New Proven Winners Evergreen Stands Tall and Straight

GRAND HAVEN, Mich. – When John Houser found a tall and columnar evergreen tree growing in his nursery one day, he knew he found a winner.

The unusual evergreen found by Houser this day was an arborvitae with fast growth, a dense branching structure and a tall, narrow habit.  It maintained this columnar shape with minimal pruning.  Because it reminded him of a soldier standing at attention, Houser named his arborvitae ‘American Pillar.’

Recently, Houser licensed Proven Winners ColorChoice to propagate the 'American Pillar' Arborvitae, enabling rapid nationwide distribution and marketing.

The branches of 'American Pillar' are approximately twice as dense as its parent, the 'Hetz wintergreen' cultivar of arborvitae. 'American Pillar' has a tight pyramidal habit, which creates visual appeal in landscape designs. It grows rapidly to 25 feet or more, remaining a very slender tree, seldom exceeding 3 feet in width at its base, even without shearing.
    
"I've spent 70 years in the landscape field, but I've never found a sport as spectacular, or as potentially useful, as one that spontaneously appeared in my nursery a few years ago," said Houser, who postponed his retirement at age 85 due to his enthusiasm for the market potential for the plant.
"Because it grows rapidly to 20 feet or more with a very narrow base, it is especially useful for screening purposes among the large homes and small lots abounding in our cities today.  

Unlike many other plants used for privacy screens - such as hemlock and pine
- 'American Pillar' has improved diseases resistance. With a substantial root system and narrow habit, it's also able to withstand high winds without sustaining much damage.