A sprawling backyard can be a great place to spend quality time with your family, or quietly relax alone away from the distractions of gadgets in the house like TV’s blaring and radios. Spending time outside can do wonders and you get to enjoy the natural scenery outside.
However, some homeowners rarely use their yards because it can feel too open, especially for neighborhoods with large multistory houses. Fences can be expensive to construct and to maintain especially when it is getting old. The cost of repairing fences regularly can be costly, that’s why most homes opt for planting trees to save money while also getting one of its benefits – the protection of your privacy.
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How Trees Help Protect Your Privacy
Planting trees in your yard provides many benefits to your house. Trees also greatly improve the look and feel as well as the atmosphere of the surroundings. They can also help to block off the noise and replace them with a natural sound of rustling leaves. It can also help to regulate the temperature of your house by blocking the searing heat of the sun during hot summer or act as windbreakers to protect your house from strong winds.
Most importantly, trees are great for the environment and can help to stabilize the soil. The trees can also prevent soil erosion as well as provide nesting grounds for birds and other animals. Apart from the long list of benefits that trees provide to your house, it can also help to improve the privacy of your property by covering your yard with their branches and leaves. Trees also provide shade and make your yard more beautiful and cozy.
Things to Consider When Planting Privacy Trees
Planting trees may be as straight forward as digging a hole in the ground. To avoid inadvertently damaging your own house, you need to consider several factors like how big a tree can grow, and how the seasons can affect the tree.
The Amount of Privacy You Need
Trees grow differently and when they fully mature, it will have a different height and width so it is important to know in advance the degree of privacy you need to find the perfect tree that fits your requirement. You also need to consider your privacy screen height relative to your house to avoid crowding your backyard.
The Size of Your Yard
Another important consideration before choosing a type of tree is the size of your yard. Trees need space to grow and if there is not enough space, their growth could be skewed and they won’t be able to screen your house properly. You also need to consider how the tree’s roots can affect parts of your property like pavement.
The Amount of Time You Have for Maintenance
Trees and shrubs may be easier to maintain compared to fences, but they still require love and care to grow properly and to fully mature. Trees require trimming so they won’t grow the wrong way and shrubs need pruning to keep them neat and orderly appearance.
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Best 5 Trees For Privacy You Can Choose
We have provided a list of best trees for privacy that you can plant with minimal care and maintenance. These trees also minimize the disruption of your existing landscape. They are very popular in suburban homes and even in the middle of bustling cities.
Green Giant Thuja (Arborvitae)
This type of tree is perfect for medium-sized yards. It can also be used to substitute or complement existing fence lines. This type of tree can grow relatively fast compared to other privacy trees. This tree can grow up to 30 or 40 feet.
Emerald Green Thuja (Arborvitae)
The second candidate of our best trees for privacy is the Emerald Green Thuja. This tree is a slightly smaller variant of the popular Green Giant Thuja and is perfect for small yards. They grow at a modest rate of 6 to 9 inches per year which makes them easy to maintain and trim. The Emerald Green Thuja can reach a height of 12 to 14 feet perfect for blocking off street noise and to make them as your fence.
These trees are a little pricier than the Green Giant Thuja, yet look amazing in your garden and are easy to maintain.
Also Check: How To Remove Rocks From Yard
Leyland Cypress
Another one is the Leyland Cypress. This tree is perfect to substitute traditional fences or complement existing fence lines. The Leyland Cypress acts as a perfect wall to block street noise and prevent neighbors from invading the privacy of your yard. This tree can grow 3 to 5 feet a year and reach a height of 40 to 60 feet.
Most of these trees don’t reach those heights, but just be aware of how large these privacy trees can grow.
Wax Myrtle
The Wax Myrtle is the best option for homeowners who have small yards yet want a hedge as a fence line. This tree has very dense foliage and can definitely act as a fence to protect your home’s privacy. It can grow up to 6-12 feet and grows at a rate of 12 to 18 inches a year which makes it easy to prune and to maintain.
If you are a beginner, I would recommend this tree.
Eastern Red Cedar
The Eastern Red Cedar is a great choice for homeowners who wants a tree that provides a full-coverage of privacy because of its thick and wide foliage. This tree is a coniferous evergreen that can grow from 16 to 66 feet with a growth rate of 1 to 2 feet a year.
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Conclusion
Planting Privacy Trees is an eco-friendly solution for protecting your home’s privacy and property. The trees listed in the articles are the best trees for privacy that we picked. Privacy trees are also easier and cheaper to maintain compared to regular fences that use chemicals like paint. If you find our post helpful, feel free to share it with anyone or leave us a comment if you have questions.
deer resistant
Shave a bar of Irish Spring bar soap into a nylon stocking.
Also, human hair sprinkled near your plants will also do a good job. Ask your local barber or hair stylist for a bag of clippings.
I had to do that for my Leyland. A young buck was using it to rub his antlers. The liquid Irish spring is easier to spray on the trees. It lasts for one season.
We have clay soils on our 5 acres, we planted several arborvitae that have barely grown at all in over 3 years, if at all? A few have died. We dug out a huge ditch several feet and wide and planted all the arborvitae in a garden soil hoping that give them a better chance at living and growing. Unfortunately it didn’t work! Still like to get a healthy growing plants that will make a good privacy fence and it’s going to take a lot of trees just to cover one side of the property line!
If you have heavy clay putting them in a ditch was like putting them in a pot. They alternate between drowning or no water at all. Would be better to create a berm and plant on top of the clay. I have had good luck with Green Giant which the deer won’t touch. Be careful because some plants are labeled incorrectly, know your nursery.
We have Green Giant in our hedge. The deer have not touched it in the past, but this year they completely feasted on the lower 5 feet! We thought they were deer resistant too. We were heartbroken.
I also have heavy clay. The best tree we have found is eastern red cedar. Bought some from arbor day foundation but found that clippings in spring dipped in rooting hormone straight into ground worked too. Grow fast and bushy grow wild EVERY WHERE. Give them a try….Viki
I’m in Denver Co would the green giant do well.in this climate?
The only way I got a few trees in clay to row was too mix 50 % sand to the dirt you dig out 5 foot x 5 foot. Also add a bag of clay buster it helps.
Rocket Juniper grow 2-3 feet wide(very narrow) & grow fast and tall really fast. ..perfect for privacy and wont take too much space out of your yard.
Hello, I do appreciate for the educative info you guys have provided here. I wish to have your full contacts
I personally like tall Bamboo. Fastest growing privacy fence I’ve ever had and grows in any soil.
I agree, but it will invade your whole yard and your neighbors.
Not if you buy clumping bamboo, that stays together in clumps and didn’t spread. There is another kind of bamboo called running that spreads underground with rizomes, that will take over everything.
Big difference between the two!
We planted 22 Green Giant Arborvitae almost 3 years ago—they were 2 feet to start off and now they are 7-8 feet—-very pleased with these trees—they are also planted in clay soil
tried to attach a photo but it won’t let me
What is a good shade tree to plant next to an inground pool. No shedding, no water seekers but fast growing in Tucson, AZ.
Much like the Red Cedar, the Carolina Blue Sapphire Junipers are great for privacy as they grow quickly and are unruly with their shape. They are blue/silver in color and when trimmed smell like a Christmas tree.
Which one of these these trees wood make a good tall fence, can’t be too wide cause in between walkways next to pool!
Erosion of my hill where miscanthus was!