15 Fast-Growing Evergreen Trees for Backyard Privacy
Evergreen trees can turn an exposed backyard into a greener, quieter space, but growth speed is only part of the decision. The fastest tree on a nursery bench may eventually become 60 feet tall, spread across the property line or lose the low branches that originally provided privacy.
The best screen comes from matching the tree’s mature size, climate and soil needs to the space available. Planting too closely may create a solid wall sooner, but crowded trees compete for water and light, stay damp after rain and become harder to inspect when pests or disease appear.
The 15 choices below include towering conifers, narrow columns and flowering broadleaf evergreens. Several can add multiple feet of growth in a good year, while others earn a place because they create useful coverage in a more manageable shape. Growth rates always vary with climate, soil, water and establishment care.
Before Planting an Evergreen Privacy Screen
- Measure the planting strip and compare it with the tree’s mature width—not its current pot size.
- Check overhead lines, underground utilities, drains, foundations and neighboring structures.
- Choose trees rated for your climate and suited to the site’s sunlight, drainage and soil pH.
- Leave access for pruning, inspection and maintenance on both sides of the screen.
- Ask a local extension office or trusted nursery about regional diseases and invasive-plant restrictions.
- In wildfire-prone areas, follow local defensible-space guidance rather than planting a dense evergreen wall close to the house.
Use the dimensions below as planning ranges, then verify the exact cultivar label and local performance before purchasing.
1. Thuja ‘Green Giant’
Thuja ‘Green Giant’ is popular for good reason. Its dense, low-branching pyramidal habit gives useful coverage from the ground upward, and an established tree can grow rapidly in favorable conditions without needing constant shearing.
At a glance: About 40–60 feet tall and 12–18 feet wide; USDA zones 5–8; full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil.
Give each tree room to retain its natural shape. A tightly packed row may close faster, but these are large trees, not narrow hedge plants. They tolerate a range of soils once established but dislike salt and waterlogged ground. Bagworms can appear, and root problems are more likely where drainage is poor.
Best use: A broad suburban or rural boundary where the finished screen can remain at least 12 feet deep.
2. Leyland Cypress
Leyland cypress became a classic privacy tree because it develops a tall wall of feathery blue-green foliage quickly. It accepts regular pruning while young, but its speed and ultimate size have also created many oversized, stressed screens.
At a glance: About 60–70 feet tall and 10–15 feet wide; USDA zones 6–10; full sun; moist but well-drained soil.
Drought stress, poor drainage and crowding make Leylands more vulnerable to cankers, root rots and bagworms. Once a canker girdles a branch, the dead section does not refill with green foliage. Avoid planting a single-species row closer than its mature growth allows, and do not assume topping will turn a large tree into a permanently small hedge.
Best use: A spacious, sunny boundary where trees can be monitored individually and watered during establishment.
3. Murray Cypress
Murray cypress is sold as a selected form of Leyland cypress with dense growth and a strong upright outline. It can create a formal screen quickly, but it should still be planned as a large Leyland-type tree rather than a compact hedge.
At a glance: Commonly expected to reach roughly 50–70 feet tall and 10–15 feet wide; generally suited to USDA zones 6–10; full sun and good drainage.
Nursery claims about improved vigor or resilience should not replace sound siting. Murray cypress can still be stressed by crowding, drought and wet soil, and local disease pressure matters. Confirm that the plant is correctly labeled, ask how it performs in your area and provide enough width for the lower branches to receive light.
Best use: A large property whose owner wants a uniform, fast conifer screen and can provide ongoing inspection.
4. ‘Radicans’ Cryptomeria
‘Radicans’ cryptomeria offers a softer texture than many scale-leaved conifers. The deep blue-green foliage forms an elegant pyramidal tree, and the slightly irregular outline gives a screen a more natural character than a tightly clipped row.
At a glance: Often around 30–40 feet tall and 15–20 feet wide in landscapes; USDA zones 5–9; full sun to partial shade; rich, acidic, moist but well-drained soil.
Cryptomeria appreciates consistent moisture but should not sit in stagnant water. Some foliage may take on bronze tones during cold weather, which is normal unless the browning continues into spring. Leave enough room for the graceful lower branches instead of trimming the tree into a narrow green column.
Best use: A generous lawn edge where a soft, informal evergreen backdrop suits the garden.
5. Eastern Red Cedar
Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is a tough North American native that handles wind, drought and lean soils once established. Its naturally varied blue-green foliage looks especially appropriate at the edge of a meadow or wildlife-friendly garden.
