Arborvitae and Cypress in a Blizzard

Many of us enjoy the beauty of the Winter landscape after a blizzard. Except perhaps for excessive ice forming on gutters and prized evergreens.

Most evergreens will be fine and will bounce back to shape once the ice melts.

The Green Giants are the most resilient of the Arborvitae group, as it has a sturdy center lead and usually no multiple leads. We yet to see an imperfect shaped mature Green Giant as they are tolerant to Winter storms.

The Emerald Green will bounce back about 95% of the time, with an occasional branch breaking which may need to be pruned away. Usually this happens only to a minor branch and once it is pruned away, its absence won’t be noticed.

The Murray and Leyland Cypress are the least tolerant of heavy ice cover. However, due to their fast growth and less uniform shape then the Arborvitae, any broken branch will be replaced by new growth next year. Also, they are not planted north of USDA Zone, so they see less winter weight pressure.

Important to note that while ice is a nuisance to us, it is an important heat barrier for the trees. Farmers often run overhead sprinklers for their Spring crop to protect them from late frost.