Q. Will arborvitae grow in the shade?

A. Arborvitae (Thuja) perform best when planted in a minimum of six hours or more of direct sun per day. However, they can tolerate light shade in areas that only receive four hours of midday sun per day. According to Michael Dirr, Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) may be more shade tolerant than Eastern or American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). Arborvitae lose their dense habit if grown in full shade.