want privacy quickly and have 15-plus feet of depth to give, Green Giant is hard to beat. For a snug side yard, a foundation planting, or a crisp geometric hedge where a 50-foot tree would be absurd, Emerald Green is the natural answer, provided you fence or spray against deer while it establishes. When the situation is genuinely borderline, that is exactly the call worth putting to an arborist before you buy a truckload of plants.

FAQ

How far apart should I plant arborvitae for a privacy hedge?

Space Emerald Green roughly 3 to 4 feet apart for a solid narrow wall, and give Green Giant about 5 to 8 feet because each plant grows much wider. Crowding either one invites disease and thin, bare interiors as the plants shade each other out.

Will deer eat Green Giant arborvitae?

Deer strongly prefer Emerald Green, but Green Giant is not deer proof. Under heavy Finger Lakes pressure, especially in a hard winter with deep snow, deer will sample young Green Giant, so protect new plantings with fencing or repellent until they grow above browse height.

How long until an arborvitae privacy screen fills in?

A Green Giant screen often closes within three to five years thanks to its 3 to 5 foot annual growth, while a slower Emerald Green hedge typically needs five or more years to knit together into a solid barrier.

Can Green Giant be kept smaller with pruning?

Yes. Green Giant tolerates shearing and can be held to a lower hedge height, but that means regular maintenance to fight its natural vigor. If you want a compact screen with little pruning, Emerald Green is the more natural fit.

Do arborvitae need winter protection in Rochester?

New plantings benefit from it. A deep soaking before freeze-up, mulch, anti-desiccant sprays, burlap screening, and deer fencing all help young arborvitae through their first Rochester winters, when winter burn and deer browse do the most damage.

Sources

• Monster Tree Service of Rochester
• The Morton Arboretum: Giant arborvitae (Thuja)
• Rutgers NJAES: Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance
• USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
• Cornell Cooperative Extension