Deciduous trees can be used to create privacy. They can be used along a boundary to protect and enclose a garden or property.
Deciduous trees can be used as a wall of green through the warm months of the year; they can still serve as a boundary in the cold time of the year even while the dropped leaves allow more light into a property or garden during the shorter days of the year.
Trees may be divided into two broad main classes: evergreen and deciduous. Evergreen trees hold their foliage throughout the year. Deciduous trees shed their foliage in the fall.
Broadly speaking, both evergreen and deciduous trees fall into two divisions: the columnar and the spreading types. Columnar trees are often used for framing vistas and outlining paths or driveway, but they can also be closely spaced to offer privacy–to create a living wall. Columnar trees are commonly nearly as wide at the top as they are near the ground.
Spreading trees are often rounded by nature; usually rounded at the top, but sometimes nearly round from close to the ground to the top of the plant. The wide nature of spreading trees means they are planted further apart than columnar trees when used to create privacy.
How to choose a deciduous tree for privacy
When choosing a deciduous tree for privacy consider the following: (1) will it grow and thrive in your regions or growing zone; (2) how tall and wide does it grow; (3) when does it shed its leaves and when does it re-leaf in spring; (4) is it a fast, moderate, or slow grower; (5) what color are the leaves during summer and in autumn; (6) does it flower.
Deciduous trees for privacy planting
Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones | Growth Rate |
Ash, green | Fraxinus pennsylvanica | 3-9 | Rapid |
Bald, cypress | Toxodium distichum | 4-10 | Moderate |
Birch, river | Betula nigra | 4-9 | Rapid |
Chase tree | Vitex agnus-castus | 6-10 | Moderate |
Crabapple | Malus spp. | 4-8 | Moderate |
Crape myrtle | Lagerstroemia indica | 7-9 | Rapid |
Elm, Chinese | Ulmus parvifolia | 5-9 | Rapid |
Magnolia, saucer | Magnolia x soulangiana | 5-9 | Moderate |
Maple, red | Acer rubrum | 3-9 | Moderate |
Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones | Growth Rate |
Oak, willow | Quercus phellos | 4-8 | Moderate |
Pagoda tree, Japanese | Sophora japonica | 6-8 | Rapid |
Pear, Callery | Pyrus calleryana | 4-8 | Rapid |
Plum, purple leaf | Prunus cerasifera ‘Atropurpurea’ | 4-8 | Rapid |
Privet | Ligustrum spp. | 3-9 | Rapid |
Redbud | Cercis canadensis | 3-9 | Moderate |
Zelkova, Japanese | Zelkova serrata | 5-9 | Moderate |
Also of interest:
Evergreen Trees for Privacy Planting