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Evergreen tree screen


Privacy Shrubs: 13 Evergreens to Consider

Photo by Karen Bussolini

If you cherish your privacy and want to ward off noise pollution from your street, planting evergreen privacy trees and shrubs around your yard is a great way to create a barrier between your home and the outside world.

A line of evergreen trees or shrubs can provide year-round seclusion even better than a fence, because there are no municipal restrictions on how high they can grow. (Towns usually require permits for a fence over 6 feet tall.) However, if there are power lines above your screen, you don't want trees so big that they'll grow into the wires. Also pay attention to their width at maturity; the spacing between trunks when you plant should equal mature width.

While the ideal growing conditions vary by species, one thing all these evergreens have in common is a love of the sun. Give them at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day and their foliage will remain full and keep your privacy intact.

Read on to learn about some of the best evergreen trees and shrubs that are low maintenance, beautiful and easy to plant in your yard.

Shown: For more information on the Green Giant arborvitae shown here, see the next image.

Plant an Evergreen Screen

Muddy Creek Nursery

How to do it: Plant an evergreen privacy screen on the north side of your house to block winter winds. Arborvitae 'Green Giant' can climb 3 feet in one year.

Estimated cost: $92 for two; Jackson & Perkins

Leyland Cypress

Photo by Mihaela Ninic/ Alamy

(x Cupressocyparis leylandii)

Foliage: Taking a broad to tapering form, this dense hybrid has smooth bark with dark green to grayish fans of foliage.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 70 feet high and 15 feet wide in planting zones 6 to 10.

Spacing: 15 feet

Rocky Mountain Juniper

Photo by KENPEI/ GFDL

(Juniperus scopulorum 'Wichita Blue')

Foliage: Bright blue-gray needles cover this shrub, which takes a pyramidal form with exfoliating red-brown bark.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 30 feet high and 6 feet wide in planting zones 3 to 7.

Spacing: 6 feet

Italian Cypress

Photo by Hans A. Rosbach/ GFDL-CC

(Cupressus sempervirens)

Foliage: A tall, narrow conifer, it forms a dense column of gray-green to dark green needles and upright branches.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 70 feet high and 20 feet wide in planting zones 7 to 10.

Spacing: 20 feet

White Spruce

Photo by Cruiser/ GDFL

(Picea glauca)

Foliage: This narrow, conical-shaped tree has stiff blue-green needles and gray-brown bark.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 60 feet high and 20 feet wide in planting zones 3 to 6.

Spacing: 20 feet

Hicksii Yew

Photo by mobot.org

(Taxus x media 'Hicksii')

Foliage: The soft needles form a dense, dark green barrier, but can brown with exposure to winter winds.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 20 feet high and 12 feet wide in planting zones 4 to 7.

Spacing: 12 feet

American Holly

Photo by B. Christopher/ Alamy

(Ilex opaca)

Foliage: A narrow shrub with a pencil-like form, it has multiple stems covered in glossy dark green leaves. Small green-white flowers show up in spring.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 10 feet high and 3 feet wide in planting zones 6 to 8.

Spacing: 3 feet

Japanese Holly

Photo by Derek Ramsey/ Chanticleer Garden

(Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil')

Foliage: A narrow shrub with a pencil-like form, it has multiple stems covered in glossy dark green leaves. Small green-white flowers show up in spring.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 10 feet high and 3 feet wide in planting zones 6 to 8.

Spacing: 3 feet

Western Red Cedar

Photo by JFKCom/ GFDL

(Thuja plicata)

Foliage: A large tree with reddish-brown bark, it grows in a conical shape that broadens with age.

Dimensions at Maturity: Reaches up to 70 feet high and 25 feet wide in planting zones 5 to 7.

Spacing: 25 feet

Techny Arborvitae

Photo by Flickr

(Thuja occidentalis 'Techny')

Foliage: This dwarfed, compact arborvitae keeps its color all winter.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 15 feet high and 10 feet wide in planting zones 2 to 8.

Spacing: 10 feet

Emerald Green Arborvitae

Photo by mobot.org

(Thuja occidentalis 'Smargd')

Foliage: This semidwarf shrub forms a compact, narrow pyramid of bright green foliage in flat fans.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 14 feet high and 4 feet wide in planting zones 2 to 7.

