Trees are excellent screens for beautifying the less-than-beautiful areas of a typical commercial property. We’re talking about dumpster locations, utility or loading areas, roadways or highways, and neighboring properties that aren’t too attractive.
In addition to bringing aesthetics to a less-than-pleasing view, a privacy screen can help block wind and unwanted noise and save on energy costs. Evergreens make some of the best privacy screen trees because they are green all year long.
Here are our selections for the best evergreen trees for an outdoor privacy screen on your commercial property.
Cryptomeria or Japanese Cedar
Cryptomeria is a stylish tree that has an increased variety of landscape uses. Not only do these trees add ornamental value to the landscape, but they also make an excellent privacy screen. The foliage of cryptomeria is dark green and feathery, which offers a beautiful contrast to blue-leafed evergreens.
Cryptomeria thrives on full-sun to partial shade and any well-drained soil. Since these trees can reach 50 to 60 feet tall and spread 20 to 30 feet, we like to space them 5 to 6 feet apart for a dense privacy screen or perimeter planting. As far as maintenance goes, these beauties are relatively maintenance-free.
Leyland Cypress
Leyland Cypresses are fast-growing, dense evergreens that provide an effective privacy screen. These trees have gray-green, flattened foliage on narrow, upright branches, and grow best in moist conditions with full sun. They grow 10 to 15 feet wide. As a result, we like to space these 5 to 7 feet apart to provide a close-knit hedge. When left to grow unrestricted, these trees can grow 60 to 70 feet tall, so light pruning for desired height and shape is usually necessary.
Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern Red Cedars can grow 40 feet high. The needles of the tree are soft and have a pleasant scent. For visual interest, the female trees produce tiny, spiked blooms and blueberries that the birds enjoy, while the males carry small pine cones. The tree has a pyramid shape with blue to blue-green colored leaves that overlap and make an excellent dense cover. We like to space these trees considering a 10 to 20-foot spread for a screen.
Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Choose this tree for its naturally dense, broad pyramidal shape and glossy, dark green color that is among the darkest of the plants. As a bonus, this tree produces small white flowers in the spring, which pollinate and produce an abundance of vivid, red berries in summer. Great drought tolerance makes this a great addition to any Atlanta commercial property.
These hollies typically grow to 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide and grow pretty quickly—3 feet per year. We often use it as a screen because the foliage grows thickly from the ground to the top of the plant. We prune these trees to make a tall hedge. The holly’s mature width is 10 to 15 feet wide, so we plant them 4 to 7 feet apart.
Shade Lovers: Camellia Japonica & Magnolia
Another option for shady areas with some space for growth is the magnolia. Little Gem magnolias grow to 20 feet and have small, lustrous, dark green leaves with a fuzzy bronze or brown color on the bottom and 4-inch to 6-inch white flowers throughout the growing season. Thus, they make a smaller privacy screen, while Southern magnolias create a taller screen—reaching about 60 to 90 feet in height and 30 to 40 feet in width.
Need Help Choosing The Best Evergreen Trees An Outdoor Privacy Screen?
Trees that are 6 feet to 7 feet tall will cost a few hundred dollars, while the larger 15-foot to 16-foot trees can cost up to $1,000. Installation costs can also increase if accessibility to the planting site is more challenging or requires extra equipment.
Choosing suitable trees with consistent growth and full foliage throughout the year is essential in creating the best privacy screens. HighGrove Partners’ team of commercial tree care professionals can help you create the most aesthetically pleasing and practical privacy screen on your commercial property. Give us a call at 678-298-0550 or use our simple contact form.
Last modified: September 8, 2021