I tried to create a privacy fence about ten or so years ago with Arborvitae (not sure of the cultivar or if it matters), it was not long before the deer ate them. Again, deer tastes can be regional and it also depends on the severity of the weather. Not a conifer expert but many of them do seem to be eaten by deer. I replaced Yews with Cephalotaxus (Japanese plum yews) and they will even occasional munch on them, unless it's rabbits. I eventually resolved my living property fences on one side with an allee of Southern Magnolias on the west side, east side with Cherry Laurel (Schip/Skip) and deciduous smoke bush, and the south side with Holly (Blue Prince/Princess), Nellie Stevens, Japanese, Chinese) and boxwoods. I have NEVER seen them touch boxwoods, ever. I have noticed them occasionally munching on the softer blue hollies, and Japanese Holly in a bad winter, EVEN the odd magnolia leaf in deep snow. They don't go near either the Nellie Stevens or the even more prickly, Chinese Holly. Cherry Laurels, are never touched, I think it's the cyanide, LOL. Other plants that I may be used as borders that deer tend never to bother with (in my personal experience) include, rhododendrons, bamboos (use the clumping ones, not the runners unless you are prepared to live in a bamboo forest), and Osmanthus heterophyllus 'goshiki', which is a very colorful, prickly, hardy, broadleaf evergreen. P.S., You won't find barberry on my list, I HATE them and ripped out all the ones the prior owners had planted to outwit the deer.

Heh Ken, didn't realize that the picture would be confusing, so let me clarify (also see attached photo from the front - left bottom arb here is the left arb in the original photo): - couple of hundred feet of paving stone is our driveway ;) this is urban so lot is fairly small comparing to many of the people on this forum - there is indeed boxwood in-between, but it's pretty leggy, so I was planning to replace it - the house is facing west, so arbs line our northern border (well, it's west side); the photo in the original post is taken looking straight north, with house on the right (you can see a corner, barely), and driveway entrance on the left - the road on the left is a city street, and beyond the fence is our neighbors - the location is fairly sunny (from before noon to evening in summer) - there are a few very tall trees (oaks) around, but these are not dense - pavement is matte grey, so don't think there are issues with reflections and hey, it's Canada, not Arizona ;) it may get very hot for awhile in summer, but generally this is not a problem - snow, of course, certainly happens, but in Toronto it's not too bad; last winter was exceptionally snowy, and these plants had no damage whatsoever, without me doing anything (wish I knew about this forum last year!) - yes, there is indeed a power line above, but given that we live basically in a park, most of the powerlines here at least pass through some foliage, often several trees. Uff, I think I have it all covered! :) cearbhaill, I agree that these look fine as is - FOR NOW. I like them. But these things tend to grow and change :), and I don't want to be the guy posting pictures several years from now, and getting replies like "aww, if you only acted a few years earlier, but now there is not much you can do. Remove/replant.". As I understand, with conifers especially, it can be too late to prune - so I'd rather check. and be safe than sorry, especially with people on this forum being very helpful. Considering limited space and overplanting, I know I have to prune regularly quite a few plants; I wonder if this helps with these arbs, as I can't really have them at 20ft+ in this space. Thanks everyone!

Thank you. How would Thuja's growth rate compare with "Spartan Juniper" (Juniperus chinensis 'Spartan')? Around here I can get 15gal 5'-6' tall tree for about $50 both of thuja and juniper or 24" box 8'-9' feet of thuja for about $200. I was trying to lookup info on "juniperus viginiana burkii" but I am getting that they are 10-15' in diameter, right? I think that there are other juniperus which would work better (i.e. Spartan, Skyrocket, Hetzii Columnaris). Vadim This post was edited by kutsyy on Wed, Jul 3, 13 at 20:09

"an intolerant bigot" Well, that's a bit strong! And the same label might just as easily be applied to you for dogmatically insisting that all conifers are trees. And the only reason I brought it up was that you do this consistently and if you want to encourage new gardeners - as you state - then giving them meaningful, accurate information would be a bit more helpful than a broad and somewhat misleading generalization. I agree that terminology is important but how it is used is equally important. The only relevant terminology here is that this is a conifer. Using the comparison of an Audi to a Ford makes no sense in this instance unless you were comparing the plant in question - a conifer - to something like a maple or a rhododendron. The type of plant, not its growth habit. FYI, arborvitae like 'Smaragd'/Emerald Green, 'Danika', etc. are frequently referred to as shrubs due to their relatively compact size and the fact they start to branch so low to the ground (no clear trunk). From MOBOT: "This American arborvitae cultivar is a semi-dwarf, evergreen shrub with a compact, narrowly pyramidal habit." (emphasis mine) They are just as often referred to as trees, as they typically have only a single stem/trunk emerging from the roots. Neither term is definitive as to how to care for them - they are only descriptors.