Question: Hi - With the extreme drought conditions and only a bit of rain recently to take the edge off but …
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Question
Hi - With the extreme drought conditions and only a bit of rain recently to take the edge off but not end the drought in a meaningful way, I'm wondering: 1) Is the tree in the attached pic dead? 2) Is fall planting of 4-5 foot tall arborvitae a bad idea this year, and do you think it'd be better to wait for the spring? 3) Are there are particular trees which are drought resistant, fast growing, and native to MA forests? Thank so much for your time and expertise! Regards, Patrick
Answer
Dear Patrick, good morning. It is hard to tell if the tree is truly dead or not. Some species have amazing recovery ability if conditions return to normal. I would encourage planting Thuja occidentalis (arbor vitae) only if you are able to provide ample water. If you need more water-stress resistant species, consider (for another evergreen in the same family) Juniperus virginiana (eastern red cedar), which can handle much drier sites than Thuja occidentalis. If you need more information, contact me at ahaines[at]newenglandwild.org and I can forward your information request to some folks in the nursery. Best wishes.