At a glance: Roughly 30–65 feet tall and 8–25 feet wide; USDA zones 2–9; full sun; adaptable but prefers drainage.
Female trees produce blue, berry-like cones that feed birds. The species is also an alternate host for cedar-apple rust, so consider nearby apples, crabapples and related fruit trees before planting a row. Select a named cultivar if a uniform width or shape is important, because seed-grown trees vary.
Best use: A sunny, naturalistic screen on a larger property, especially where native habitat matters.
6. ‘Carolina Sapphire’ Cypress
‘Carolina Sapphire’ is a blue-gray selection of Arizona cypress that brings a distinctly dry-climate look to a privacy planting. The fragrant, feathery foliage stands out against brick, gravel and warm-toned timber.
At a glance: Often about 30–40 feet tall and 10–20 feet wide; usually grown in USDA zones 7–9, sometimes beyond with suitable local conditions; full sun and excellent drainage.
This is a better match for heat and well-drained soil than for a shaded, wet yard. Avoid frequent irrigation against the trunk after establishment, and allow air to move through the screen. Where cypress diseases are common, ask a local nursery whether the cultivar performs reliably before investing in a complete row.
Best use: A sunny, water-wise backyard in a warm region with free-draining soil.
7. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ Holly
‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly is a dense broadleaf evergreen with glossy, lightly spined foliage and showy red winter berries. It can be left full to the ground as a screen or gradually limbed up into a small tree.
At a glance: About 15–30 feet tall and 8–25 feet wide; USDA zones 6–9; full sun to partial shade; rich, acidic, well-drained soil.
This female cultivar can set some fruit alone, although a compatible male holly nearby usually improves the display. Avoid wet sites and watch alkaline soil for yellowing leaves. The prickly foliage is useful as a barrier but uncomfortable beside a narrow path, play space or frequently used gate.
Best use: A flowering and fruiting broadleaf screen with enough room for a substantial pyramidal shrub.
8. Wax Myrtle
Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera, also listed as Myrica cerifera) is a fast, fine-textured native shrub or small tree for warm and coastal regions. Its flexible multi-stem form can be kept bushy for privacy or selectively pruned into a small tree.
At a glance: Commonly 20–25 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide, though size varies; USDA zones 7–10; sun to partial shade; adaptable from moist to occasionally dry soil.
The plant tolerates salt and wind and supplies valuable wildlife cover. It may be only semi-evergreen near the cold end of its range, and it can sucker into a thicket. Female plants bear the waxy blue-gray fruits when pollinated. Check local fire guidance before massing aromatic evergreens near a home in a fire-prone landscape.
Best use: An informal coastal or southern screen where native character and flexible pruning are welcome.
9. ‘Spartan’ Juniper
‘Spartan’ Chinese juniper is one of the more useful choices where planting width is limited. It develops a dense, symmetrical column with a pointed crown, creating vertical coverage without the broad base of many privacy conifers.
At a glance: About 15–20 feet tall and commonly 4–6 feet wide; USDA zones 4–9; full sun; well-drained soil.
Junipers need sun and air movement. They struggle in soggy soil and rarely regrow from cuts made into bare old wood, so light regular shaping is better than severe renovation. Like other junipers, ‘Spartan’ may participate in cedar-apple rust cycles where susceptible apples or crabapples grow nearby.
Best use: A narrow, formal screen beside a patio, path or compact property line.
10. Italian Cypress
Italian cypress delivers height in an exceptionally narrow silhouette. Young trees grow quickly, then slow as they mature into the familiar dark-green columns associated with Mediterranean landscapes.
At a glance: Around 40–70 feet tall but only 3–6 feet wide in columnar forms; USDA zones 7–10; full sun; well-drained soil.
This tree is best in a warm climate and should not be forced into chronically wet clay. Water young trees until established, then avoid keeping the root zone constantly saturated. Preserve the natural column instead of topping it, and leave enough separation for air to circulate between trees as the trunks mature.
Best use: A warm, sunny garden that needs formal vertical screening in very little horizontal space.
11. Eastern White Pine
Eastern white pine has long, soft needles that make a windbreak feel lighter and less formal than a wall of arborvitae. It grows rapidly in a cool, suitable climate and creates excellent high-level coverage on large properties.
At a glance: About 50–80 feet tall and 20–40 feet wide; USDA zones 3–8; full sun to partial shade; moist, fertile, well-drained soil.
