Full Speed a Hedge American Pillar | Privacy Screen in a Flash

Full Speed A Hedge® ‘American Pillar’ is a patented, fast-growing Arborvitae cultivar that reaches 15 to 20 feet tall while staying just 3 to 5 feet wide, growing up to 2 feet per year for rapid privacy screening.

A narrow stretch of yard or a overlooked property line doesn’t need a slow-motion hedge. The Full Speed A Hedge® ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘American Pillar’) was bred specifically to solve that problem—it packs dense evergreen coverage into a column of space, gaining two vertical feet each season under decent conditions. Here is what you need to know before planting one, or a row of them.

What Makes American Pillar Different From Other Arborvitaes?

This is a sport of ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ selected for its tighter branching and faster vertical push. It carries USPP 20,209, which matters if you are searching for the exact patented plant rather than a lookalike seedling. The growth habit is columnar all the way—no flaring base and no loose top. The foliage stays rich green year-round, not the bronze tint some arborvitaes throw in winter.

The main competitor for the same job is ‘Emerald Green,’ which reaches about 12 to 14 feet tall and grows roughly a foot per year. American Pillar goes taller and tighter, and it moves faster. For a full 20-foot screen, Emerald Green takes a decade or more.

How Many Feet Per Year Does It Actually Grow?

Under ideal conditions—full sun, well-drained soil, regular water—expect about 2 feet of vertical growth per year. Some retailers claim 3 to 4 feet, but that requires nearly perfect soil moisture and a long growing season. The more conservative 2-foot figure holds up across the widest range of sites.

Width stays inside 3 to 5 feet at maturity, so the annual spread is minimal. All the energy goes up.

Where Does It Grow Best?

American Pillar performs in USDA Zones 3 through 8, which covers most of the continental US. It handles winter temperatures down to -40°F, heavy snow loads, high winds, and summer heat. The plant is listed as deer resistant—meaning it is not a preferred browse—but hungry deer in winter may still sample it. It also tolerates clay and alkaline soils, which many evergreens do not, as long as the soil drains.

The biggest limitation is light. It needs at least 4 hours of direct sun daily. In deep shade the foliage thins and the growth rate drops to almost nothing.

Planting and Spacing Guide

For a solid privacy screen, space the plants 2.5 to 3 feet apart, center to center. At 2.5 feet they will knit together faster, but 3 feet still produces a dense wall within two to three years. Spacing wider than 4 feet leaves visible gaps for years—the canopy fills sideways slowly.

Dig the hole twice as wide as the container and exactly as deep. Backfill with native soil—no amendments needed unless the dirt is pure builder’s clay—and water thoroughly. A 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch keeps the roots cool and cuts down weed competition. The Full Speed A Hedge® ‘American Pillar’ Arborvitae product page recommends watering regularly for the first six months, after which established plants survive on normal rainfall.

Does It Need Pruning?

No. The plant naturally holds a dense, narrow pyramid shape without shearing. If you want a tighter formal look or need to trim a broken branch, prune in early spring before new growth starts or in late spring after the first flush hardens off. Pruning in late summer or fall encourages soft new growth that winter will kill back.

Fertilizer and Winter Care

A slow-release fertilizer applied once in early spring gives a slight growth boost, but it is not required. The plant performs well on ordinary garden fertility. Over-fertilizing—especially with high-nitrogen formulas—pushes weak, leggy growth that needs staking.

For winter, water the soil deeply before the ground freezes in autumn. Dry soil combined with cold winds desiccates the foliage and causes the browning people blame on “winter burn.” The 2- to 3-inch mulch layer also insulates the root zone.

Container Sizes and What to Expect at Planting

Most retailers sell American Pillar in 1-gallon containers, with plants standing 30 to 35 inches tall at shipping. A 7-gallon container runs about 5 feet tall at purchase and establishes faster because the root system is larger. For the fastest possible screen, some nurseries offer 10- to 15-gallon sizes that reach 25 to 30 feet at maturity because they started life in a bigger pot.

Common Mistakes That Slow Down or Kill the Hedge

The most frequent error is over-spacing. American Pillar is narrow, but it does not vine sideways. At 5 or 6 feet apart, the hedge never closes.

Wet soil is the second. This arborvitae dies in standing water. If the planting site stays soggy after rain, build a raised bed or choose a different plant. The third is autumn neglect—allowing the plant to enter winter dry guarantees brown foliage by February.

Deer resistance is real but not absolute. In a hard winter with snow on the ground for weeks, deer may still strip the lower branches. A wire cage for the first two winters solves that.

Is It the Right Arborvitae for Your Yard?

American Pillar fits narrow corridors—side yards, fence lines, driveway borders—where a wider evergreen would crowd the space. It works in Zones 3 through 8, grows in clay, shrugs off winter, and fills in fast enough that you are not waiting a decade for coverage. The trade-off is that it needs full sun to perform, and the plants must be spaced no more than 3 feet apart for a true hedge. If your lot meets those conditions, this is the fastest columnar screen you can plant.