Comparing varieties? See Green Giant for maximum growth speed or American Pillar for narrow spaces

Excelsa Arborvitae

Elegant, Dense, and Perfectly Sized for Year-Round Privacy

Spring Planting Season Is Here — Act Now! Spring is prime time for arborvitae. Our team delivers and installs your trees with professional care, and every order of 10+ includes a FREE irrigation package valued at $500–$1,500.

 

Our trees are dug fresh and burlap-wrapped right before shipping — maximum root health, ready to take off the moment they're in the ground. Spots fill fast. Lock in your Spring planting today.

 Excelsa Arborvitae is a refined, fast-growing evergreen that delivers the privacy and resilience you want without the overwhelming size. With softer, finer foliage and naturally dense branching, Excelsa creates a lush wall of green year-round. Reaching 20-30 feet tall, it's ideal for medium scale landscapes where full coverage matters but towering height isn't necessary.

Quick Specs

Growth Rate:
Up to 2–3 ft per year
Mature Height:
20–30 ft tall, 8–10 ft wide
Planting Spacing:
4–6 ft apart in rows
Color:
Rich green foliage with reddish-brown bark
Sunlight Preference:
Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness Zones:
5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a
🚚 Ships Anywhere in USA
🌲 145k+ Trees in Stock
🪏 Planting Available Locally
Contractor Grade: Our workhorse tree. Field-grown with highest
care standards. Beautiful, low-maintenance, and fast-growing. Perfect
for property lines, privacy screens, and windbreaks where quantity
and value matter most. Balled-and-burlapped.
Our highest quality tree. Cultivated with a single-leader structure to maximize beauty and consistency. Having a single trunk improves symmetry and balance, reducing the need for aesthetic pruning and removal of weakly attached limbs. These are the best option for achieving visual uniformity among multiple trees. Shipping not included.
These young, vibrant trees are nurtured with the same dedication to quality and growth as our specimen-grade, single leader trees but offer the unique advantage of being easily transportable. Ideal for urban gardens, patios, or areas where space is a premium, these trees are cultivated to thrive in their containers until they're ready to find their permanent home in your landscape. Whether you're looking to create a private oasis, enhance your outdoor decor, or simply enjoy the benefits of young, healthy trees without the wait, our container-grown trees provide the flexibility to ship smaller sizes directly to your doorstep. Embrace the beauty and practicality of these meticulously cared-for saplings, ready to grow alongside you.
 
Base price - includes plant material picked up from our farm. Shipping additional - call for quote
Planted price - includes planting, available only within 50 miles of nursery; minimum qty 10
Available within 50 miles of Galena, MD. Minimum 10 trees. Includes irrigation package ($500-$1500 value).

Or call (443) 566-2887

Note: Prices shown are for trees only (pickup or delivery). Shipping costs additional - call for quote.

Landscape Professional?

Partner with us to elevate your next project.

Exclusive trade privileges with tailored sourcing and supplying with dedicated support. Open exclusively to accredited professionals. Please provide your business license or tax ID to establish your account.

Rolling Fields Tree Farm is a trusted partner for wholesalers across the Mid-Atlantic. Our Green Giant Arborvitae trees are grown with care and are ideal for large-scale projects.

Call Or Text

Call (443) 566-2887
Text (443) 566-2887

Why Excelsa is Perfect Medium Landscapes

13+ years of growing the Mid-Atlantic's best privacy trees

🌿
Right-Sized Growth
Grows 2-3 feet per year reaching a manageable 20-30 ft height. Get privacy fast without overwhelming your property. Perfect for medium-sized landscapes.
🌲
Year-Round Privacy
Tight scale foliage creates an effective screen year round. Columnar form allows close planting (2.5–3 feet apart) for seamless privacy walls in compact footprints.
🦌
Deer & Pest Resistant
Among the last trees deer want to eat. Highly resistant to insects, diseases, and other pests that plague other evergreens.
⛈️
Storm Storm & Drought Tough
Compact branch structure naturally sheds snow and ice. Deep root system resists
uprooting. Tolerates dry spells once established.
🔇
Natural Noise Barrier
Dense growth habit diffuses sound waves year-round. Ideal for blocking road noise or noisy
neighbors in suburban settings.
💰
Smart Value
Grows 2–3 feet per year reaching 15–20 feet in height. Perfect for formal hedges, side yards, driveway borders, and anywhere width is at a premium.
Compact Privacy Screen
Mature Excelsa trees provide dense privacy at a manageable height. Our largest 12'-14' trees deliver immediate screening without overwhelming your space— perfect for suburban properties.

