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Specs are compiled from manufacturer listings and verified buyer reviews and can change over time — please confirm the key details on the product page before buying.
Planting Arborvitae in pots is Planting Arborvitae in pots is the fastest way to build a privacy screen, frame a patio, or green up a balcony without committing to the open ground.. The catch is that not every variety handles container life the same way, and some starter plants arrive as little more than twigs with roots.. This guide compares the strongest pot-ready options by how they actually arrive, how fast they grow, and which zones they thrive in..
I’m Min — the founder and writer behind Gadgets Feed. This guide is built by comparing the manufacturers’ published specifications and the patterns across verified customer reviews, so you get each pick’s real strengths and trade-offs instead of marketing spin.
To get a privacy screen or a tidy hedge without waiting years, you need an arborvitae in pots whose mature size fits your yard and your patience. Match the variety’s final height and width to your space, and you will avoid constant pruning or a tree that outgrows its spot..
Our Picks at a Glance
How To Choose The Best Arborvitae In Pots
Choosing an Arborvitae for a pot starts with a simple question: how big do you want it to get, and how fast do you need it there? These evergreens range from narrow pillars that top out around 14 feet to giants that can hit 60 feet, so the variety you pick locks in your future pruning work.
Match the mature size to your space
An Emerald Green forms a tight column that stays narrow, while a Green Giant spreads wide and tall. If your pot sits against a wall or near a walkway, a slim 4-foot-wide Emerald Green beats a 20-foot-wide giant every time.
Check the growth rate and your zone
Fast growers like the Green Giant can add 3-5 feet per year once settled, which makes them ideal for quick privacy but a constant pruning job in a small pot. Your hardiness zone tells you whether the tree can handle your winters, so match the zone range to your region before you order.
Expect starter sizes, not nursery trees
Most potted Arborvitae ship as young plants between 6 inches and 2 feet tall. That is normal and healthy, but it means your privacy screen is a project for the next few seasons, not an instant wall.
Quick Comparison
| Model | Best For | Mature Height | Growth Rate | Container Size | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Promise Farms Emerald Green★ Best Overall | Quality single specimen | 18 – 20 ft | — | #3 / 3-Gallon | Amazon |
| Perfect Plants Emerald GreenBest Value | Low-care compact hedge | 14 ft | — | 1 Gallon | Amazon |
| Brighter Blooms Green GiantFastest Screen | Fast screen from day one | — | 3-5 ft/year | 2-3 ft plant | Amazon |
| Daylily Nursery Emerald Green 7-Pack | Budget multi-plant start | 8-12 ft | — | 2.5 inch pots | Amazon |
| Panter Nursery Green Giant 10-Pack | High-volume planting value | 40 ft | 3 ft/year | Potted 7-10 in | Amazon |
| Generic Green Giant 5-Pack | Simple low-maintenance planting | — | — | 2.5 inch pots | Amazon |
| Perfect Plants Green Giant 5-Pack | Fast screen with dense foliage | 50 ft | 3-5 ft/year | 1 Gallon | Amazon |
| Sandys Nursery Green Giant 10-Pack | Well-rooted premium starts | 30-50 ft | — | Quart Pot | Amazon |
| Greenwood Nursery American Pillar 5-Pack | Narrow fast-growing hedge | 20 – 30ft | 3 ft/year | Quart Pots | Amazon |
In‑Depth Reviews
1. Green Promise Farms Emerald Green Arborvitae
Our pick — over 4.5★ from 150+ verified ratings; the strongest balance of quality and price.
The crowd-tested Emerald Green that ships big, healthy, and ready to anchor a hedge
For the lowest-risk start to a potted privacy hedge, buyers keep reordering this one. It ships in a #3 Size, 3-Gallon Container — the largest pot in this roundup — so you get a well-established root system that settles into your yard faster than the 1-gallon and quart starts below.
The quality reputation is the core reason this wins the top spot, with the most positive owner feedback in this list centered on how healthy, full, and uniformly sized the plants arrive. “They were absolutely beautiful. Healthy trees and the color was an emerald green,” captures the consensus perfectly. Buyers report buying 10 at a time across multiple orders and having every one arrive bright green and undamaged even when the shipping boxes were beat up.
