In today's world, creating a private and tranquil outdoor living space is more important than ever. Trees offer a great way to create a living wall or privacy screen for anyone looking to enhance their landscapes while gaining seclusion from neighbors and street traffic, allowing you to feel a little more at home in your own space. These trees not only provide a natural barrier but also bring numerous benefits, including aesthetic appeal, noise reduction, and improved air quality. In this blog, we'll explore the various reasons you might want to consider planting privacy trees and the advantages they offer in transforming your yard into a serene and private oasis.
What Are Privacy Trees?
Privacy trees are tall, narrow, or dense trees ideal for creating a natural barrier in your outdoor space. When planted close together, these trees form a living wall that provides seclusion and blocks unwanted views. Common varieties ideal for adding privacy to your landscaping most often include evergreen trees and shrubs like arborvitae, junipers, or spruce trees, which retain their foliage year-round, offering continuous privacy. Deciduous trees and shrubs are also able to be used to create a sense of seclusion, though these are less common since privacy is lessened when they lose their leaves each season. Privacy trees of all kinds add beauty to your landscape and contribute to noise reduction, windbreaks, and improved air quality, making them a versatile and valuable addition to any yard.
Why Consider Privacy Trees for Your Yard?
You may want to consider adding Colorado privacy trees to your property for many reasons. Whether your reasons are strictly aesthetic or to achieve some practical purpose, here is a list of benefits provided when you plant privacy trees.
Block Unsightly Views
Privacy trees create a natural barrier that provides seclusion and blocks unwanted views.
Provide Privacy from Neighbors or Passersby
Colorado privacy trees also create space between your yard and your neighbor's yard, enhancing your sense of privacy.
Noise Reduction
Privacy trees can significantly reduce noise pollution, creating a quieter and more peaceful environment.
Aesthetic Appeal
Aesthetic appeal is another advantage, as privacy trees add greenery and beauty to your landscape.
Improved Air Quality
Having a high concentration of plants and trees can contribute to improved air quality by filtering pollutants and producing oxygen. While it may require a whole forest to make a significant impact on air quality, this does not change the fact that having more plants around you is better than having few!
Wind Protection
The best privacy trees for Colorado will also serve as windbreaks, protecting your property from strong winds.
Increased Property Value
Having trees in your yard significantly increases property value by enhancing curb appeal and creating a more attractive and inviting outdoor environment.
Encourage Biodiversity
Another benefit of privacy trees is the support they provide for local wildlife. Having an abundance of trees and shrubs provides habitat and food sources for many insects and animals, which helps to promote biodiversity.
Best Privacy Trees for Colorado
1. Blue Arrow Juniper
Blue Arrow Junipers (Juniperus scopulorum 'Blue Arrow') are fast-growing, narrow, and upright evergreens. Their bright blue-green foliage is complemented by silver berries in the winter. Reaching maturity in about 10 years, they typically grow to 12-15 feet tall and around 2 feet wide. Their dense branching makes them ideal for adding privacy to any outdoor space. Hardy in USDA Zones 4-9, these junipers are deer-resistant, low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and native to North America.
2. Moonglow Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum 'Moonglow' features an upright, pyramidal shape with silvery-blue foliage. They have dense, compact branching and reach a mature height of about 10-15 feet and a mature width of approximately 4-6 feet. Hardy in zones 3-7, these junipers are highly adaptable to various climates and soil conditions. Native to North America, they are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, attract birds, are low-maintenance, and thrive best in full sun.
3. Skyrocket Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket', or Skyrocket Junipers, have a striking, columnar growth habit that makes a bold statement. Hardy in zones 4-9, they grow to be 15-20 feet tall and about 3-4 feet wide, with a distinctive blue-green color. They thrive in full sun to partial shade and are drought-tolerant, making them ideal for arid environments. Perfect for mass plantings and privacy screens, these native evergreens attract birds, are deer resistant, low-maintenance, and perform best when planted in slightly acidic, well-draining soils.
4. Taylor Juniper
Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor' is an elegant and striking juniper variety with a narrow, columnar form. Their dense growth makes them perfect for creating privacy in any outdoor space, while their dramatic silhouette adds a bold statement to the landscape. These evergreen trees reach heights of 25-30 feet and widths of up to 3 feet. They are fast-growing and thrive best in full sun. Hardy in zones 3-9, Taylor Junipers are well-suited for cold, arid environments with harsh winters. These native trees attract birds, are deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and low-maintenance.