Call (443) 566-2887
Hassle-Free Ordering
The journey from here to privacy on your property is simple and easy.
  • ✓ Fill out form or call us
  • ✓ We call back with pricing & schedule delivery
  • ✓ Ships anywhere in the US
  • ✓ Professional installation within 50 miles of nursery

How to Use Excelsa in Your Landscape

Single Row for Maximum Density

If creating a dense, attractive privacy screen is your goal, Excelsa Arborvitae delivers excellent results. Its naturally upright, compact growth habit allows for close planting in a single row, where branches fill in to form a solid wall of green.

Staggered Rows for Depth and Sound Buffering

For a more relaxed look and improved sound buffering, staggered rows work especially well. This arrangement enhances coverage while adding depth to your planting—ideal for medium to large spaces where you want a softer, more layered screen.

Lone thuja green giant arborvitae tree in field with distant deciduous tree line and blue sky
Green giant arborvitae hedge row with tall columnar shape viewed diagonally
Well pruned green giant arborvitae hedge row
Green giant arborvitae hedge row in front of cabin showing broad dense growth
Thuja green giant arborvitae hedge row blocking view of yard from street

Complete Specifications

Scientific Name
Thuja plicata 'Excelsa'
Shape
Conical/Pyramidal
Growth Rate
Up to 2–3 ft per year
Shipping Size
8–14 ft balled & burlapped
Mature Size
20–30 ft tall, 8–10 ft wide
Planting Spacing
4–6 ft apart in rows
Leaf Type/Arrangement
Flat sprays with scale-like opposite needles (softer and more compact than Green Giant)
Fragrance
Pine/Juniper
Color
Rich green foliage with reddish-brown bark
Soil pH
Acidic (<6.0) or neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil Type
Well-drained, tolerates a range of soils with good organic matter
Sunlight Preference
Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness Zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b
Blocks Noise
Full growth habit diffuses sound waves year-round
Low Maintenance
Hardy, tolerates range of moisture conditions
Deer Resistant
Not preferred by most browsing pests - Especially Deer Resistant
Uses
Privacy screen, hedge, windbreak, noise barrier, decorative (compact spaces)

FAQs

How fast does Excelsa Arborvitae grow?
Excelsa Arborvitae grows up to 2–3 feet per year under the right conditions, similar to our Green Giant Arborvitae. The difference comes at maturity. Excelsa tops out at about 20–30 feet, making it more manageable for smaller spaces while still delivering rapid coverage.
What's the difference between Excelsa and Green Giant Arborvitae?
Both are hardy, fast-growing evergreens ideal for privacy screens, but Excelsa stays smaller and denser. It matures at 20–30 feet tall compared to 50–60 feet for a Green Giant, with tighter branching that provides better close-range coverage.
Is Excelsa Arborvitae the same as Thuja plicata?
Yes. Excelsa is a cultivated variety of Thuja plicata (Western Redcedar). It has been selected for its upright, compact growth habit and refined foliage, making it ideal for residential and commercial landscaping.
Do you have Excelsa Arborvitae seedlings?
No. We sell Excelsa Arborvitae as larger, balled & burlapped trees for immediate landscape impact and higher survival rates.
Do you sell Excelsa Arborvitae seeds?
No. We focus on supplying mature trees ready for installation. Seeds are not a practical way to establish a privacy screen due to the slow, unpredictable growth process.
When is the best time to prune Excelsa Arborvitae?
Like Green Giants, Excelsas require minimal pruning. If shaping or height control is needed, prune in late spring or early summer after new growth has emerged. Avoid heavy pruning into old wood.
What type of soil does Excelsa Arborvitae need?
Excelsa thrives in well-drained soils rich in organic matter, but it adapts to a wide range of conditions. Avoid planting in sites that remain consistently waterlogged.
Can Excelsa Arborvitae grow in acidic soil?
Yes. Excelsa tolerates both acidic soils (below 6.0) and neutral soils (6.0–8.0).
Will you plant the trees for me?
We offer planting services within 30 miles of our nursery in Galena, MD. Outside of that, we happily offer shipping, but planting services will be up to the customer.
How big does Excelsa Arborvitae get?
Excelsa typically reaches 20–30 feet in height and 8–10 feet in width. This smaller mature size compared to a Green Giant makes it perfect for tighter spaces.
Can Excelsa Arborvitae grow in rocky soil?
Yes, provided the site has good drainage. Excelsa's adaptable root system can establish in rocky soils as long as it isn't compacted or waterlogged.

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