Highlights® Arborvitae

Highlights® Arborvitae - Golden Evergreen Privacy & Accent Shrub

Bring bright year-round color and elegant vertical structure to your landscape with Highlights® Arborvitae. This distinctive evergreen features vibrant yellow foliage that develops richer golden tones in sun and summer heat while maintaining its color through the colder months.

Highlights® grows naturally into a tight, upright pyramidal to columnar form, creating strong architectural interest without requiring constant pruning. Its narrow footprint makes it an excellent choice for privacy screens, hedges, foundation plantings, mixed borders, entryways, mass plantings, and large containers.

Unlike traditional green arborvitae, Highlights® provides a bold splash of golden color throughout the year, making it especially effective when planted against darker evergreen shrubs, fences, brick, or other contrasting backgrounds.

Why You'll Love Highlights® Arborvitae

Bright Golden Evergreen Foliage: Strong yellow foliage develops rich golden tones in sunlight and maintains attractive color throughout the year.

Naturally Narrow Growth Habit: Its upright pyramidal-columnar shape provides vertical structure without taking up excessive landscape space.

Excellent Privacy Plant: Plant several together to create a colorful evergreen screen or narrow hedge.

Year-Round Landscape Interest: Evergreen foliage provides dependable structure and color through every season.

Minimal Pruning Required: Highlights® naturally maintains an attractive upright form, making it a low-maintenance alternative to shrubs requiring frequent shaping.

Versatile Landscape Uses: Works beautifully as an accent, hedge, privacy planting, foundation shrub, mixed-border specimen, or container plant.

Highlights® Arborvitae Details

• Botanical Name: Thuja occidentalis 'Janed Gold'

• Cultivar: Highlights®

• Patent: PP21,967

• Common Name: Highlights® Arborvitae, Golden Arborvitae

• Plant Type: Evergreen conifer shrub

• Mature Height: Approximately 8-20 feet

• Mature Width: Approximately 4 feet

• Growth Habit: Upright, dense, pyramidal to columnar

• Growth Rate: Moderate

• Foliage Color: Bright yellow to golden yellow

• Foliage Type: Evergreen

• Foliage Texture: Soft, fine-textured, aromatic evergreen sprays

• Light: Full sun to partial shade

• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil

• Water: Moderate

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-8b

• Maintenance: Low

• Pruning: Minimal pruning generally required

• Year-Round Interest: Yes

Growing Conditions

Light Requirements: Highlights® Arborvitae performs best in full sun to partial shade. More sunlight generally produces the strongest yellow and golden foliage color.

Soil Requirements: Plant in moist, well-drained soil. Arborvitae perform best when the root system receives consistent moisture without remaining waterlogged.

Water Requirements: Water regularly after planting while the root system becomes established. Once established, transition to deeper, less frequent watering while avoiding prolonged drought stress.

Cold Hardiness: Highlights® is recommended for USDA Zones 5a-8b and provides dependable evergreen structure through winter in suitable climates.

Color Performance: One of the standout characteristics of Highlights® is its ability to maintain strong golden foliage color through summer heat and into winter.

Care Instructions

Watering: Water deeply immediately after planting and maintain consistent soil moisture during the first growing season. Established plants still benefit from supplemental watering during extended hot or dry periods.

Fertilizing: Apply a balanced slow-release evergreen or shrub fertilizer in early spring if additional growth is desired.

Pruning: Highlights® naturally develops an attractive narrow pyramidal shape and generally requires little pruning. Light tip pruning can be used to maintain a formal hedge or particularly crisp silhouette.

Mulching: Apply approximately 1-2 inches of mulch around the root zone to conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature, and reduce weed growth. Avoid piling mulch directly against the trunk.

Winter Care: Water thoroughly before prolonged winter freezes, particularly during dry autumn conditions, to help evergreen foliage enter winter well hydrated.

Landscaping Uses

Privacy Screens: Plant several Highlights® Arborvitae together to create a narrow evergreen screen with significantly more color than traditional green arborvitae.

Hedges: The dense upright growth habit makes Highlights® an excellent choice for structured or informal evergreen hedges.

Landscape Accent: Use as a vertical focal point where its bright golden foliage can contrast with dark green shrubs, burgundy foliage, stone, brick, or fencing.

Foundation Plantings: Its relatively narrow width allows Highlights® to add height and structure near homes without occupying the space required by broader evergreen shrubs.

Entryways: Use individual plants or matching pairs near entrances, gates, walkways, and patios for strong architectural impact.

Mixed Borders: Combine with flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, and dark-foliaged evergreens for dramatic color contrast.

Mass Plantings: Repeating several plants creates a striking rhythm of golden vertical forms across larger landscape beds.

Containers: Young Highlights® Arborvitae can be grown in large decorative containers to provide evergreen structure and year-round color around patios and entrances.

Frequently Asked Questions

How large does Highlights® Arborvitae get?
Highlights® can mature approximately 8-20 feet tall while remaining around 4 feet wide, giving it a relatively narrow, upright profile.

What color is Highlights® Arborvitae?
Its foliage begins bright yellow and develops stronger golden coloration in sunlight and warm weather. Unlike many colorful shrubs, it provides interest throughout the entire year.

Does Highlights® Arborvitae stay evergreen?
Yes. Highlights® is an evergreen arborvitae and retains its foliage throughout winter.

Does Highlights® Arborvitae need full sun?
It grows in full sun to partial shade. Full sun generally produces the strongest golden foliage color.

Can Highlights® Arborvitae be used for privacy?
Yes. Its dense, upright growth habit makes it well suited for privacy screens and narrow evergreen hedges.

How far apart should I plant Highlights® Arborvitae?
For a relatively quick privacy hedge, plants can generally be spaced approximately 3-4 feet apart on center. Wider spacing can be used when you want individual plants to remain more visually distinct.

Does Highlights® Arborvitae need much pruning?
No. It naturally develops a tight pyramidal-columnar shape and typically requires very little pruning. Light trimming can be performed when a more formal appearance is desired.

Does the golden color last through winter?
Yes. Highlights® was specifically selected for foliage that maintains bright color through both summer heat and winter conditions.

Can Highlights® Arborvitae grow in containers?
Yes. Young plants perform well in large containers with excellent drainage. Because the plant eventually becomes tall, larger specimens are typically better suited for the landscape.

Is Highlights® Arborvitae easy to maintain?
Yes. Once established in an appropriate location, it is a relatively low-maintenance evergreen requiring regular moisture, occasional feeding, and very little pruning.