American Pillar vs. Green Giant Arborvitae: Which Privacy Tree Is Right for Your Yard?

When homeowners start looking for fast-growing privacy trees, Green Giant arborvitae is usually one of the first names they come across. For many properties, it's an excellent choice. It grows quickly, creates a dense evergreen screen, and has earned its reputation as one of the best privacy trees available.

But Green Giant isn't the right fit for every landscape.

If your yard is narrow, your home sits close to the property line, or you're trying to create privacy without sacrificing valuable outdoor space, American Pillar arborvitae may be the better option.

Both trees offer beautiful year-round screening. The difference is finding the one that fits your property.

Both Green Giant and American Pillar are considered fast-growing arborvitae, making either one a solid choice if you want privacy sooner rather than later.

Green Giant is known for its vigorous growth and impressive mature size. American Pillar also establishes quickly and develops into an attractive privacy screen without taking over the landscape.

If speed is your only concern, you really can't go wrong with either tree.

This is where the biggest difference becomes clear.

A mature Green Giant arborvitae is a large tree. That extra size is a tremendous advantage on larger properties, where there's room to let the trees reach their full potential.

American Pillar was developed with a different goal in mind.

Instead of growing broad and massive, it maintains a naturally narrow, upright shape, typically reaching about 15 to 20 feet tall while staying only about 3 to 4 feet wide at maturity.

For homeowners working with tighter spaces, that narrower profile can make all the difference.

The answer depends less on the tree itself and more on your property.

If you have plenty of room, Green Giant creates an outstanding privacy screen. Its larger size eventually forms a substantial living wall that's difficult to see through.

American Pillar provides excellent privacy as well, but it does so with a much smaller footprint. It's often the better choice for side yards, pool areas, townhomes, newer developments, or anywhere lot sizes are limited.

Many homeowners assume they have to compromise between privacy and space. American Pillar is designed specifically to solve that problem.

One of the most common questions we hear is, "How much room do these trees need?"

Green Giant requires enough space to accommodate its mature width. On larger lots, that isn't usually an issue. If space is your biggest concern, learn how wide American Pillar arborvitae gets at maturity before deciding which tree is right for your yard.

American Pillar trees are commonly planted about 2½ to 3 feet apart, creating a dense privacy screen while using significantly less horizontal space than many traditional privacy trees.

If you're working around fences, patios, driveways, utility easements, or neighboring homes, that narrower spacing often makes planning much easier.

Green Giant generally provides the lowest cost per linear foot of privacy, especially on larger installations.

American Pillar is typically a more expensive tree. It's a patented variety, and because each tree is narrower, you'll often need more of them to cover the same distance.

That doesn't necessarily make it the more expensive project overall—it depends on your property and your goals.

For many homeowners, paying a little more for a tree that fits the space properly is well worth it.

Green Giant is usually the better choice if you:

• Have a large property with plenty of planting space
• Want the biggest possible privacy screen
• Prefer fewer trees over a longer distance
• Want outstanding value for larger installations

American Pillar may be the better fit if you:

• Have a smaller lot or limited planting space
• Need privacy close to a property line
• Want a tall hedge without excessive width
• Are screening a pool, patio, driveway, or side yard
• Like the appearance of a narrow, formal evergreen screen

There isn't a single "best" arborvitae for every property.

Green Giant remains one of our most popular privacy trees because it's fast-growing, durable, and creates an exceptional screen for larger landscapes.

American Pillar fills a different role. It gives homeowners with tighter spaces an option that still delivers excellent privacy without outgrowing the available space.

At Rolling Fields Tree Farm, we help homeowners choose the right tree for their property—not just the most popular one. If you're unsure which arborvitae is the better fit, we're happy to discuss your project, answer your questions, and recommend the option that will give you the best long-term results.