Have you noticed that your backyard feels a little more open than you’d like? Maybe the view from the neighbor’s second-story window reaches right into your favorite outdoor gathering spot, or your early-morning dash to take out the trash feels a bit more public than it should. You might also be hoping to soften the view of a nearby driveway or outbuilding, or gently shield a direct line of sight into a window. The good news is that thoughtful planting with trees and shrubs can create a more private, peaceful space while adding beauty to your landscape.

In fact, mixed borders to create privacy are ideal. You can have your secret garden, or at least some privacy, by installing living walls or “screens” with a few well-placed evergreen trees and shrubs.

Tips for Creating a Natural Screen

Plant multiple species in small groupings of three to five.

Plant in a staggered or layered planting, not a row (if possible). This provides greater interest year-round. If you don’t have room for a layered planting, and a row is all you can do, diversifying is still a better long-term choice.

Diversify the plant material.

Let’s say you plant a row of Leyland cypress, and the bagworms defoliate them all. There goes your investment. (And your privacy, by the way!) If, instead, you mixed the border with Leylands, hollies, magnolias, rhododendrons, and the like, then the bagworms can destroy only a portion of your privacy and investment. Replacement costs, if needed, are fewer, and you still have some privacy while waiting for new plants to grow.

Avoid cramming plants on top of each other.

Allow individual plants enough sunlight and air circulation to grow and fill out. The inclination is to cram a lot of plants as tightly together as possible for greater coverage. This leads to multiple fungal and bacterial diseases due to less air and sunlight circulation. Plants pass diseases among them, reducing the lifespan of your screen. Extra patience is required to wait for plants to fill out, but it saves you money and trouble. Replacing fully-grown trees in the middle of a row of fully-grown trees is no easy endeavor. Plus, growers aren’t likely to have a “match” for your screening.

Remember your neighbors when planting.

They will see the backside of your screen, so consider how to make it attractive from all sides.

Add shrubs and perennials to create a more natural border.

A straight row of tall trees blocking the neighbors may be efficient, but could look unnatural and static. Use varying heights and textures, and add plants that bloom or have berries for year-round interest. Examples include: Thuja ‘Green Giant’, Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’, Viburnum x burkwoodii  ‘Conoy’, skip laurels, inkberry hollies, azaleas, and rhododendrons.

Understand the cultural conditions of your site and the requirements of the plants.

For example, magnolias will tolerate some shade, but too much shade and they won’t bloom. The same goes for camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. They may grow to provide the needed evergreen, but will not bloom if the shade is dense. Certain conifers can tolerate more shade than others. Japanese cedars work in a somewhat shady setting. ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes need full sun to thrive, but can tolerate shade. The goal is to understand what you’re attempting. Don’t expect plants to perform as perfect specimens in less-than-ideal situations. Sometimes, we consider only the functionality of the plant. Will it thrive in this part-sun setting (i.e., will it be full and lush, bloom, and grow quickly)? Or will it survive, meet the need, or provide privacy (i.e., grow, but not necessarily be a perfect specimen)? Knowing how much sun or shade you have and how meets the plant’s needs is essential before you buy.

Stand inside your home and look out your windows. Where is coverage most needed?

Will one large spruce or magnolia do the job? Or a grouping in one or two areas? Mark the spots with an orange flag to remember where to plant.

Consider how quickly you need screening.

Trees are characterized by slow (less than one foot a year), medium (13 to 24 inches a year), and fast (more than 25 inches a year) growth rates. Remember that sunlight exposure, soil conditions, drainage, fertility, and other elements affect growth.

Stump grinding is necessary if you want to plant new trees.

If the deciduous forest between you and your neighbor is full in summer but bare in winter, removing some trees to plant evergreens may be necessary. Be sure to budget for stump grinding when calculating the tree removal cost. Folks often skip this step to save dollars, but planting new trees in a mass of old roots is hard for the digger and the plant. The old roots should be gone for successful planting, giving the new roots plenty of room to spread.

Plant for the mature size of the screen. What will it look like in five years, 10 years, and so forth?

Plants don’t stop growing, so while they may be just the right size when you plant them, remember they will grow! Plan for the ultimate height and width.

Trees and Shrubs for Screening

1. Holly Trees

Hollies are dioecious, meaning the male plants produce pollen, and the female plants produce berries, which is the reason we want these evergreen trees. To get the berries, a male plant must be within 30 to 40′ of the female. Some varieties are self-pollinating.