Spacing: 4 feet

Eastern Red Cedar

Photo by USDA

(Juniperus virginiana)

Foliage: Broad, conical tree with horizontal branching covered in dark blue-green scale-like foliage and gray to reddish-brown exfoliating bark.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 65 feet high and 25 feet wide in planting zones 2 to 9.

Spacing: 25 feet

Nigra Arborvitae

Photo by <a href=”http://www.packsnursery.com/NigraArborvitae.html” target=”_blank”>Pack’s Nursery, Inc.</a>

(Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra')

Foliage: A conical or narrow pyramidal tree with flat, dark green needles.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide in planting zones 3 to 7.

Spacing: 10 feet

Smooth Cypress

Photo by blickwinkle/ Alamy

(Cupressus arizonica var. glabra)

Foliage: This drought-tolerant conifer has smooth, reddish-purple bark and pointed blue-gray needles.

Dimensions at Maturity: Grows up to 50 feet high and 12 feet wide in planting zones 7 to 9.

Spacing: 12 feet

10 Best Evergreens for Privacy Screens and Hedges

Trees and Shrubs as Screens

By

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti

Marie Iannotti is a life-long gardener and a veteran Master Gardener with nearly three decades of experience. She's also an author of three gardening books, a plant photographer, public speaker, and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator. Marie's garden writing has been featured in newspapers and magazines nationwide and she has been interviewed for Martha Stewart Radio, National Public Radio, and numerous articles.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 09/06/21

Reviewed by

Barbara Gillette

Reviewed by Barbara Gillette

Barbara Gillette is a master gardener, herbalist, beekeeper, and journalist. She has 30 years of experience propagating and growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, and ornamentals.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

The Spruce / Autumn Wood 

Evergreens make wonderful, quick hedges and privacy screens. Some mature quickly into dense hedges and others develop with you, over time. When planting your living screen, do not plant in a straight line. Instead, zig-zag the trees to give a fuller effect and to allow the trees to get air and the sun. This will also help the hedge give with the wind, preventing breakage and wind tunnels.

Choose a couple of your favorite evergreen varieties. It is wise to plant more than one variety of evergreen in a border so that disease and pests will not destroy the whole planting. Take a look at the top 10 choices.

Living Privacy Fences Using Shrub Hedges

Watch Now: 7 Ways to Save Time in Your Garden

Conifers and evergreens in spring

It is as difficult to imagine a modern garden without coniferous plants as the garden of our grandparents without a gooseberry bush. Some 20 years ago it was hard to even imagine that the range of coniferous plants is so diverse and extensive! Older people remember: the most ordinary thuja was the height of exoticism, and the cedar pine, called cedar for simplicity, was the object of envy of neighbors.

Approximately in the mid-90s, a wave of previously unfamiliar species and varieties of conifers approached gardeners and homeowners. This wave is growing, increasing the number of ardent fans of these wonderful plants! Now the gardener wants to have in his garden, for example, not an ordinary spruce, but a completely unusual one. Not “tree, tree, green needle”, but a yellow needle (Picea abies "Goblin") or gray (Picea pungens Glauca) or with white tips (Picea pungens "Bialobok"). And the shape is not a traditional New Year's pyramid, but bushy or flat, like a table, weeping (Picea abies "Inversa") or spherical (Picea abies Little Jam). What did they eat! What appeared pines (Pinus mugo Sunshine), junipers (Juniperus squamata "Golden Flame"), fir trees (Abies balsamea "Nana"), cypress trees (Chamaecyparis pisifera "Sungold"), fashionable in recent years, pseudosuga (Pseudotsuga menziesii "Fletcheri") and ageless, but modified thuja (Thuja occidentals "Malonyana holub")!

A few words should be said about buying coniferous plants. It is clear that it is impossible to resist, seeing this striking diversity. But it is quite possible to slightly taboo your actions.