5. Wichita Blue Juniper
Juniperus scopulorum 'Wichita Blue' is a broader, pyramidal juniper featuring striking silver-blue foliage. This variety reaches a mature height of 10-15 feet and a width of 4-6 feet. Its evergreen foliage retains its silver sheen year-round, making it ideal for hedges, privacy screens, background plants, or accent trees. Hardy in zones 3-7, these junipers are drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and attract birds, making them an excellent choice for landscapes throughout Colorado and the Front Range.
6. Maypole Apple Tree
Malus 'Maypole' apple trees are columnar varieties that grow tall and slender with many narrow side branches. They produce vibrant pink flowers in the spring and tasty, edible fruit later in the season, typically used for cooking. Their unique form allows them to be planted close together and in small spaces, making them a good option for those looking for deciduous options for a living privacy screen. Reaching a mature height of 8-10 feet and a width of 2-3 feet, this apple tree variety is hardy in zones 4-8 and adds vibrant spring color to any landscape.
7. Columnar Blue Spruce
Picea pungens 'Iseli Fastigiate', also known as the Columnar Blue Spruce, is highly desirable for its narrow and upright form. Its striking steel-blue foliage retains its color year-round, and it is hardy in zones 3-7, able to withstand harsh winters. When mature, these evergreen trees can reach 15-25 feet in height and 3-6 feet in width. They prefer full to partial sun, are drought and deer-resistant, and adapt well to various soil types. Being one of the best privacy trees for Colorado, these beauties require little maintenance and are both beautiful and functional.
8. Blue Totem Colorado Blue Spruce
Picea pungens 'Blue Totem' bears a striking resemblance to the Columnar Blue Spruce, boasting the coveted silver-blue foliage characteristic of Blue Spruce trees. These evergreens add vertical interest to any landscape, standing tall and narrow at approximately 15 feet in height and 3 feet in width when fully mature. Hardy in USDA Hardiness Zone 2, they thrive in full sun to partial shade. Their tall, slender growth makes them an excellent choice for living privacy walls, accent trees, and various other landscaping applications! They are also deer-resistant, drought-tolerant once established, and low-maintenance.
9. Columnar Norway Spruce
Picea abies 'Cupressina', also known as Columnar Norway Spruce, is a resilient and upright evergreen prized for its rich color and dense, narrow form, making it an ideal choice for privacy screens. Its growth pattern is tidy, requiring minimal pruning, and it thrives in various soil types, including clay-heavy soils. While not as drought-resistant as some other evergreens, it boasts exceptional hardiness, capable of withstanding extremely low temperatures. At maturity, Columnar Norway Spruce trees reach heights of 20-30 feet and widths of 6-10 feet. They are hardy in zones 3-8, are fast growing, tolerant of urban environments, are deer-resistant, and low-maintenance.
10. Tannenbaum Mugo Pine
Pinus mugo ‘Tannenbaum’ are remarkably versatile evergreen trees capable of thriving in various environments and climates. Hardy to zone 3, they can withstand temperatures plummeting as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Sporting dense growth and a classic Christmas tree shape, they often reach widths nearly equal to their height, with a mature size of approximately 15 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Despite their small stature compared to other evergreen varieties, they make excellent choices for confined spaces or compact yards. Adorned in rich green foliage with subtle hints of blue/grey, these low-maintenance, drought-tolerant plants serve as decorative accents or privacy screens, flourishing best in full to partial sun exposure.
11. Hick’s Yew
Taxus x media 'Hicksii', commonly known as Hick's Yew, proves to be an exceptional evergreen shrub suitable for various landscaping needs. Its erect and slender growth habit renders it ideal for towering hedges and living privacy screens. Typically reaching heights of 10-12 feet with a modest width of 3-4 feet, these shrubs boast lush green foliage year-round, accentuated by small red berries in the fall, enhancing their decorative appeal and attracting birds and butterflies alike. They can withstand heavy pruning, though minimal maintenance is required. Hick's Yew thrives in full to partial sun exposure, exhibiting resilience in zones 4-7 and demonstrating drought tolerance once established. Its rapid growth rate further enhances its desirability for creating dense hedges and privacy barriers.
