Screening Plants for Privacy: Evergreen and Deciduous Options for Sun and Shade

When Myra D. needed a 20-foot screen on a sloped lot, fence height made trees the only viable option. The first question: how much sun does the site receive?

Sun-Loving Evergreen Trees

From Lois Trigg Chaplin's Southern Gardener's Book of Lists:

• 'Emily Brunner' holly
• 'Nellie Stevens' holly
• 'Foster' holly
• Eastern red cedar
• 'D.D. Blanchard' magnolia
• 'Little Gem' dwarf magnolia
• Virginia pine
• White pine

Additional recommendations:

• 'Green Giant' arborvitae
• 'Emerald Green' arborvitae
• Japanese cryptomeria
• 'Burford' holly
• Arizona cypress
• Chindo viburnum
• Tea olive
• 'Needlepoint' holly

Deciduous Columnar Trees

• 'Slender Silhouette' sweetgum
• Prairie Sentinel hackberry
• Autumn Spire maple
• 'Fastigiata' hornbeam

Leyland Cypress Note

Ubiquitous for screening, fast and opaque—but overused to the point of landscaper derision. Still, hard to beat for quick evergreen screens.

Shade-Tolerant Options

'Bright 'n Tight' Carolina cherrylaurel, American holly. Canadian hemlock (requires excellent drainage—amend with soil conditioner and sand).

Narrow-Space Columnar Evergreens

For tight urban spots (Joey N., Midtown):

• 'Spartan' Chinese juniper
• 'Skyrocket' Rocky Mountain juniper
• Italian cypress
• 'Brodie' Southern red cedar
• 'Hasse' magnolia
• 'American Pillar' arborvitae
• 'Savannah' holly
• Weeping yaupon holly
• 'Emerald Isle' Leyland cypress
• 'Woodward' juniper
• 'Scarlet's Peak' yaupon holly

Bamboo Caution

Invasive without deep barrier (metal/concrete trench). Rhizomes spread aggressively aboveground.

Final Advice

Visit nurseries, describe your site and height needs. Combine expert knowledge with these lists for optimal privacy.

More: Landscape Plants for Georgia | Native Shade Trees