SPRING PROBLEMS OF CONIFERS. SUN BURN IN NEEDLES

The most infamous feature of conifers is their ability to "burn". Let's see - what is the reason for such a disaster! But first, let's describe the symptoms. Most often, our pets come out from under the snow like cucumbers - fresh, a little wrinkled, but obviously alive. We are already rubbing our hands, saying, thank God, we survived the winter. And suddenly we notice from the south side the plants turned red, turned pale, or even just drying coniferous paws. It is commonly said that the plant "burned out" in the sun. What happens to some (by no means all!) of this widespread group?

There is still a lot of snow, the ground is impenetrable ice, and the air temperature is such that it is just right to sunbathe! In conifers, vegetation begins abruptly. They come alive. They go up. And there is nowhere to get food from, because the roots are in the ice, they still don’t suck anything up and don’t pass it up to the crown. Thus, spring desiccation may come. To the eternal question: “what to do?”, There is only one answer - to shade our plant, to cool it. How to postpone the beginning of the growing season, the beginning of spring. If possible, cover low cultivars with snow from above. This solves the shading problem for a while and increases the humidity. But it is best to cover, and wrap the columnar ones with some opaque material: loose burlap, tulle, plastic construction mesh. But opinions are divided about the use of non-woven material: on the one hand, it is a kind of barrier to the sun's rays, but on the other, this material was created just to keep warm. Which we don't really need. You can even put a screen on the south side - all means are good!

We remove the shelter after the ground has completely thawed, and the roots can normally perform their mission. Coniferous plants react very well to sprinkling during this period. It is best to do it in the morning. And with dried twigs, a pruner will help us cope. You need to cut to a healthy, lively place, especially without ceremony. But, if your coniferous grows in the sun, then after this procedure it is worth shading it again - for another two weeks. Most often, the damaged area very quickly overgrows with new shoots. But it also happens that a burnt plant will never be able to fully restore its former shape. From this, it may not become worse - it will simply become different!

Not all conifers are susceptible to spring desiccation. There is its own “risk group”, which is headed by the famous and widely replicated Konik spruce. She sometimes suffers for no apparent reason - both covered and uncovered, and even in the shade. In second place, probably, are some junipers - for example, the Chinese juniper "Stricta" (Juniperus chinensis). There may be problems with scaly (J. squamata), Daurian (J. davurica), Virginian (J. virginiana). But what can we say about some "cunning" varieties and overseas species, when the common juniper (J. communis), growing side by side in our forests, also sometimes burns.

You also need to be prepared for problems with cypress trees. If the pea-bearing cypress (Chamacyparis picifera) grows quite well in the northwest, then with its fellow - Lawson's cypress (Ch. lawsoniana) there may be (and almost certainly will be!) Problems with wintering and getting out of it. Approximately the same can be said about the charming blunt cypress (Ch. obtusa).

Much depends on the soil. If the soil is heavy, clayey, then most coniferous plants will look brighter, look richer, but, unfortunately, it will be worse to winter and suffer more from the spring withering of the needles. In areas with light, sandy soil, for example, the well-known variety of prickly spruce Picea pungens "Glauca Globosa" will not be so bright gray, but will not need preventive shelters. There are two reasons: firstly, sandy soils thaw faster, and secondly, a slightly undernourished plant finishes preparing for winter faster - young growths have time to become woody and withstand spring temperature changes.

If your area under evergreens is mulched with bark (which is very good, both from an agrotechnical and aesthetic point of view), do not forget to temporarily remove the mulch from the plant in spring. Better - for the perimeter of the crown. After thawing the earth, return everything to its place. The fact is that the mulch does not allow the soil to warm up. Its timely cleaning solves this problem.

EVERGREEN RHODODENDRONS: MAY'S CARE

Conifers in their life cycle are plants with winter green leaves (needles, as you know, are the same leaves that have adapted to life in difficult conditions). But among the inhabitants of our gardens there are other trees with foliage that does not fall for the winter. These are mahonia, boxwood, ivy and many heathers, of which evergreen rhododendrons have become the most spectacular and favorite gardeners. Let's talk about the latter.

