A privacy screen created from trees serves as a natural barrier, effectively blocking sight lines from neighbors or street traffic. This living wall offers a more aesthetically pleasing solution than artificial fencing, often softening noise and filtering wind while providing a habitat for local wildlife. Selecting the right species and ensuring proper planting techniques determines the speed and density of the screen. Success depends on understanding the specific characteristics of the chosen trees and planning for their mature size.
Essential Characteristics of Effective Privacy Trees
Effective screening trees share several traits that allow them to form a cohesive barrier. The density of the foliage is paramount, as a thick branching structure prevents light and sight from passing through, especially near the ground. Trees with tight, overlapping leaves or needles create the best visual block, rather than those with open, sparse canopies.
A tree’s growth rate is a significant factor. Faster-growing varieties provide a quicker screen, but this speed can be a trade-off for wood strength and longevity. Fast growers, adding two to three feet annually, offer rapid results but may need more maintenance and can be more susceptible to storm damage. Slower-growing trees develop stronger root systems and denser wood, offering a more robust and lower-maintenance screen over decades.
For year-round blockage, choosing an evergreen species is the preferred method. Deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall, leaving the property exposed for several months. Knowing the tree’s mature height and width is also important. This ensures the species will grow tall enough to block the desired sight line without outgrowing the planting area or crowding neighboring structures.
Top Recommendations for Evergreen Screening
The Arborvitae (Thuja) group is consistently among the most popular choices. The ‘Green Giant’ hybrid is known for its fast growth rate, often adding three to five feet per year until maturity. This cultivar forms a dense, pyramidal shape, reaching 30 to 50 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, making it suitable for large-scale screening. For narrower spaces, the ‘Emerald Green’ Arborvitae is a compact option, growing slower to a mature height of 10 to 15 feet. Both varieties prefer full sun but tolerate partial shade and should be spaced according to their mature width to prevent overcrowding.
Another rapid-growth option is the Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii). It is prized for its feathery, dark-green foliage and columnar form, making it an excellent choice for a quick, dense hedge. While it provides a solid screen quickly, its susceptibility to canker disease and large mature size require careful consideration, as it can outgrow smaller suburban lots. Its fast growth means it may require more frequent pruning to maintain a manageable shape.
The Cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica), or Japanese Cedar, offers softer, more elegant foliage for a textured screen. Certain cultivars, like ‘Elegans’, have feathery growth and provide a dense screen, often developing a copper-purple hue in winter. These trees generally have a moderate growth rate and a pyramidal shape, working well for a screen that looks more natural.
Holly species (Ilex) are broadleaf evergreens that create a dense, spiky barrier that is often deer-resistant. Varieties like ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ Holly feature glossy green leaves and can reach 15 to 25 feet tall, ideal for a low to mid-height screen. The dense foliage and red berries offer excellent year-round coverage and shelter for birds in sunny locations.
Laurel species, such as Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’), are alternatives for areas with less sunlight. This broadleaf evergreen has glossy, dark-green leaves and a moderate growth rate, forming a dense screen that tolerates heavy pruning for shaping. Skip Laurel reaches 10 to 15 feet tall and is adaptable to partial shade, making it a reliable option for shadier property lines.
Proper Spacing and Establishment Techniques
Correct spacing is paramount for the long-term health and effectiveness of the screen. Planting trees too close together leads to poor air circulation, competition for nutrients, and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. A good rule of thumb is to calculate the tree’s mature width and plant them at a distance that allows the edges of the canopies to slightly overlap at maturity, typically one-third to one-half of the mature spread.
For example, a tree with a 10-foot mature spread should be planted approximately five to six feet apart center-to-center. To achieve a faster, more effective screen, planting trees in two staggered rows, known as a zigzag pattern, is recommended. This method allows for greater space between individual trees while visually filling the gaps more quickly, creating a more impenetrable barrier.
Proper establishment begins with digging a planting hole two to three times wider than the root ball but no deeper. Planting too deep is a common error that can suffocate the roots. The tree should sit slightly above the surrounding grade to allow for settling and to ensure the root flare is visible at the soil surface.
The first year is a period of critical root establishment, making initial watering important for survival. Trees should be watered deeply and consistently, especially during dry periods, to encourage roots to grow outward. Applying a two to three-inch layer of mulch around the base helps conserve soil moisture, but keep it several inches away from the trunk to prevent disease.
To encourage a denser screen, tip-pruning young trees stimulates lateral branching lower down, filling in the base of the screen. Avoiding fertilization at planting time is recommended, as it can burn new roots; a slow-release fertilizer can be applied the following spring.