Highlights Arborvitae

Highlights Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Janed Gold')

Highlights Arborvitae is a bright, narrow evergreen that gives you year-round color without needing flowers to do the work. Its golden foliage lifts darker plantings and helps screens and borders look more intentional in every season. The naturally tight shape is easy to fit along foundations and property lines when you want privacy but do not have room for a wide hedge. Plant it in good sun and keep moisture steady, and it will reward you with a clean, glowing vertical accent that stays dependable over time.

Distinctive Features

This American arborvitae cultivar is prized for intense yellow to gold foliage that holds its color well through the year, including winter in many landscapes. It grows in a tight, upright pyramidal to columnar form with dense, flattened sprays that create a tidy silhouette without frequent pruning. Growth is moderate, commonly reaching about 8 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide in its early maturity, and it can become taller with age if left untrimmed. The small cones are not showy, but the bright evergreen color and narrow habit make it a standout among screening shrubs.

Growing Conditions

• Sun: Full sun to part shade, with the strongest gold color and best density usually in full sun.
• Soil: Average, evenly moist, well-drained soil is ideal, and avoid sites that stay soggy or bone dry.
• Water: Keep evenly moist during establishment, then water deeply during extended dry periods to prevent stress and fading.
• USDA Zones: 5 to 8.
• Exposure: Some protection from harsh winter wind can help maintain the best cold-season appearance.

Ideal Uses

• Focal Point: Use one plant as a bright evergreen focal point to add vertical structure and gold color in a narrow space.
• Screening: Plant in rows for a space-smart privacy screen that adds color while still reading as a classic evergreen wall.
• Hedge: Maintain as a narrow hedge to define property edges and outdoor rooms with clean, glowing lines.
• Foundation Planting: Place at corners or along long walls where you want height without crowding walkways and windows.
• Containers: Feature in large containers to brighten entries and patios with a tidy evergreen accent.

Low Maintenance Care

• Pruning: Prune lightly in late spring to early summer if needed to refine shape, and avoid cutting back into bare, leafless wood.
• Mulching: Mulch the root zone to conserve moisture and moderate temperature swings, keeping mulch a few inches off the trunk.
• Watering: Water deeply during heat and drought, especially for the first few seasons and for plants in rows.
• Fertilizing: Feed in spring only if growth is weak, using a slow-release evergreen fertilizer according to label directions.
• Winter Care: Brush off heavy, wet snow to reduce branch splay and help keep the form tight.

Why Choose Highlights Arborvitae?

• Year-Round Gold: Bright yellow to gold foliage keeps the landscape looking lively even in winter.
• Narrow Footprint: Provides meaningful height and screening value without demanding a wide bed.
• Tidy Habit: Naturally upright form looks clean with minimal shaping.
• Heat and Sun Performance: Color typically deepens with sun and can handle summer heat with consistent moisture.
• Deer Pressure Note: Deer may browse arborvitae, so protect plants where deer activity is common.

If you want evergreen privacy with a brighter look than standard green screens, Highlights Arborvitae is an easy upgrade. Give it sun for the best gold color, keep the root zone from drying out, and it will stay dense and polished. It works as a single vertical accent, but it is especially effective repeated for a narrow, colorful hedge. With simple care, it becomes a long-lasting backbone that keeps beds and borders looking finished year-round.