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Planting trees for privacy is a great way to define a border, create a windbreak, or simply add privacy to your property. Once established a majority of privacy screens are low maintenance. This is very important since you are likely to plant many trees when creating a privacy hedge. Choose evergreen trees that are hardy and drought tolerant. Some privacy trees are also pest and disease resistant.
Depending on where you live you may want to select a green screen that is
heat tolerant or cold hardy. In this article, we will share several trees for privacy that are easy to care for. You are sure to find the perfect privacy screen for your yard.
Cupressus Arizonica var. glabra 'Carolina Sapphire'
Growing Zones 6-9
Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide
Privacy Hedge Spacing: 8 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
The Carolina Sapphire isn’t your neighbors boring privacy tree. This Arizona cypress has a lovely blue hue and a great fragrance. It is naturally pest, deer, and disease resistant, and extremely heat and drought tolerant.
You can purchase the Carolina Sapphire Cypress online
Growing Zones: 5-9
Mature Height: 30 to 40 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide
Privacy Screen Spacing: 8-10 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
The Cryptomeria Radicans makes a stunning privacy hedge! The soft foliage is deep green and fragrant. This hardy tree is deer resistant and is adaptable to just about any soil and environmental conditions.
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Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green'
Growing Zones 3-8
Mature Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide
Privacy Hedge Spacing: 3-4 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
This stunning thuja is a great choice for a manageable privacy screen. With pretty feathery foliage, this evergreen has a soft touch. The foliage is also dense with attractive layers. The Arborvitae ‘Emerald Green’ is extremely cold hardy, but isn't a great choice for subtropical or tropical climates.
Find the Emerald Green Aborvitae online
Taxus x media 'Hicksii'
Growing Zones 4-7
Mature Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide
Privacy Hedge Spacing: 2-3 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
This upright shrub makes a nice privacy hedge for cooler areas of the United States. The unique evergreen foliage adds texture and the red berries add color to the home landscape. This is one of the few privacy options that grow well in shade.
*Caution should be observed with pets that may try to eat any Taxus plants. They are toxic when ingested.
Hicks Yew are for sale on PlantingTree.
Growing Zones: 6-10
Mature Size: 40 to 60 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Privacy Screen Spacing: 5-10 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
The Leyland Cypress is a beautiful evergreen tree. It has a rounder, fuller form than the Thuja Green Giant. It also is deeper in color and has firmer branches. This fast growing privacy tree stands up to heat. Check with your extension agent to be sure your area is a good fit for this cypress. They have been overplanted in some areas leading to disease problems.
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Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint'
Growing Zones: 7-9
Mature Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and wide
Privacy Screen Spacing: 7-8 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
This tough holly is a great choice for warmer regions. It stands up to drought, heat, humidity, poor soil, salt, and deer. Another bonus feature is that hollies rarely encounter issues with pests or disease. A needlepoint holly screen is a great way to keep intruders out while maintaining the natural beauty of your landscape.
Purchase Needlepoint Holly online
Growing Zones: 5-9
Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide
Privacy Screen Spacing: 5 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
This large shrub had shiny green leaves and pretty red berries. The Nellie Stevens Holly is incredibly easy to grow and care for once it is established. This hardy shrub tolerates hot, cold, and humid conditions. It is also disease resistant.
Shop the Nellie Stevens Holly
Thuja plicata x standishii 'Green Giant'
Growing Zones: 5-9
Mature Size: 40 to 60 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide
Privacy Hedge Spacing: 5-8 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
The Green Giant Arborvitae is the most popular privacy tree out there. It is incredibly fast growing, disease and pest resistant, and drought tolerant. While many arborvitae tend to be tasty snacks for deer, they tend to avoid the green giant. This tree isn’t going to fare well in the coldest regions of the US, but it does handle heat well.
Find the Thuja Green Giant online
Ligustrum japonica 'Recurvifolium'
Growing Zones 7-10
Mature Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Privacy Hedge Spacing: 4-5 feet
Growth Rate: Fast
If you live in the south or another warm region of the United States, the Wavy Leaf Ligustrum is a top choice. This fast growing privacy bush offers quick coverage. It is also very easy to grow and requires little to no care once it is established. Prune yearly in spring after new growth has emerged to keep this nice hedge shaped and tidy.
● All trees need care for the first two to three months while they are establishing.
Evergreen trees should be watered deeply every day for the first week. For the next two to three months water deeply once or twice per week. This allows the roots to grow properly and gives your tree the best start for a long, healthy life.
● Consider using two or three different types of trees in your privacy screen. This offers a more natural look and can reduce the chance of pests and disease.
● Try a staggered (the same or different types of trees) privacy screen for quicker privacy or a layered (different trees and shrubs of different heights) privacy hedge for a more natural look.
Planting Tree's best trees for privacy are drought tolerant once established and easy to grow. You can find all of these low maintenance privacy trees and much more at our online plant nursery. Enjoy discounts on bulk purchases. Happy planting!
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