In the assortment that is offered to the attention of gardeners, along with hybrids of unknown origin (however, they successfully winter in our conditions), there are species - Katevbinsky (Rhododendron catawbiense), absolutely wonderful Smirnov's rhododendron (Rh. smirnovii), short-fruited (Rh. brachycarpum ), and some others. In general, these are quite stable shrubs that delight us with abundant annual flowering. We just have to make sure that the awakening from the winter sleep goes without problems. The fact is that these beauties, just like their coniferous counterparts, under certain weather conditions, can suffer from spring desiccation. Hot, dry May with unthawed soil can be fatal!

Protection measures are exactly the same as for conifers - shade, delay the arrival of spring, cool. And one more note: rhododendrons, even to a greater extent than conifers, are responsive to spring sprinkling. Moreover, if May is warm and dry, then without sprinkling, the rhododendron can drop the buds collected since autumn, and we will not see any flowering.

A good result is the planting of evergreen woody plants in shade or partial shade. The snow stays there longer, spring comes later, allowing the roots to thaw due to the general warming.

The end of winter Lawn Pruning Roses Reservoir Rock garden Flower gardens

Based on the book "What to do in spring to make the garden flourish".

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Top 15 Best Hedge Plants

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We present to your attention a selection of the best plants in our opinion for creating a living fence on your site.

1. Thuja. Evergreen tree or shrub. In the conditions of the middle lane, it can reach a height of 3 m. It is widely used to create hedges. The optimal planting distance is 80-100 cm. It can be planted in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. In a temperate climate, among the various forms of thuja, the thuja western “Smaragd” and “Emerald” feel best. Among other plants used to create hedges, thuja has its advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Endurance. Not demanding on lighting, frost and heat resistant, feels good in urban environments.
  • Tolerates shearing well. Thuja is distinguished by strong branching, forms a dense fence, takes any shape.
  • Possesses volatile properties.

Drawbacks:

disadvantages of arborvitae include its burnout in the bright sun, while the needles lose their decorative effect and become brown.

2. Juniper. Common, Cossack, virgin, scaly, and Chinese junipers are used to create hedges. All of them have their own characteristics, but their main advantages are the same:

  • Creates a fairly tight enclosure.
  • Drought resistant.
  • Not picky about the soil.
  • The needles do not crumble.

Of the shortcomings of juniper, one can single out its need for good lighting. Otherwise, the bushes become loose and lose their decorative effect. Like all conifers, juniper has a rather slow growth, although this is a minus or plus for a hedge - a moot point.

3. Berry yew. Evergreen coniferous plant. Great for creating a living fence and for good reason:

  • Excellent shear tolerance.
  • Forms shoots even on old wood.
  • Long-lived and slow growing.
  • Hardy.
  • Drought resistant.
  • Produces bright red ornamental fruits.

The yew has one drawback - all its parts are poisonous.

4. Lawson Cypress is one of the most beautiful coniferous plants.

Benefits:

  • Forms a dense dense conical crown.
  • Very decorative bluish-green needles.
  • Undemanding to soil fertility.
  • Quite resistant to diseases and pests.

Disadvantages: prefers well-lit areas (goes bald in the shade), requires regular watering and spraying.

5. Derain white. A fast-growing deciduous shrub up to 3 m high. Very beautiful, retains its decorative effect even in winter, thanks to bright red shoots. Blossoms twice a season, in the fall, along with young flowers, rounded white berries appear. The shrub has many virtues , among which:

  • Decorative throughout the year.
  • In autumn, the foliage turns a variety of hues.
  • It lends itself well to a haircut, able to take various forms.
  • Not picky about conditions.
  • Heat and winter hardy.
  • Adapted to urban conditions.
  • Fast growing.
  • Does not require additional feeding.

Perhaps the only feature of turf that can be called its disadvantage is the need for regular cutting. If this condition is not observed, the bush is exposed in the lower part, it looks sloppy.

6. Califolia vesicle. Spectacular shrub with spreading drooping branches and large ornamental leaves. It reaches a height of 3 m. With proper care, a vesicle hedge will become a real highlight of your garden.

Benefits:

  • Variety of colors available to create interesting combinations.
  • Undemanding to the soil.
  • Drought resistant.
  • Very low maintenance.
  • Even a novice gardener can handle pruning.
  • Grows quickly to form a solid wall.
  • Heat and frost resistant.
  • Not affected by diseases and pests.

has no defects.