This is not a narrow suburban hedge. Crowded trees may shed shaded lower limbs, reducing the privacy people planted them to provide. Eastern white pine also dislikes road salt, alkaline soil and polluted urban conditions. White pine weevil can damage leaders, especially in exposed young trees.
Best use: A wide rural or estate boundary where a layered evergreen buffer can mature naturally.
12. Loblolly Pine
Loblolly pine is among the fastest-growing pines and thrives in the warm, humid southeastern United States. A staggered grove can screen a roofline and create a strong woodland backdrop in remarkably little time.
At a glance: Roughly 60–90 feet tall and 20–40 feet wide; USDA zones 6–9; full sun; moist, acidic soil.
Mature loblollies naturally lose lower branches, so they do not remain a dense ground-level wall forever. Layer them behind broadleaf evergreens or large shrubs if low privacy matters. Their ultimate height, falling cones, storm exposure and high flammability make them inappropriate for a small yard or close planting beside a house.
Best use: A broad southern property that needs a high canopy screen with a second planting layer below.
13. Cherry Laurel
Cherry laurel forms a fast, dense broadleaf screen and tolerates pruning, but the common name is used for more than one plant. European cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and Carolina cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana) differ in climate range, mature size and regional behavior.
At a glance: Approximately 10–35 feet tall and 8–20 feet wide depending on species; European cherry laurel commonly suits zones 6–8, while Carolina cherry laurel favors warmer regions; sun to shade and reasonably drained soil.
Confirm the botanical name before buying. Both can naturalize or become invasive in some areas, and leaves, stems and seeds contain toxic compounds, so this is not a good choice where children, pets or livestock may chew the plant. Keep clippings out of grazing areas and follow local disposal guidance.
Best use: A broadleaf hedge where the exact species is locally appropriate and its mature spread can be accommodated.
14. Sweetbay Magnolia
Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) brings creamy fragrant flowers and leaves with flashing silver undersides to a privacy planting. Its multi-stem habit creates a graceful screen, especially beside a rain garden or naturally moist area.
At a glance: Commonly 10–35 feet tall and wide, potentially larger in the Deep South; USDA zones 5–10; full sun to partial shade; moist to wet, acidic, organic soil.
The word “evergreen” needs a climate note here. Sweetbay is usually evergreen or semi-evergreen in the southern part of its range but becomes deciduous in colder regions. Choose a locally reliable cultivar if winter screening is essential, and give young plants consistent moisture while their root systems establish.
Best use: A moist, wildlife-friendly southern garden where flowers and a lighter broadleaf screen are valued.
15. ‘Little Gem’ Southern Magnolia
‘Little Gem’ is a compact Southern magnolia with glossy leaves, rusty-brown undersides and fragrant white flowers. It creates a polished broadleaf screen in far less width than the full-size species.
At a glance: About 15–20 feet tall and 8–10 feet wide; USDA zones 7–9; full sun to partial shade; moist, organically rich, well-drained soil.
This is the slowest or most moderate grower on the list, not a true instant screen. Its advantage is a smaller mature footprint and dense foliage. Harsh winters may cause leaf loss, and fallen leathery leaves require cleanup. Avoid heavy shearing if you want to enjoy the flowers.
Best use: A warm-climate courtyard or smaller backyard that needs a manageable flowering evergreen.
How Far Apart Should Privacy Trees Be?
There is no spacing number that works for every tree. Start with the expected mature width of the exact cultivar, then decide whether the crowns should eventually touch or remain slightly separate. A narrow ‘Spartan’ juniper and a 40-foot-wide pine clearly cannot share the same spacing.
For a more resilient screen, consider two staggered rows or a mixed planting instead of one tightly packed line. Varying the species reduces the risk that a single pest or disease will remove the whole screen, and layering tall trees behind smaller evergreens preserves low coverage as conifers mature.
Help Fast-Growing Trees Establish Well
- Dig a broad planting hole no deeper than the root ball and keep the root flare visible.
- Water deeply through the establishment period instead of applying frequent shallow sprinkles.
- Spread mulch over the root zone but keep it away from the trunk.
- Avoid heavy fertilizer unless a soil test identifies a need.
- Inspect each tree separately for discoloration, dead branches, insects and irrigation problems.
Fast growth is most valuable when the tree is healthy enough to keep its lower foliage and strong enough to handle weather. Choose for mature size first, then for speed. A screen that takes one extra season to fill is a much better investment than a row that becomes crowded, diseased or impossible to maintain.
Save the trees that match your climate and available width, then compare their mature measurements before placing an order.
