| Before
planting, consider whether your planting location is sun,
shade, or a combination of both. Also think about
whether you want or need evergreen coverage. If, for
example, you mostly use your backyard in the summer months,
a deciduous shrub or tree might be the answer for you.
Following are eight really great shrubs,
trees, and grasses for privacy and screening. For a
more in-depth look, check out our
"Living Walls" gardening guide.
1. Thuja arborvitae --
Full to partial sun. The three
cultivars listed here are very easy to grow,
disease-resistant, and fast growing.
- 'Emerald Green' --
The quintessential arborvitae, 'Emerald
Green' grows narrow and upright, a very manageable 3' in
width and 10' tall. You'll often see 'Emerald
Green' grown along a fence-line with sometimes a dozen
or more in a row. Because of its narrow
circumference, it's also an ideal foundation plant next
to a house. .
- 'Hetz Wintergreen' --
Is a shrub that gets a little more height
and girth on it than the 'Emerald Green.' 'Hetz'
can grow to 5' wide and up to 20' tall, making it a nice
back-of-the-border shrub when
 you
have something big to screen.
- 'Green Giant' --
The ultimate privacy tree. This
arborvitae will grow up to 20' wide and 30' tall if
given enough room, or half that size if planted in a
row. Has been touted to put on as much as 5 feet of new
growth a year once established.
2. Viburnum --
Full to part sun. These
cultivars lose their leaves each winter, but have a dense
enough branch structure to still provide some screening.
- 'Summer Snowflake' --
15' tall and 5' wide, good fall color,
profuse white lace-cap flowers that re-bloom throughout
the summer. Attracts birds, butterflies and other
wildlife.
- 'Shasta' -- 6'
tall and 9' wide, good fall color, profuse white
lace-cap flowers that re-bloom through the summer.
Attracts birds, butterflies and other wildlife.
- 'Cardinal Candy' --
8' tall and 5' wide, creamy white flowers
in the spring, followed by stunning, bright red berries
in the fall. Drought-tolerant once established.
3. Rhamnus 'Fine Line'
fernleaf buckthorn -- Full sun to
shade. Great leafy texture and ornamental bark make this
buckthorn interesting as a specimen or with several in a row
to provide privacy. Grows 5'-7' tall and 2' wide.
4. Arundo donax giant reed
grass -- 12' to 20' tall in full
sun. Can take a very wet location. Like any
ornamental grass, will turn brown in the winter and need to
be trimmed back in the spring.
5. Ilex 'Castle Spire' and
'Castle Wall' hollies --
Full sun, 6' tall and 3' wide and pyramidal in shape. Can
take a very wet situation. 'Castle Spire' is the female
plant that berries. 'Castle Wall' is the male pollinator.
6. Pinus bungeana lacebark
pine -- Full sun, 40' tall and 30'
wide. A Missouri Botanical Garden Plant of Merit.
Best known for its stunning exfoliating bark. Slow
growing, but worth the wait.
7. Hydrangea quercifolia oakleaf
hydrangea -- Sun to shade, can
grow up to 10' tall, depending on the cultivar. A
great four-season shrub with beautiful summer flowers,
stunning fall color, and interesting ornamental bark.
Will tolerate moderate to wet moisture situations.
8. Lagerstroemia indica
crape myrtle -- 6' to 15' tall and
wide, full to partial sun. Drought-tolerant once
established. Bloom colors include white, pink, purple,
lavender, and everything in between. Interesting
ornamental bark. Slow to green up in spring, but puts
on a stellar flower show in late summer to early fall.
Good leaf color in fall. Can be pruned as a standard,
or left as a dense shrub.
|
