Everybody wants to be close to the best amenities, but nobody wants peeping eyes seeing in their windows! If you’ve been looking for privacy from the neighbors via gardening, this article is for you. These evergreen trees are our fastest growing picks for every zone.
Eastern White Pine ( Zones 3-7)
This hardy tree features beautiful blue-green needles and is ideal when used as a screen or windbreak. It grows best in Zones 3-7 and it also grows at an attractive rate of 3 feet per year. These trees will reach 50 to 80 feet in height and have a large spread as well, so make sure you’ve got plenty of room.
Green Giant Arborvitae (Zones 5-7)
The green giant is a large and quick growing evergreen. This tree will shoot up an impressive 3 to 5 feet per year and it does very well in zones 5-7. It has a nice “cone shape” that offers dense, rich green foliage – making it an excellent pick for those looking to add fast growing evergreen trees for privacy to their yard.
Leyland Cypress (Zones 6-10) [3-5 feet]
Similar to the Green giant, the Leyland cypress offers similar growth (3 to 5 feet per year) and a small profile. This makes it a good pick for smaller yards. It also grows in a wider range of climates when compared to some of the other options on our list and overall is just a beautiful tree to add to your property and increase curb appeal while doubling as an excellent privacy fence.
Nellie Stevens Holly (Zones 6-9)
Growing at a steady 3 feet per year and thriving in zones 6-9, this holly is an excellent evergreen for privacy. This one is more of a hedge, reaching a mature height of 15-25 feet. However, that means you can grow a tighter privacy screen which can be trimmed or manicured to your liking. Unlike other options, this evergreen shrub allows you to have privacy without gaps.
Emerald Green Arborvitae (Zones 3-7)
The Emerald Green Arborvitae grows a bit slower than some of the others on our list, but it also benefits from being thick, crisp, and otherwise just beautiful. It’s also much lower maintenance than other evergreen privacy shrubs and needs hardly any pruning at all. So, if you can be a bit more patient, you’ll have much less work to do in the yard. This plant grows best in zones 3-7.
American Holly (Zones 6-9) [1-2 feet]
The lovely American Holly adds a festive touch to your yard while it protects your home from prying eyes. This plant is a broad-leaf evergreen featuring the familiar bright red berries. They have a surprising size range, capping out at 15 to 50 feet, and they grow a steady 1 to 2 feet per year up to that point. If you enjoy bird watching, then this pick will also attract and help feed your animal neighbors.
Blue Ice Cypress (Zones 6-10) [2-3 feet]
The blue ice cypress has a lovely bluish coloration and it grows very quickly. You can expect 2 to 3 feet of growth from this evergreen under good conditions in zones 6 to 10. This tree works great as a privacy screen and you can decorate them for the holiday season as well since they are also a popular Christmas tree variety. It’s also a great pick if you live in a hotter, dryer region as this tree will thrive where other evergreens do not.
Bob learned about farming from his grand dad. So, the decision to leave the city and start homesteading was not a difficult transition. He now lives with his wife and two kids on their 30 acre property in Ohio.
