Looks like a smaragd to me.

I will also agree ...

Smaragd only grows to 12 -14 ft. They look taller to me, but it could just be the picture. I am guessing Thuja Green Giants and can grow up to 60ft. The foliage on both look close.

I'd say they're about 15 ft. I don't think they're green giants as I've just barely trimmed the bottom of them and we've lived here for 4 years. They're in a tight location.

My parents also have what I think is an emerald cedar and its quite tall as well.

in my MI ... i have some for 15 years ... probably 3 or 4 footers when planted ... if they are 8 feet tall ... i would be surprised... not to mention they are all multi-stemmed.. and subject to snow load injury ...

i do not think they are 'Smaragd' ... but maybe they have more potential in warmer climes ...

how old is the house.. and how long have you been there .... at least we can hone in on an age ...

they are not GG ... at that height.. they would be at least twice as wide. ... unless they have been HEAVILY sheared every year.. and they dont look like they have ....

of course.. as trees.. they dont magically stop growing at some given height ... so the discussion between 12 or 15 feet.. doesnt mean much to me diagnostically .... its still within the norm.. should i be wrong ...

ken

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The house was built in 1994. We've been here since 2014 and they were pretty big then also. My parents example is probably about 15-20 y/o.

so.. fwiw ... its less than 24 years ... in situ ....

if i still know how to subtract .. lol ...

anyway .... whats the question ???? .. just curiosity ????

where are you in Ont ... its kinda large ... how temperate is your local area ...

ken

Located on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

I'm curious because we planted a number of emeralds a couple years ago so I wonder if this is how they will end up looking. The large ones posted here I always just assumed were emeralds, without actually knowing, figure I should know if that's what they actually are.

Hmmm interesting, this is why you should never assume things!

Ok so how about the example from my parents place? They think it's an emerald and it is as tall if not taller than the ones at my place.

As for colour, the ones posted stay the same colour essentially all year. Interestingly enough the ones I know are smaragd bronze a little in the winter and then there's a couple other smaragd, purchased elsewhere, they don't bronze.

What is the exact height? That could help. Hetz will generally be taller and wider than 'Smaragd'. And both 'Smaragd' and 'Hetz Wintergreen' are known to retain their deep green coloring through winter with little to no bronzing

Width is about 40", I'm not exactly sure the height but I'd estimate 15 ft.

Foliage shown looks like that of 'Smaragd' and there are countless examples in my area with the same narrow, pointed crown outline. (But a body just has to look at photos of this cultivar on the web to see how the shape varies. Due probably to a combination of site conditions and position on stock plants where cuttings originated). Also in my area is a public planting that was determined using an instrument to be over 17 ft. tall in 2005 - that's 13 years ago. I have seen numbers of other generally similar columnar arborvitae here that were probably quite a bit taller but have not gone up to them to see if they had the characteristic 'Smaragd' foliage. One planting I noticed a few years ago in a country town was hugely taller, would have had to have been from a distribution significantly predating 'Smaragd' becoming highly prevalent on the local market in the 1980s. (This timing of commercial presentation also means that most - if not all - seen here are not anywhere near mature in age and size, for a long-lived evergreen conifer).

I didn't take the time that day to drive over and look at it up close, haven't been back since.

Trees asked about should be compared in person with known, labeled 'Smaragd' elsewhere in the same region to see how they stack up. Clipping a representative foliage spray and holding it next to 'Smaragd' at a local garden or nursery may be all that is needed to see if yours are the same.

There is nothing particularity distinctive about the foliage of Smaragd that would make its identification obvious from other, similar cultivars, like the Hetz or Pyramidalis. Really the only noable distinctions would be size and winter coloration and perhaps the slower rate of growth but none are so glaringly obvious as to make an ID confirmation a slam-dunk for anyone!!

To my eye Thujas on the OP's pics resemble 'DeGroot's Spire' http://conifersociety.org/conifers/conifer/thuja/occidentalis/degroots-spire/ much better than 'Smaragd' does http://conifersociety.org/conifers/conifer/thuja/occidentalis/smaragd/

First of all, 'Smaragd' doesn't have that twisted foliage that is characteristic to 'DeGroot's Spire' and is visible on all OP's pictures.

Also 'Smaragd's foliage is "glossy emerald-green that does not become bronze in winter", while the foliage "tends to turn to a dark mossy-green to true bronze color" in 'DeGroot's Spire', what can be easily seen in the OP's pics, as well (compare the summer and the winter pics!).

'DeGroot's Spire' was introduced by Sheridan Nurseries located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1980, so, most likely, unlike in the PNW, it is grown in many places in Ontario.

@durkadurka4747: There is a search box on the Anerican Conifier Society's pages, what you have probably noticed when looking at the links, where you can search about 200 other Thuja occidentalis cultivars. Look at the pics, pay attention to the shape, size, width and height, colour, growth rate, description, and decide for yourself. :-(