Hedging Cedars: Eastern White Cedar vs Emerald Cedar

Hedging Cedars are primarily of two types in Ontario: “Eastern White Cedar” and “Emerald Cedar.” If you’re planning to install a cedar hedge, understanding the differences between cedar types is important for choosing the one right for you.

Eastern White Cedar

• Very hardy, resilient trees. Strong resistance to pests and disease.
• Adaptable to various soil conditions, including wet and dry soil types.
• Grow into each other creating a thick, green wall of privacy
• Start off thinner, take a few seasons to establish
• Amenable to pruning and shaping to whatever height and width desired
• Grow to heights of 30-40′, live for 100+ years

Here are some photos of of a site that had eastern white cedars installed as hedging cedars. The first photo shows the trees on the day of installation and the other two photos show the same site, three seasons later.

Emerald Cedar

• More delicate and less hardy. Vulnerable to the effects of drought and cold
• Struggle in wet soils
• Always stay in their compact, columnar shape with gaps between the conical tops so it will always just look like a “row of trees”
• Very thick, green trees right from the start (though they can degrade over time)
• Since they stay compact, they are not as suitable for trimming. Topping ruins their appearance.
• Can grow to a maximum height of 15-20′, live for 30 years

Here are some photos of emerald cedars. The second and third photos show these trees planted in a row as a hedge. However, the gaps between them and their dense, conical shape prevent them from forming a seamless, uniform barrier.

What’s Best for Cedar Hedging?

In Ontario, Eastern white cedar trees (Thuja occidentalis) is the best choice for cedar hedging because it is the only type of cedar that creates an uniform wall of privacy.

Emerald cedar trees (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) are fantastic as ‘accent trees’ but they are not the best choice for a classic ‘hedge’ as they will always look like a row of trees.