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Written by Clints • June 27 Best Privacy Trees For Your Backyard

Nosy neighbors peeking over that unsightly fence? Looking for a little less noise and a little more seclusion in the yard? There is an easy solution: trees. Trees add beauty, fresh air, and that precious privacy to your backyard space. Whether it’s afternoon sunbathing or an al fresco dinner party, your yard can become your refuge with just a few trees best suited to this thrilling planting endeavor! Wet your gardening chops or ask for assistance at your local horticulture shop and plant some of these superb trees to get that privacy for which you’ve been searching.

Most trees can provide shade, but in order to obtain that concealed sensation in your backyard you will want to plant trees that provide both vertical and lateral coverage. You won’t have to search through catalogs or tromp through fields of tree types, though. If you’re looking for the right kinds of trees to plant along your yard’s perimeter, look no further than here.

Thuja Green Giant

You’re most likely familiar with Thuja Green Giants already, though you may not know it. Green Giants are luscious, evergreen trees that border many properties for the same reason you are reading about them now: privacy. Green Giants are quickly becoming the most popular perimeter plant because they are easy to care for, cover large landscape areas, and can grow close together to form a screen to secure your isolated backyard.

Mature Height: 20-40 ft.
Mature Width: 6-12 ft.
Sunlight: Full – Partial
Soil Conditions: Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Good
Botanical Name: Thuja standishii x plicata

Besides its excellent privacy benefits, the Thuja Green Giant is extraordinarily easy to grow. Green Giants can grow between 3 and 5 feet a year, meaning they will quickly provide you your backyard secrecy. Drought tolerant, disease resistant, and adaptable to many different climates and soil types, the Green Giants double as classic French countryside décor and privacy providers. Green Giants are tough, too. Don’t worry about spraying or pruning these terrific trees; just plant them about 6 feet apart and they’ll quickly earn you a concealed backyard.

Leyland Cypress

The Leyland Cypress is another evergreen that can provide you your desired seclusion. Although similar in many respects to the Green Giants, the Leyland Cypress is a bit pickier in its growing range. Despite its more southern restrictions, Leyland Cypress is the most popular privacy tree in the United States. The Leyland Cypress grows best in the South, West, and Northwest. Not only will the Leyland grow 3 to 5 feet a year, but it will surround your yard in soft, beautiful, feathery greens that grow uniformly and symmetrically.

Mature Height: 40-60 ft.
Mature Width: 8-12 ft.
Sunlight: Full – Partial
Soil Conditions: Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Good
Botanical Name: Cupressocyparis leylandii

Your Leyland Cypress will grow to heights between 40 and 60 feet, and widths between 8 and 12 feet, so be sure to plant them about 6 feet apart. Although these drought tolerant trees prefer full sun, they can grow in partial shade as well. Almost any soil can foster the growth of this beautiful privacy plant.

Emerald Green Thuja

The Emerald Green Thuja is a smaller cousin of the Thuja Green Giant. These elegant evergreens only reach between 8 to 12 feet, so they are a great choice if you’re looking for a tighter barrier to fill. Plant these about 3 feet apart to grow a uniform, beautiful, and smooth backyard screen to protect you from prying eyes.

Mature Height: 8-12 ft.
Mature Width: 3-4 ft.
Sunlight: Full – Partial
Soil Conditions: Very Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Great
Botanical Name: Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’

The Emerald Green Thuja is true to its name: the emerald green will sparkle in the sunlight and brighten your backyard. These thick evergreens will form a solid wall along your yard’s edge, and an attractive solo plant in pots by the front door. You won’t have to put a lot of effort into these, either. The Emerald Green Thuja can provide you a private backyard without the hard work of constant pruning and trimming. Many privacy trees grow to be quite large; the Emerald Green Thuja is a great option for those with a smaller space.

Willow Hybrid

Perhaps you’re looking for something outside the evergreen family. Consider the stunning American Willow Hybrid as your seclusion secret. The Willow Hybrid is not an evergreen, but it will grow into a luscious and full border plant quickly. Growing up to 6 feet a year, this Willow tree will hide unpleasant sights like highways and commercial buildings from your property. Not only will you enhance the value of your home, but you’ll also enjoy the beautiful view of these gorgeous trees.

Mature Height: 35-45 ft. in rows / 50-75 ft. alone
Mature Width: 6-12 ft.
Sunlight: Full – Partial
Soil Conditions: Very Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Fair
Botanical Name: Salix x matsudana x alba

The Willow Hybrid grows easily throughout the United States, and is adaptable to many different types of soil. If planted in rows, the tree will grow between 35 and 45 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Individually, the Willow Hybrid can reach up to 75 feet in height, easily earning you the privacy you deserve.

American Holly

Now you might only think of holly as wintertime mistletoe, but the American Holly is a stunning privacy tree that can add a touch of color to an otherwise monotone border. This award winning tree is disease and pest resistant, and forms a hedge when planted between 4 and 5 feet apart. Unlike many of the other best privacy trees, the American Holly does require minimal trimming and pruning, but this task is easy to do and is well worth the reward of a stunning border hedge that will keep your yard private.

Mature Height: 15-20 ft.
Mature Width: 12-15 ft.
Sunlight: Full – Partial
Soil Conditions: Adaptable
Drought Tolerance: Good
Botanical Name: Ilex opaca

The Pennsylvania Horticulture Society adorned this hardy tree with the Gold Medal in 2001 for its ability to grow in a variety of environments. Although extraordinarily adaptable to soil conditions, the American Holly grows best in the lower Northeast, the South, the lower Midwest, the West, and the Northwest. In the spring, the American Holly will bestow upon your gardens lovely white flowers. In the winter, prepare for the stunning red berries that are a staple of American wintertime.

Your privacy is important! Let the beauty of nature enfold you and your home in the sweet serenity and peace of a secluded space. Order one of these spectacular plants today. They’ll grow quickly and with ease, provide you the privacy you desire, and save you the hassle of ordering an unwieldy fence. Visit your neighbors in the front yard; let the backyard be your own.