Little Giant Arborvitae Plant – Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’ (Dwarf Globe Evergreen, Live Starter Shrub)

The Little Giant Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’), a dwarf form of the native Eastern arborvitae, is a tidy little globe of rich green evergreen foliage that earns its keep in any landscape. Its dense, soft, scale-like sprays hold a deep green color all year — right through winter — and it grows slowly into a naturally rounded shape, reaching about 2–4 feet tall and wide. With almost no pruning required, the Little Giant Arborvitae is a go-to for foundation plantings, low hedges, and neat evergreen accents.

Why Grow a Little Giant Arborvitae?

• Tidy globe shape – forms a naturally round, compact ball of foliage with little to no trimming.
• Rich year-round green – holds its deep green color through winter without the bronzing many evergreens show.
• Compact & slow-growing – stays small (about 2–4 feet), so it won’t outgrow tight spots, foundations, or containers.
• Very cold-hardy & adaptable – thrives all the way down to zone 3, tolerates a wide range of soils (even damp ones), and is salt-tolerant.
• Low-maintenance structure – dense, fine-textured evergreen form that anchors beds and borders year-round.

Looking for more compact evergreens? Browse our Shrubs & Bushes and Outdoor Plants collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

• Botanical name: Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’ (a dwarf globe selection of Eastern/American arborvitae, also called eastern white cedar)
• Plant type: Compact, slow-growing, globe-shaped evergreen shrub
• Plant family: Cupressaceae (the cypress family)
• Mature size: a slow grower to about 2–4 feet tall and 2–4 feet wide
• Foliage: Rich green, soft, scale-like sprays; evergreen and color-holding through winter
• Notable traits: Very cold-hardy, salt-tolerant, soil-adaptable, low-maintenance
• Cold Hardiness Zones: 3–8

Little Giant Arborvitae Care & Growing Guide

The Little Giant Arborvitae is easy and adaptable. Follow these simple guidelines:

• Sunlight: Full sun is best (it also tolerates a little shade). Plenty of sun keeps it dense and richly colored.
• Water: Water weekly during the first year to establish a strong root system. Once mature, water occasionally — but this arborvitae prefers consistent moisture and shouldn’t be left to dry out for long stretches.
• Soil: Prefers deep, well-drained soil but adapts to a wide range of soils, including damp ones. It is not fussy about pH.
• Cold Hardiness Zone: 3–8.
• Pruning: It holds its round shape on its own, so pruning is rarely needed. Shear lightly in spring only if you’d like to tidy the shape.

Ways to Use Little Giant Arborvitae in the Landscape

• Foundation plantings and entryway framing
• Low evergreen hedges and edging
• Front-of-border accents and mass plantings
• Rock gardens and small-space gardens
• Containers and patio pots

It pairs well with taller and spreading evergreens for layered structure. Gardeners often combine it with the columnar Skyrocket Juniper, the spreading Parsoni Juniper, or the upright Podocarpus Macrophyllus.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Little Giant Arborvitae starter plants grown and shipped by Carlos Plant Farm. Plants are less than 12 inches tall when we ship them. The photos in this listing depict mature plants of the correct species so you can see how they will look as they grow. Choose your preferred plant bundle size using the options above.

Terms of the Sale

Disclaimer: Free First Class shipping is uninsured. The customer assumes all risk of loss or damage once USPS takes possession. We hand deliver your packages to USPS in good, undamaged condition; the shipping label is scanned and they are marked “in transit.”

We expend much time and financial resources to bring you a quality product. Due to the costs incurred with each transaction you make, and the nature of this product, we will not cancel any orders outright with a full refund. We may, at our discretion, offer a partial refund to cover our costs and loss of business through no fault of our own. Once your order is shipped, we will offer no cancellation refund at all.

There are times during the year when these plants are shipped that they might be severely affected by heat or cold. The plants may be wilted or even dead when they arrive. The buyer assumes the loss in these instances if there is one. We insure each package, and if the insurance doesn’t cover the damaged/dead plant, the buyer assumes the total risk of loss. The buyer agrees with the above terms of the sale when they purchase plants from Carlo’s Plant Farm.

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