Screening trees for backyard privacy

Anonymous
Skip Laurels correctly spelled Schip Laurels grow slow. Real slow and they often don’t winter well. Green Giants or
Leylands. Fast growers, NO mess at all and hardy. If you want them to not grow wide they are easily trainable.
Anonymous
Disagree. I have them in both shade and sun and they all grow much faster then the Hollies, Boxwoods, and other large screening plants/trees. They have never had any problems over winter. Ask the nursery people, but mine have grown like weeds. It was the best landscape decision mainly because you can cut the width all the way back to nothing and they regenerate great like azaleas. Can you do that with Green Giants or Leylands? I imagine they are like hemlock which you can't really cut back easily.
Anonymous
Green Giants and Leylands you can absolutely cut back.
They also grow 3 ft a year. Schip Laurels don’t grow anything near as fast as that. Not even close.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Green Giants and Leylands you can absolutely cut back.
They also grow 3 ft a year. Schip Laurels don’t grow anything near as fast as that. Not even close.


3' a year and if you cut back too far, then you don't get new growth. not easy to maintain a screen hedge like that . . .
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:arborvitae green giants?


Not native and ugly as sin


If you trim it right, it looks fantastic.
Anonymous
I am planting the Arborvitae green giants for a screen. I have a landscape architect who manages my place and that is what he recommended.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I am planting the Arborvitae green giants for a screen. I have a landscape architect who manages my place and that is what he recommended.


PP here -- by the way, I think they look best if you stagger them a bit. I prefer a more natural look, not a straight row of cones.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Easy answer: skip laurels. They grow quickly and are very Hardy and can grow up over a story high and you can hard prune them every couple years such that the only grow 4 to 5 ft wide. Total privacy.


This is a great answer, can confirm it is right on.......
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:arborvitae green giants?


Not native and ugly as sin


If you trim it right, it looks fantastic.


And if you cut too much off, just ugly sticks. They only work in full sun too, unlike other better choices mentioned.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You know what provides for some nice privacy.

A nice 6’ wooden fence. Get your survey. Get your fence.

Then you can do some planting if you wish.

Best investment ever. Protect your property. Peace.



OP here. We have a 6 foot fence. But the elevation of our back yard and house is such that we can stand in front of the sliding glass door in our walk out basement and look right into our neighbors first floor. So I need more height. We also have some existing tree canopy from a silver oak to contend with.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Leyland Cypress or Green Giant
I love my leyland sand have them planted in a wet area.
Very hardy and fast growing.

OP wants trees that will grow tall but not wide. Leyland Cypress grow tall and wide. A bad suggestion. Don't do it.


You need to trim it every year. I just planted some to get this hedge -



Anonymous
Does not work if the tree contracts rust.

Op, pick a native understory tree that likes wet feet. There was a link earlier in this thread.

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Not native, but look at European hornbeams - they grow quickly and have dense branching structures. They look like a high hedge, and when grown together, can provide screening even in the winter when their leaves are off.

I also have cryptomeria and love them, but they are too close to the root zone of a black walnut and are dying off.


+1 to Hornbeam
Anonymous
Thuja Green Giant is perfect if you dont want something to
grow wide over the Leyland. Dunno how you’ll get a screen without width growth, but hey to each his own.
Anonymous
How much to purchase and install a large Skip Laurel? Need some good screening!
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