7. Coronal mock orange

A beautifully flowering fragrant shrub up to 3 m high. It is frost-resistant and unpretentious, excellent for the conditions of the middle zone. In addition to the already listed advantages of mock orange, the following should be noted:

  • Bright green foliage.
  • Relatively small shrub width.
  • The ability to quickly recover even after heavy pruning.

The plant has no significant shortcomings, it should only be noted that well-lit places should be chosen for planting mock orange, and the soil should not be compacted and waterlogged.

8. Spirea. A very ornamental shrub with beautiful abundant flowering. A spirea hedge can reach a height of 1.5 m. The plant has many advantages, including:

To maintain a neat appearance of the shrub, it is recommended to trim the faded inflorescences.

9. Thunberg barberry. Great for hedges because it:

  • Unpretentious and adapts easily to various conditions.
  • Very decorative, changes its appearance throughout the season: bright green bushes in summer turn into a noble red color in autumn, the bush is covered with small red berries.
  • Able to create a dense enclosure.
  • Good for cutting.

The plant has its own disadvantages . For example, the presence of long sharp spines complicates the care of the shrub. With a lack of sunlight, the decorative effect of the leaves is lost. The plant propagates easily and appears where its growth is undesirable.

10. Privet. Fast-growing shade-tolerant shrub up to 2-2.5 m high. The plant deserves special attention for the following reasons:

  • Grows well, creating an impenetrable wall.
  • Perfectly gives in to a hairstyle, taking any form.
  • Undemanding to growing conditions.
  • Winter hardy.
  • Does not require watering.
  • Not damaged by diseases and pests.

The only drawback of privet is poisonous fruits. Do not choose this plant if you have children.

11. Cotoneaster brilliant. Densely leafy deciduous shrub up to 0.5 to 1.5 meters high. Undoubted Benefits of Cotoneaster:

  • Decorative throughout the season.
  • Resistance to adverse conditions (drought, frost, waterlogging).
  • Not picky about soils.
  • Feels good in urban environments.
  • Possesses volatile properties.
  • It lends itself well to a haircut, taking any shape.
  • The fruits are not poisonous.

Cotoneaster branches are fairly fast growing so regular pruning is essential to maintain the shape and attractiveness of the shrub.

12. Blood red hawthorn. Unpretentious deciduous shrub, characterized by high longevity. The undoubted advantages of the plant are:

  • Resistance to adverse conditions (drought, frost, shading).
  • Undemanding to soils.
  • High shoot forming ability.
  • Handles shearing and shaping well.
  • Creates a dense, impenetrable fence over time.
  • Easily propagated by cuttings.

Irregular shearing of hawthorn can expose the underside of the bush.

13. Lilac. Very ornamental flowering shrub. To create a hedge, the use of undemanding, frost-resistant, drought-resistant varieties, such as Meyer's, Amur and Hungarian lilacs, is recommended. The advantage of lilac over other shrubs is as follows:

  • Feels good in urban environments.
  • Drought tolerant.
  • Not damaged by diseases and pests.
  • Good for cutting.
  • Winter-hardy, but can freeze slightly in severe winters.

disadvantages of lilac include the need for annual cutting of root shoots; a short flowering period, after which the decorativeness of the plant is significantly reduced.

14. Shrub cinquefoil. A very decorative compact shrub that blooms from early summer to autumn. The main advantages of the plant:

  • Unpretentiousness.
  • Winter hardiness.
  • Ability to grow in urban environments.
  • Good for cutting.
  • Long flowering.
  • Variety of varieties with different colors.

Every 4-5 years the plant needs a rejuvenating pruning. Requires watering during dry periods.

15. Hydrangea. Incredibly beautiful shrub with large leaves and very lush flowering. Paniculata and tree varieties are great for creating hedges. Hydrangea Benefits:

  • Long flowering period.
  • Variety of colors.
  • Large leaves and lush inflorescences.
  • Suitable for slightly shaded areas.
  • Grows well in acidic soils.

At the same time, hydrangea is rather capricious, requires frequent watering, needs shelter for the winter, and is demanding on the composition of the soil. The plant needs pruning, since flowering occurs only on the shoots of the current year.

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