To help screen your yard from nosy peeking eyes, privacy trees develop lush living barriers. Evergreen arborvitae hedging plants are some of the greatest trees for backyard privacy. You can have year-round privacy from your neighbors thanks to their delicate, thick leaves. Evergreen holly trees, juniper trees, cypress trees, and dwarf pine trees are some of the most common types of popular privacy trees.
What are the best privacy trees?
- Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)—One of the most popular evergreen trees for privacy is this cypress species. This screen tree is distinguished by its soft, lush evergreen leaves.
- Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)—Another frequent tree employed for Privacy Screening is this evergreen. To create the ultimate hedge for privacy, grow Arborvitae trees in a row.
- Dragon lady holly (Ilex × aquipernyi ‘Meschick’)—The prickly leaves of this kind of broadleaf evergreen tree deter intruders while also blocking views.
- Japanese False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera)—As a border tree or a living fence, the dwarf cultivar ‘Soft Serve’ is an ideal option. It has a pyramidal form and is compact evergreen tree.
- Concolor Fir (Abies concolor)—This evergreen grows a thick hedge to offer backyard privacy from nosy neighbors, making it ideal for large privacy screens.
What are the best fast-growing privacy trees?
- Leyland cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii)—One of the quickest-growing living privacy fences is this cypress variety. The year-round protection is provided by lush, velvety, evergreen foliage.
- Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja plicata)—Some of the most common and rapidly growing privacy screen trees are arborvitae plants. This pyramid-shaped tree grows at a rate of 3 feet (1 meter) each year.
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)—This is one of the few non-coniferous evergreen privacy trees on the list. To produce a superb privacy hedge, this swiftly expanding hedging shrub has huge circular, glossy leaves.
The Benefits of Using Privacy Trees
A lovely tree barrier can be formed by planting a row of privacy trees. Privacy screen trees provide a year-round supply of greenery in your yard, and their benefits are limitless. They can transform your yard into a cosy, sound- and wind-buffering place to spend time in with minimal effort.
More than just privacy can be gained by planting fast-growing conifers and other evergreen bushes in a row. For privacy, using columnar trees has the following advantages:
- The trees add a lot of beauty to your garden landscape.
- To build a living screening hedge, you can plant them along fences.
- To construct a natural sound barrier, use privacy trees.
- Strong winds are also shielded by privacy hedge trees.
What Trees Make the Best Privacy Screens?
The sort of screen trees you choose will depend on a variety of factors. Choosing the right type of screen trees for your yard will keep them looking lovely for a long time. When picking appropriate trees for privacy in your yard, there are several things to consider:
Privacy screen height—Consider how much height you’ll need for your privacy fence. Ideal for privacy in a back yard are some dwarf and compact evergreen trees that grow to around 5 or 6 feet (1.5 or 1.8 meters).
Foliage—Evergreen, dense foliage is required for the best types of privacy fence trees. Throughout the year, these trees will provide security. A dense hedge that you can’t see through may be built by planting many columnar evergreen trees in rows.
Size of the backyard—Tall, thin evergreen trees will provide the greatest secrecy if you have a tiny yard. Because their branches grow vertically, fastigiate trees have a compact nature and require little space.
Maintenance requirements—Columnar evergreens with a conical form are the best kind of privacy landscaping trees. Without much pruning or care, these trees maintain their nice form.
Growing needs—You should also take into account the climate where you live. Full sun and frost resistance are characteristics of certain privacy trees. Drought-tolerant landscapes benefit from other forms of border columnar trees.
The Best Privacy Trees: List of Great Privacy Fence Trees (With Pictures)
If you want to minimize your neighbor’s spying on you, let’s take a closer look at the greatest landscaping trees. Here are some of the greatest privacy trees:
Brodie Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana ‘Brodie’)
The drought-tolerant tall tree known as the ‘Brodie’ cultivar is frequently employed as a screening fence to keep neighbors out. Cedars that grow up to 45 feet (13 meters) and are up to 10 feet (3 meters) broad are known as fast-growing cedars. The compact growth habit of these columnar trees, as well as their rapidigiate branches and upright development, distinguishes them.
Planting these red cedars in a row serves as a dense privacy screen, and it’s best to do so. In full sun to partial shade, evergreen trees grow quickly. This eastern red cedar tree needs minimal pruning to keep its form because of its neat and compact development.
Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii)
There are several cultivars of Leyland cypress. One of the most popular coniferous trees for privacy screens is the Leyland cypress, which grows quickly (see photo on the right). These evergreen privacy trees are planted side by side and create a thick garden hedge. You may simply make a square boxed privacy hedge and sound barrier by periodically pruning light, regular hedge.
