Blue Cone Arborvitae

Big.  Round.  Large. Low Maintenance.  Structural. Evergreen. The Arborvitae.

This monster of a plant swallows up landscaping space.  Some of our Tucson yards just have this plant as their only focal point in their landscaping!  I will say that birds do love this tree pronounced ar-bor-vee-tay (although it's fun to hear everyone say it differently).  That may be the only interesting thing about this plant.  "Hey hey hey....don't be so mean blogger guy.  Every plant has its place."  Yes it does, but I don't think it belongs in a lot of the landscaping around town.  It is attractive if you have a lot of room in your landscape for it or need it for a focal point, but for most homeowners, this is not a plant to use as your sole landscaping answer.  It's rather boring, but why do homeowners do it?  Well simple.  It's easy to grow.  Loves sun.  Takes up a lot of space that people don't have to manage. And it doesn't take a lot of water once established and has a nice structural look to it.  So it does have its place if it's done well.....but most people have these giants inappropriately placed around their homes and they make their places look.....boring.  My recommendation is to use this plant, if you have the space, in a repeating fashion like on a wide sidewalk curb like the above pic.  I put in several at a group home that doesn't take care of the backyard at all. They frame an entrance to an alleyway. These are low maintenance and can withstand the Tucson extremes.  It's good for people who don't want a high maintenance plant that doesn't require a lot of work.  They are attractive plants but should not be overdone:)  I do like them, but if you are into desert design, this is maybe not the best choice out there for your yard:)  Until next time.....