Expect these to reach a mature 18-20 ft tall and spread 5-6 ft wide, so plan your spacing accordingly. The plants take partial shade and full sunlight, and the arrangement is ready to plant the moment it arrives. One owner noted the tree was still thriving a full 12 months later, which speaks to the staying power.
What wins people over
- Largest 3-gallon root ball of the group for faster establishment
- Owners consistently report lush, full, emerald-green foliage on arrival
- Upright narrow form suits hedging or a single specimen
Who should think twice
- Mature size of 18-20 ft needs generous spacing or regular pruning
- A rare delivery can arrive a bit dry and needs time to green back up
Reach for this if: you want the most established, best-reviewed Emerald Green starter money can buy for a serious hedge project.
Look elsewhere if: you only need a few tiny budget starters — this premium pot size costs more per plant than the multi-packs below.
2. Perfect Plants Emerald Green Arborvitae, 1 Gallon
A cold-hardy Emerald Green that arrives fresh and asks almost nothing of you
This pick earns its value badge with the widest hardiness range in the roundup — zones 2-7 — meaning it survives winters that would kill lesser evergreens. The extra cold tolerance makes it the smart choice for northern gardeners who want a potted hedge that stays pristine green through both Winter and Summer without coddling.
Owners mention the tree arrived healthy, well-packaged, bright green, with minimal brown spots, and often taller than expected at over 2 ft. The columnar habit matures at 14 feet tall and just 4 feet wide, so it fits tight spaces where a Green Giant would overwhelm. It is also deer resistant and drought tolerant once established, plus it is compact, which works well in a container.
Owners are surprised by the arrival condition — the package survives rough transit, and the soil stays moist with no transplant shock. A verified buyer said, “The tree came packaged ready for whatever might happen during shipment!” The trade-off: this is a 1-gallon start, so you pay less but get a smaller root system than the 3-gallon Emerald Green above.
Best condition on arrival: buyers consistently describe these as fresh, healthy, and ready to plant straight from the box.
The trade-off: the 1-gallon pot means a slower start than the bigger 3-gallon container, but the zone 2-7 hardiness makes it the safest Northern pick.
3. Brighter Blooms Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae, 2-3 ft
The 2-3 ft starter that sprints skyward at 3-5 feet per year for instant privacy
This is the biggest starter in the list — a 2-3 ft tall Green Giant that skips the tiny-sapling phase entirely. With a growth rate of 3-5 feet per year once settled, it is the closest thing to instant privacy you can plant in a pot, and the wide-based pyramidal shape forms a uniform screen with zero pruning needed.
Customers note being “completely pleased with packaging and condition of plants upon arrival,” with the plants arriving with damp soil and green foliage. The size feedback is genuinely mixed though — some owners found the trees larger than expected while others said they ran smaller than advertised, so temper your expectations and measure the pot before ordering a row.
One important practical note: this tree is deer resistant, and the seller backs it with a warranty covering plants that arrive in poor health. Just remember the Green Giant grows far taller and wider than an Emerald Green, so it is the choice when you have the room to let it run. It cannot ship to AK, AZ, HI, or OR due to federal restrictions.
Grab it for: the fastest possible privacy screen from the largest starter size in this comparison.
skip it if: your space is tight — this variety ultimately wants real estate that an Emerald Green does not need.
4. Daylily Nursery 7 Emerald Green Arborvitae, 2.5 inch pots
Seven dwarf-friendly starters that stop growing at a manageable 8-12 ft
This is the pick for buyers who want a full hedge line without paying for seven individually boxed trees. You get seven Emerald Green Arborvitae in 2.5-inch pots, and the standout spec is the capped mature height of 8-12 ft with a 3-4 ft width — the shortest, most container-friendly Emerald Green in this whole comparison.
Because the mature size is smaller, these work better in pots over the long term than the giants that will eventually demand the open ground. Owners describe the trees as healthy, green, and growing on arrival, with one buyer planning to plant all 21 from a second order after the first batch thrived. The seller ships a copyrighted growing guide with every order and backs plants with a five-day guarantee, though shipping to Arizona is not available.
The honest trade-off is that 2.5-inch pots are true starter plants — expect them around the 6-9 inch range, not the 2-3 ft of the Brighter Blooms pick. You are paying for quantity and long-term value, not instant size, and you will want to transplant them into larger pots within a season.
