# Privacy Screen



## Ryanmorales88 (Apr 30, 2020)

Hi Everyone,

I need recommendations on what to plant for a privacy screen. I need a height of about 8-10 feet tall. I live in Natick MA (Zone 6A). Any and all recommendations are greatly appreciated, thank you!

This is the area the privacy screen would go in, you can't tell in the picture but the neighbor sits higher than our property which is why I would like to get these planted.


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

I'm just curious. Are you going to tell your neighbor you're going to plant them there in advance or just do it?


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## soupy01833 (Aug 10, 2020)

In planted Green Giant Thuja and plan to hedge them at around 8-10 feet


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## Dieseldan9 (Aug 18, 2020)

Green giants are your friend

I am in Mass also and planting mine in a week


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## Lust4Lawn (Aug 4, 2020)

You could also look at Skip Laurels


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## Awar (Feb 25, 2019)

Green giants are great but they keep growing to 30-40ft.

Emerald Greens mature at around 15 ft so they may be a better option but they are slow and you need more as they are narrow.


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## Grass Clippins (Apr 30, 2018)

I would go Emerald Green as well if you go with an arborvitae. Green Giants aren't going to leave you much yard. As opposed to doing a hedge, and waiting for it to grow in, you could always put that money into buying one or two mature conifers to just block the view of their house.


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## Bombers (Jul 14, 2020)

Get leafy evergreens such as hollies. Seems to be undervalued as a screening plant when most would say to use conifers. Best option is to mix and match several species for variety.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

Green Giants are fast for sure.

Emerald Greens are slower and narrower.

Both will require a lot of supplemental watering for the first few years during dry periods. Remember that in nature, arborvitaes live in swamps and lake edges, so wet environments are where they do best. They do become somewhat drought tolerant once well established.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

Bombers said:


> Get leafy evergreens such as hollies. Seems to be undervalued as a screening plant when most would say to use conifers. Best option is to mix and match several species for variety.


Keep in mind that hollies are dioecious meaning they have separate male and female plants. If you plant hollies and want berries, make sure you plant at least one male and the rest can be females. If you are planting a row, two males might make sense in case one dies.


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## Grass Clippins (Apr 30, 2018)

Deadlawn said:


> Both will require a lot of supplemental watering for the first few years during dry periods. Remember that in nature, arborvitaes live in swamps and lake edges, so wet environments are where they do best. They do become somewhat drought tolerant once well established.


A little bit off topic but I think these hybrids are a little different than native arborvitae you find living in swamps. Those are Northern/Eastern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Thuja Green Giant and Emerald like moist well draining soil. These will die in poorly drained soils like swamps and marshes. I may have misunderstood your statement.


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## NJ-lawn (Jun 25, 2018)

You want a fast growing tree....... Leyland Cypress. I needed privacy around my pool. My neighbor put in a deck and it was overlooking my 6' fence. Only issue is they need shaping. They don't grow in a formal pyramid shape like arborvitae.

Like they say..... when you plant a tree, first year they sleep, next they creep and then they leap. Water good for the first season


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

NJ-lawn said:


> You want a fast growing tree....... Leyland Cypress. I needed privacy around my pool. My neighbor put in a deck and it was overlooking my 6' fence. Only issue is they need shaping. They don't grow in a formal pyramid shape like arborvitae.


Leyland cypress are rated for Zones 6-10. At the lower end of the OP's range, but should work.



NJ-lawn said:


> Like they say..... when you plant a tree,* first year they sleep, next they creep and then they leap*. Water good for the first season


This is for sure! I can't count the number of times I almost gave up a plant for dead the first year only to have it jump out of the ground the following years!



Grass Clippins said:


> A little bit off topic but I think these hybrids are a little different than native arborvitae you find living in swamps. Those are Northern/Eastern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Thuja Green Giant and Emerald like moist well draining soil. These will die in poorly drained soils like swamps and marshes. I may have misunderstood your statement.


Thank you for the correction. Yes, it is correct that Green Giant is actually a cultivar of the Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plecata). Emerald Green is actually a cultivar of Eastern White Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis)

That being said, I would still recommend for the first year they get at least a once a week big drink when rainfall doesn't deliver at least 1 inch in the past week.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

Green giant are going to hit 20ft pretty fast. They also get really wide. I'd go emerald unless you don't mind losing your yard. Ligustrum would be easier than arbs to maintain and way more forgiving. They grow faster than hollies.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

Lawndress said:


> *Ligustrum* would be easier than arbs to maintain and way more forgiving. They grow faster than hollies.


YUCK! I hate these. They have foul smelling flowers and aren't evergreen, so won't provide a privacy screen during the winter. I had a bunch of these at my old house and removed them.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

Deadlawn said:


> Lawndress said:
> 
> 
> > *Ligustrum* would be easier than arbs to maintain and way more forgiving. They grow faster than hollies.
> ...


I love the way ligustrum smell!!!! My variety was also evergreen in my zone.


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

Lawndress said:


> I love the way ligustrum smell!!!!


To each their own I guess. :? Not sure where you are, but they weren't evergreen in NJ Zone 7A.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

7B and 8B (different yards) my varieties were evergreen.

I pulled out the one I have here because my neighbor is allergic to them and it was on her property line.


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## MJR12284 (Jun 21, 2020)

Check these out. "Mini" green giants.

https://springmeadownursery.com/plantfinder/american-pillar-84370


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

MJR12284 said:


> Check these out. "Mini" green giants.
> 
> https://springmeadownursery.com/plantfinder/american-pillar-84370


Now, THAT is cool.


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## amartin003 (Apr 30, 2021)

Just curious what you ended up doing. I'm in the same position, need something to go in front of a fence for privacy. I planted some 5' tall cedars last fall but now I regret it as they're going to take years to fill in. Need something quicker!


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## Deadlawn (Sep 8, 2020)

amartin003 said:


> Just curious what you ended up doing. I'm in the same position, need something to go in front of a fence for privacy. I planted some 5' tall cedars last fall but now I regret it as they're going to take years to fill in. Need something quicker!


What kind of cedars? 5ft tall to start is pretty big. They will have little to no growth the first year, but once they recover from transplant shock, they will fill in before you know it. Remember:

The first year they sleep.
The second year they creep.
The third year they leap.


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## amartin003 (Apr 30, 2021)

Deadlawn said:


> amartin003 said:
> 
> 
> > Just curious what you ended up doing. I'm in the same position, need something to go in front of a fence for privacy. I planted some 5' tall cedars last fall but now I regret it as they're going to take years to fill in. Need something quicker!
> ...


They're Eastern White Cedars. Even though they're somewhat tall at 5', they are very thin. I was hoping for something much fuller, or that would fill in very quickly. I know you said by 3 years they really start to grow but not sure I want to wait that long!


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