The cypress tree is a popular choice for many reasons: it offers privacy, keeps wind out, and makes a superb screen tree. You may keep the height of regular pruning to within a few centimeters. The hedge may be small, at 3 feet (1 metre), or huge, at 22 feet (7 metres).
Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
Lawson cypress is a fast-growing columnar evergreen that offers some of the best privacy trees available. These cypress trees have soft, dense, lush foliage that is ideal for noise insulation and peeking eyes. Because of their fast development, they’re ideal for use as privacy screens, growing at 3 feet (1 meter) each year.
Some trees may grow to be as tall as 50 feet (15 meters) and require yearly trimming to keep their height in check. One of the dwarf, compact cultivars is a good choice if you need a privacy hedge in a small backyard.
Spartan Juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’)
Spartan juniper trees are narrow, columnar trees with an elongated conical form that are often used as privacy fences. These fast-growing trees make excellent living privacy hedges and windbreaks because of their fastigiate growth. ‘Spartan’ junipers are a low-maintenance tree species that don’t need any trimming to maintain their form.
unwanted animals and noise from your backyard are kept out by the year-round dense green foliage. This spectacular privacy hedge grows well on well-draining soil in full sun.
Moonglow Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moonglow’)
The Juniperus scopulorum ‘Moonglow’ juniper hedge tree is a decorative living barrier that grows to be about 8 feet tall. Rather than some other varieties of tall, upright trees, this cultivar is better suited to growing as a privacy hedge. The tree grows to be around 20 feet (6 meters) tall and broad. Create massive hedges, large-scale screening, sound barriers, and windbreaks by planting these junipers together.
Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’)
This species of Japanese holly has a tall, thin growth habit, as its common name suggests. The holly ‘Sky Pencil’ is ideal for affording seclusion in modest or huge yards, since it is a fastigiate tree. This small tree is just 3 feet (1meter) wide and may reach a height of 10 feet (3 meters). This columnar evergreen might be as thin as 12″ (30 cm) wide in some smaller variants. Make a glossy evergreen flowering living barrier by planting several of these trees in a row close together.
Dragon Lady Holly (Ilex × aquipernyi ‘Meschick’)
Dragon lady holly trees are excellent for both privacy and border protection. In the spring, little flowers appear on these evergreen, broadleaf hedge plants, and in the winter, red berries appear. The privacy tree species has a pyramid-shaped architecture. The tree reaches a height of up to 20 feet (6 meters) and a width of up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as it grows. For your privacy hedgerow to thrive, grow in full sun to partial shade and ensure that the soil is well-draining.
Japanese False Cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Soft Serve’)
The Space-Saving Japanese False Cypress cultivar is a columnar privacy tree with a pyramidal form that works well in small gardens. This little compact tree, which serves as an effective sound barrier and privacy hedge, is adorned with soft fern-like branches. These grow along the fence and make a superb living screen.
Throughout the winter, the privacy trees maintain their hue. This compact shrub-like conifer grows to be about 6 or 7 feet (1.8 meters) tall and is cold-hardy to zone 4. To enhance your garden landscape, plant along driveways, fences, or walls.
Hicks Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’)
You may use Hicks yew tree’s ascending branches to create a privacy hedge that is both attractive and compact. This narrowly columnar tree has dense foliage, which gets broader as it grows. Pictures of this square, boxed hedge variety protecting well-kept gardens are often seen.
These privacy hedge trees grow at a pace of just 5″ (12 cm) each year. The glossy, dark green needles help toPrivacy and color your garden all year, if you prune them properly.
Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata)
Arborvitae evergreen trees, such as the Thuja ‘Green Giant,’ are ideal for rapid growing living privacy fences. These fast-growing conifers grow up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) each year and add 3 to 5 feet (1.5 meters) to the height of the forest.
A drought-tolerant columnar tree, the Thuja ‘Green Giant’ is another excellent option. Creating a privacy hedge with several ‘Green Giant Arborvitae Plants’ will be quick and easy.
Columnar Arborvitae Trees for Privacy Hedges
In the genus Thuja, several different kinds of columnar trees are suited for use as privacy screens. Let’s have a quick look at some of the most popular thujas homeowner plants for privacy in the backyards.
- American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)—To keep peeking eyes away from nosy neighbors, this thick evergreen cedar is a common privacy tree. The columnar tree retains its pyramidal form even without upkeep.