Smart budget hedge: seven healthy Emerald Greens for less than the cost of two larger starters, with a compact 8-12 ft mature size that suits pots.
Patience required: these are small saplings, so your screen takes a few seasons to fill in — the payoff is a full row at a fraction of the cost.
5. Panter Nursery 10 Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae, 7-10 inches
A ten-pack of fast-growing Green Giants that turns a bare line into a screen fast
If you want the most coverage for your money, this ten-pack of Thuja Green Giants wins. Each plant ships potted in its own soil and container at 7-10 inches tall, then grows 3 feet per year once established, reaching up to 40 feet tall and 15 feet wide — a full screen in a few seasons.
The root quality is the recurring theme in owner feedback — buy reports highlight well-developed root systems and healthy, moist plants on arrival. One buyer detailed the growth curve perfectly: 3.5 ft in full sun, 2-3 ft with 6-10 hours of light, and 20 inches in shade, all from the same batch. That tells you this variety rewards you with sunlight and consistent watering.
There is real nuance in the size feedback, with some owners finding the plants larger than promised and others much smaller, so treat the 7-10 inch spec as an estimate. The seller suggests spacing 6-7 feet apart for a quick screen, and while the trees are hardy in zones 5-9, an occasional delivery shows slight browning on leaf tips that recovers after planting.
Why it is the budget king
- Ten healthy, well-rooted plants for the price of two premium singles
- Fast 3 ft per year growth rewards full-sun placement
- Owners describe them arriving hydrated, alive, and perfectly packaged
Know before you buy
- Mature size of 40 ft tall demands serious space or aggressive pruning
- Starter size means a few seasons before the screen fills in
Best for: budget-minded buyers planting a long fence line who will trade starter size for raw quantity.
Not for: anyone with a small yard — this variety’s 40 ft mature height overpowers tight spaces.
6. 5 Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae, 6-12″ Tall, 2.5″ Pots
Five easy-going Green Giants that keep their pyramid shape with zero pruning
This five-pack is built for the gardener who wants a natural privacy screen without the upkeep. The defining trait is that no pruning is required — the tree keeps its own pyramid shape — and the dark green foliage turns a bronze color in winter for year-round visual interest.
Reviewers point out the plants arrive healthy, packaged well, and easy to plant, with several buyers saying they will keep ordering more. The trees tolerate full sun and partial shade, and the listing calls for clay soil with moderate watering, which makes this a flexible option for different pot conditions.
The catch here is the small 2.5-inch pot size at 6-12 inches tall, and the feedback is less conclusive than the bigger packs above. One reviewer noted trees that died, though many others had the opposite experience, so treat this as a solid entry-level starter where survival depends on your aftercare and planting timing.
Choose it for: a no-fuss five-plant start that keeps its own shape and adds winter bronze color.
Pass if: you want a proven track record — the smaller review base and starter size make this a higher-variance pick.
7. Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant, 1 Gal 5-Pack
A five-pack of 1-gallon Green Giants with Christmas-tree scent and fast growth
This is the premium-tier value play: five Green Giants in 1-gallon pots that grow 3-5 feet per year, and the dense dark green foliage smells like Christmas trees when the leaves are broken. That is a sensory detail no other pick in this roundup offers, and it makes the hedge genuinely enjoyable to brush past.
The owner consensus centers on size and health — buyers describe the trees as impressively sized at 16-18 inches tall, beautifully green, and arriving in great condition. One buyer mentioned their potted trees nearly doubled in height within 5 months and thrived in containers for a full year before final planting, which is exactly the pot-first, ground-later strategy many readers want.
Be honest about mature size: this variety can hit up to 60 ft tall and 20 ft wide at full maturity (50 ft per the spec sheet), though you can prune it to any size. It thrives in zones 5-9, tolerates clay soil, and becomes low-maintenance once established — water it regularly early, and it asks for little later.
The container-friendly giant: buyers prove these thrive in pots for months, making them ideal for a staged planting plan.
Plan for the future: the 60 ft potential means eventual transplanting or dedicated pruning if you keep them potted long-term.
8. Sandys Nursery Online Thuja Green Giant, Lot of 10, Quart Pot
A ten-pack of 16-inch quart-grown giants with roots that impress even seasoned buyers
This ten-pack ships as full, well-rooted 16-inch tall plants in quart pots, and the roots are what buyers mention most. One buyer called the root balls in the trays “impressive,” and another ordered 40 plants, reporting every single one looked great with good roots — a strong endorsement for a variety that usually struggles with transplant shock.