• Zone: 3 to 11
• Size: 30′ to 40′ x 15′ to 25′ (slight variation depending on cultivar)
• Cultivars Suggested: ‘Nellie Stevens,’ ‘Emily Brunner,’ ‘Satyr’ (American holly)
• Culture: Hollies prefer full sun, but some tolerate more shade (‘Satyr’ and ‘Emily Brunner’); the more shade, the less fruit there will be, but you still have the evergreen coverage
• Growth Rate: Medium to Fast
• Pests and Diseases: Hollies are relatively pest-free, but some suffer from winter die-back and scale

2. Magnolia Trees

Magnolias are coveted for their big, showy blossoms, but the evergreen cultivars make an excellent addition to privacy screens. Many of the newer cultivars are smaller and more suited to a neighborhood.

• Zone: 7 to 9
• Size: 20′ to 25′ x 10′ to 15′ (varies slightly depending on cultivar)
• Cultivars Suggested: ‘Little Gem’ or ‘Teddy Bear.’
• Culture: Full sun to partial shade. Will tolerate mildly wet soils. ‘Teddy Bear’ does best in full sun, while ‘Little Gem’ thrives in full sun to part shade.
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Pests and Diseases: Magnolia weevil, scale, and bacterial disease, especially during a rainy season.

3. Thuja (Arborvitae)

Many people cannot tell the Leyland from the ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae, a substitute for Leyland cypress. ‘Green Giant or ‘Emerald Green’ is better suited to smaller landscapes.

• Zone: 5 to 8
• Size: 30′ to 40′ x 15′ to 20′, or more narrow varieties are 10′ to 12′ x 3′
• Cultivars Suggested: ‘Green Giant,’ ‘Emerald Green,’ ‘Yellow Ribbon’
• Culture: Full sun to part shade
• Growth rate: Medium to Fast
• Pests and Disease: No serious issue, sometimes scale or bagworms

4. Japanese Cedars

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Radicans’ or ‘Yoshino’ look similar and make an exciting addition to the screen. Pyramidal in shape with tiny cones on the pendulous ends, these sentry-like trees are also narrow.

• Zone: 5 to 8
• Size: 30′ to 40′ x 15′ to 25′
• Cultivars Suggested: ‘Radicans,’ ‘Yoshino’
• Culture: Full sun, tolerates light shade
• Growth Rate: Fast
• Pests and Disease: Leaf blight of leaf spot

5. Spruces

Sometimes, one tree is enough. You don’t need a row or a hedge, just a well-placed large tree to obscure an eyesore from either direction. Spruces fit nicely into that category.

• Zone: 2 to 8
• Size: 40′ to 60′ x 10′ to 20′ (Norway), 10′ to 15′ x 10′ to 15′ (smaller blue spruces)
• Cultivars Suggested: ‘Fat Albert,’ ‘Baby Blue Eyes,’ Norway, Oriental
• Culture: Full sun, does not like wet feet, good windscreen
• Growth Rate: Slow
• Pests and Diseases: Needle cast, canker, bagworms

Bonus: Skip Laurels

You may not need a towering evergreen to solve a privacy problem. You may just need a dependable broadleaf shrub that stays green, takes pruning, and fills in without feeling too heavy. Skip laurels fit nicely into that category.

Zone: 6 to 9
Size: 10′ to 15′ x 5′ to 7′ for skip laurel; 10′ to 12′ x 2′ to 4′ for Skinny Skip®
Cultivars Suggested: Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ skip laurel, Skinny Skip® cherry laurel, Prunus laurocerasus ‘Mariblon’
Culture: Full sun to partial shade, tolerant of shade, prefers moist, well-drained soil, does not like wet feet, good evergreen screen or hedge
Growth Rate: Medium to fast
Pests and Diseases: fungal disease, scale, peachtree borer, root rot in poorly drained soils, winter burn in exposed sites

Create Some Privacy in Your Yard

Creating privacy doesn’t have to mean putting up fences or sacrificing beauty. With a little planning and the right mix of plants, you can shape a landscape that feels peaceful, secluded, and uniquely yours, without losing that welcoming, neighborhood feel.

Whether you’re aiming to screen out a specific view, carve out a cozy retreat, or simply bring more greenery into your daily life, the trees and shrubs you choose will serve you well for years to come.

And remember, every yard is different. Take your time, observe your space, and choose plants that work for your conditions and your goals. Privacy planting is more than a quick fix, it’s an investment in the comfort, health, and beauty of your outdoor space. Because you’re not just blocking a view, you’re building a living, breathing part of your home.

Need help getting started or want to walk your site with a fresh set of eyes? We’re here for that, too!