12. Javelin Flowering Pear
Javelin pear trees (Pyrus ‘NCPX1’) earn their name from their towering, columnar growth pattern. Initially adorned with purple foliage that transitions to a glossy dark green hue as it matures, these trees showcase striking white flowers in the spring and boast vibrant orange-red leaves in the fall. While fruit production may vary, Javelin pears are predominantly valued for their ornamental appeal. Their slender growth and remarkable resilience to urban pollution often make them a favored choice for lining narrow streets or adorning medians. Upon reaching maturity, these trees typically stand around 35 feet tall with a width of approximately 10 feet, effectively serving as natural barriers to unsightly views and enhancing privacy. Thriving in full sun exposure, Javelin flowering pear trees exhibit fast growth rates but necessitate regular pruning and maintenance to flourish. These trees are not highly drought-tolerant, making it essential to ensure their roots remain adequately hydrated. These trees are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4 and attract pollinators such as birds, bees, and butterflies.
13. Standing Ovation Serviceberry
This deciduous shrub (Amelanchier alnifolia ‘Obelisk’) boasts a mature height ranging from 12 to 15 feet, with a width of approximately 3 to 4 feet. When planted in close proximity, they serve as both a decorative element and an effective privacy barrier in outdoor spaces. Sporting vibrant green foliage, they burst into clusters of delicate white flowers during the spring, giving way to edible purple-red berries reminiscent of blueberries from late spring to early summer. As the seasons transition, their leaves transform into a striking palette of reds and oranges, infusing your yard with renewed color. Thriving in zones 4-8, these shrubs require full sun exposure and exhibit impressive drought tolerance once established. Additionally, they attract pollinators such as birds, bees, and butterflies and require minimal pruning and maintenance. It is essential, however, to ensure adequate drainage by amending clay soils for optimal growth, as Serviceberry bushes may be sensitive to prolonged moisture.
14. Ivory Spear Flowering Crabapple
This variety of flowering crabapple tree (Malus 'JFS KW214MX' PP 31076) exhibits a slender, columnar growth pattern, making it an exquisite choice for ornamental purposes, especially in privacy screens and living walls. Adorned with lush dark green foliage, these trees burst into an abundance of white flowers during the spring, followed by vivid red fruit in the summer months. As autumn approaches, their leaves transition to a striking yellow hue, ensuring year-round visual appeal. Resilient against diseases, these trees thrive in zone 4 climates, reaching an approximate height of 18 feet with a spread of around 7 feet. Optimal growth is achieved when planted in full sun exposure. These trees are also fantastic for attracting pollinators such as birds, bees, and butterflies.
15. Ivory Pillar Japanese Lilac Tree
Syringa reticulata, commonly known as the Japanese Lilac, boasts stunning elegance with its large foliage and abundant clusters of creamy-white flowers that grace the landscape from spring into early summer. Standing tall at 20-25 feet and spanning 15-20 feet wide, they serve admirably as accent or backdrop plants. Thriving in zones 4-7, they flourish in full sun to partial shade and exhibit remarkable drought tolerance once established. Drawing a myriad of pollinators and wildlife, these trees are a delightful addition to any garden. With their low-maintenance nature and adaptability to various growing conditions, Japanese Lilac trees offer a hassle-free and charming option for any outdoor space.
16. Peking Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster acutifolius, deciduous shrubs renowned for their vibrant red and yellow foliage in autumn, offer multifaceted utility as natural hedges or privacy screens owing to their dense growth. Adorning the landscape with pinkish-red flowers in spring, they yield small black ornamental berries. Thriving in poor soil conditions, these shrubs demand minimal maintenance and can be allowed to grow organically or shaped to preference. Peking Cotoneaster shrubs prefer full sun but tolerate partial shade, exhibiting some drought resistance once established. Reaching heights of approximately 6-8 feet and widths of 4-6 feet, these deciduous bushes are deer-resistant, attract birds, and are hardy to zone 3.
Consult the Landscaping Experts at Bath Landscape
Whatever your needs may be, whether you seek fast-growing privacy trees, flowering varieties, or evergreens, we offer a plethora of options to suit your preferences and improve your outdoor living space. Whether you're looking to enhance your privacy with trees or revamp your yard, we're here to assist you every step of the way. Our landscape designers excel in crafting personalized spaces tailored to your specific requirements. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward transforming your yard into an outdoor oasis!