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The Daily Insight

Will arborvitae grow back if cut down?

Author

Matthew Barrera

Published Jun 01, 2026

Will arborvitae grow back if cut down?

The problem is that arborvitae don’t regenerate new growth very well when you cut back so far that you’re cutting into the bare, needleless wood toward the inside of the branches. Like most evergreens, arborvitae shed the inner, older foliage as new growth continues toward the branch ends.

How far back can you cut an arborvitae?

If your arborvitae is overgrown, don’t try to cut it back more than 20 percent or it may not develop a new leader or terminal shoot.

How do you get rid of arborvitae stumps?

Begin removing the old arborvitae in the fall or early spring.

  1. Reduce the height of the shrub by lopping off trunks, a few feet at a time, until you can easily cut off the remaining stubs close to the ground.
  2. Apply herbicide to cut stumps or scrape away bark into the soft underlying cambium around each stump.

What can I substitute for arborvitae?

Best Alternative Plants to the Emerald Green Arborvitae

  • Mission (Techny) Arborvitae.
  • Spartan Juniper.
  • Blue Arrow Juniper.

How much does it cost to cut down an arborvitae?

Tree Removal Cost by Type of Tree

Tree typeRemoval Cost
Magnolia$375 – $500
Arborvitae$450 – $1,000
Cedar$500 – $2,000
Oak$600 – $900

What is a good fertilizer for arborvitae trees?

Best Fertilizer For Arborvitae We recommend using slow release fertilizer that has 50% nitrogen and has a high first number, like a 12-6-4 or 10-8-6 mixture. Granualized fertilizer works the best because it helps prevent the roots from burning and allow you to only fertilize once per year.

What to do with the top of an arborvitae tree?

Discard the cut branches away from other trees or plants; never put diseased branches in a compost bin. The tops of arborvitae trees are often cut off when the height becomes problematic, or people want to prune the tree into a hedge.

How old do you have to be to cut back an arborvitae?

Be more conservative when pruning trees that are over 2 years old. Arborvitae that are a couple of years old are more forgiving of cuts than an old tree. You can cut back into wood that is a year or 2 old, and the tree will likely grow it back. However, in older trees, it’s less likely to grow back.

How can you tell if an arborvitae has died?

Cut out dead branches to the stem. When you see brown foliage at the end of the branch, that’s an indication it’s died. In that case, cut the branch right at the stem with clippers or a saw and pull the branch out.

When to prune emerald green arborvitae?

Prune arborvitae to reduce height in the late winter, before the sap rises in the main trunk. To thin out overgrowth, prune in mid-summer, so new growth can take hold before the tree goes dormant for winter. Prune down to ground level in the early spring, before flowering and budding.

Discard the cut branches away from other trees or plants; never put diseased branches in a compost bin. The tops of arborvitae trees are often cut off when the height becomes problematic, or people want to prune the tree into a hedge.

Be more conservative when pruning trees that are over 2 years old. Arborvitae that are a couple of years old are more forgiving of cuts than an old tree. You can cut back into wood that is a year or 2 old, and the tree will likely grow it back. However, in older trees, it’s less likely to grow back.

Cut out dead branches to the stem. When you see brown foliage at the end of the branch, that’s an indication it’s died. In that case, cut the branch right at the stem with clippers or a saw and pull the branch out.

How tall and wide does an arborvitae tree get?

An arborvitae can grow up to 60 feet tall and 15 feet wide, although there are many dwarf varieties. The dwarf varieties have been used for foundation plantings, trees in small yards and hedges, yet eventually they grow to be up to 10 feet wide.