- Arborvitae ‘Emerald Green’ (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’)—Because of its narrow pyramidal form, this evergreen tree is often used to create privacy screens. It’s a tree that requires little care and is suitable for any climate. Windbreaks, boundaries, hedges, and sound barriers are all uses for this product.
- Baby giant arborvitae tree (Thuja plicata x standishii ‘Virginian’)—The popular arborvitae cultivar known as the “Green Giant” is this cultivar. This species is ideal for privacy hedges in tiny backyards because of its more packed growing habit.
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
If you reside in colder climes, Cherry Laurel is a fantastic tree for broadleaf privacy hedges. The beauty of blooming with creamy white flowers every spring is that we may plant these trees to keep our prying neighbors at bay. The thick living screen screen is created by the dark-green glossy leaves.
Among the fastest hedging plants outside the Coniferae class are these shrub-like trees. The privacy hedge should reach a height of 6 feet (1.8 meters) in three years. In both shade and full sun, these hedging trees flourish. They’re also hardy to -4°F (-20°C), which is quite chilly.
Concolor Fir (Abies concolor)
This evergreen conifer is an excellent option for privacy hedges on huge properties because to its attractive foliage and natural conical shape. The growth rate of this kind of fir tree is moderate. Blue-green needles cover the ornamental pyramid-shaped fir. It has foliage that is ideal for screening, privacy, and specimen tree growth.
Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)
For modest backyard privacy hedge, go for a dwarf variety of Eastern white pine. If you’re looking for someplace to sit in the shade, some of the taller pine trees may reach 60 feet (18 meters) tall. Several tiny or dwarf white pine cultivars might be more suited for generating a decent and efficient privacy barrier in compact, tiny backyards. Eastern white pines include the Pinus strobus ‘Nana’ group, Pinus strobus ‘Macopin,’ and Pinus strobus ‘Paul Waxman.’
Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra ‘Lombardy’)
Lombardy poplar trees are frequently seen as a quick solution for blocking wind and as a natural screening hedge in vast yards. Upright and fastigiate growth in gardens is beneficial for providing cover and isolation. Due to its towering, columnar form and glossy, dark green leaves, these poplar trees are also popular for their ornamental value.
Hybrid poplar
It’s the finest tree for building a high privacy barrier because to its quick expanding hybrid poplar. Hybrid poplar trees, on the other hand, are excellent for providing shade or privacy in a residential yard since they grow swiftly. These tall, slender trees produce excellent living hedges because of their vertical, fastigiate branches.
It’s important to keep in mind that just a few years after planting, these huge slender fast growing trees may reach 50 feet (15 meters). Therefore, to avoid causing conflict with neighbors, choose wisely where to plant these hardy trees.
Field Maple (Acer campestre)
In the autumn, planting deciduous maple trees to create living privacy hedges and garden screens will produce gorgeous hues. In the summer, these tiny ornamental trees have emerald green leaves, which turn golden yellow in the autumn. This maple tree thrives in full sun or partial shade and grows well in most types of soil.
If you want to form a box hedge from the field maple, it can handle extensive pruning. The trees may live for hundreds of years and reach heights of between 13 and 16 feet (4 – 5 meters).
Fast-Growing Trees for Privacy
It is usually necessary to consider the growth rate when picking out the finest privacy trees. In the end, you don’t want your hedge to grow only a few feet high after waiting many years. What are the most popular privacy tree species? Here are five fast-growing evergreen privacy trees:
- ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae—Each year, Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ grows 3 to 5 feet (1.5 to 1.5 meters) tall. The dense, packed leaves create a natural living barrier and screen views, screen the yard from wind and snow.
- Leyland Cypress—Leyland cypress grows at a pace of 3 to 4 feet (1.25 – 1.25 m) each year, making it one of the most popular fast-growing private trees. With its thick, dense leaves, the evergreen tree has fastigiate growth and is perfect for concealing your yard from nosy neighbors.
- American arborvitae—The coveted Thuja occidentalis privacy tree produces 1 to 2 feet (0.3 to 0.6 meters) each year. Since they require little upkeep once planted, these trees are especially appealing.
- Spartan Juniper—After reaching a height of 4 feet (1.2 meters) every year, the juniper known as the ‘Spartan’ becomes a 4-foot-tall shrub. This densely planted tree maintains its pyramidal shape despite not being pruned.
- Cherry Laurel—This is the smallest, fastest-growing non-coniferous tree on this list. This is an ideal privacy tree for creating long, broad hedges and screens due to its shiny, green leaves and spring flowers.