The packaging earns consistent praise, with each plant individually wrapped in plastic to retain moisture and neatly packed to prevent movement in the box. Buyers describe the trees as bigger than expected and thriving after planting, with one noting they survived a cold winter. The privacy screen potential is substantial: 30-50 feet tall and 12-16 feet wide at maturity in zones 5-8.
The practical cost is that you cannot ship to AZ or CA, and at 16 inches these are still starters rather than instant screens. One owner honestly noted that some plants needed significant TLC to survive, so your success rate will track closely with how quickly you plant and water after arrival.
Pick this for: the strongest documented root systems of any multi-pack, which means faster establishment after planting.
Choose something else if: you need instant privacy — these are healthy 16-inch starts, not 2-3 ft trees.
9. Greenwood Nursery American Pillar Arborvitae, 5X Quart Pots
The narrow, fast-growing pillar that blocks pool and patio views without the spread
If your problem is a specific sightline — a neighbor’s window, a pool, or a patio — this American Pillar is built for exactly that. Its narrow growth habit is the defining spec, reaching 20-30 ft tall while staying at 2.5 to 3 feet apart for a hedge, which beats the Green Giant’s wide pyramid for tight planting rows.
The growth rate is the headline: after the first year planted, it grows at least 3 feet each year, and the grower claims it is the fastest privacy hedge evergreen they have seen in years. Buyers back this up, with one ordering over 50 plants that grew several inches within months and describing the nursery as the best online option they have used. The seller’s 14-day guarantee provides a real safety net, and the plants are deer resistant and disease resistant.
These ship as quart pots, so they are modest starters, and one owner reported the trees arrived quite small and chose to keep them in a bucket until they were big enough to plant. That is the honest trade-off: you are buying the fastest-growing narrow hedge, but the first season still requires patience.
Built for tight lines: the narrow 2.5-3 ft spacing creates a dense screen in just 2-3 years, unlike any wide-spreading giant.
Expect starter size: quart-pot beginnings mean keeping them in a bucket or larger pot for a season before the fast growth kicks in.
Understanding the Specs
Mature Height and Width
This is the single most important number because it decides whether your potted Arborvitae becomes a manageable column or an overwhelming giant. Emerald Greens top out around 8-20 feet with a narrow 3-4 foot spread, while Green Giants can reach 30-60 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide. Match the mature size to your available space before you buy, because a 60-foot tree in a 5-gallon pot is a problem you will face for decades.
Growth Rate Per Year
Fast-growing varieties like the Green Giant add 3-5 feet per year once settled, which makes them ideal for quick privacy screens but a constant pruning job in small pots. Slower varieties need more patience but much less maintenance. Your growth rate also depends heavily on sunlight — full sun produces dramatically more growth than partial shade, so place your pots where they get the most light.
FAQ
Can Arborvitae really grow well in pots long term?
What size pot should I use for an Arborvitae?
How fast do potted Arborvitae grow each year?
What hardiness zone do I need for these Arborvitae?
What is the difference between Emerald Green and Green Giant Arborvitae?
Why did my potted Arborvitae turn brown after delivery?
How far apart should I space Arborvitae for a privacy hedge?
How much water does a potted Arborvitae need?
Final Thoughts: The Verdict
Across the board, the best arborvitae in pots winner is the Green Promise Farms Emerald Green because the 3-gallon root system and consistently healthy arrivals make it the lowest-risk, highest-quality start for any hedge project. If you want the fastest possible privacy screen, grab the Brighter Blooms Green Giant at 2-3 ft tall with 3-5 feet of annual growth. And for a tight-space hedge that blocks a specific view, the Greenwood Nursery American Pillar delivers a narrow, fast-growing screen without the wide spread.
How We Picked
We do not accept paid placement. Every pick is matched to a real buyer and a real use-case; we do not hands-on test units.
Sources & Methodology
Specifications: manufacturer listings and product documentation. Review insights: verified customer reviews, as of August 2026. Pricing: not shown on this page (it changes often); check the current price via the retailer link.
As an Amazon Associate, Gadgets Feed earns from qualifying purchases. This does not affect which products we feature.