Georgia Gardener Newsletter

Georgia Gardener Newsletter Design Tip: November 29, 2007

Plants for Screening

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Cryptomeria screening a sitting area

With landscapes getting smaller and often being located near busy areas, it's no wonder there's a high demand for screening plants. Without a doubt, a natural buffer of forest will block both ugly sights and sounds, but the buffer usually needs to be fairly wide. Once fall arrives and the leaves drop, things previously hidden from view become visible. Add to that the fact that a large natural buffer is becoming rare in many locations and you're left with evergreens which provide year round protection in a minimum amount of space.

If you need a screen, don't go to the nursery and buy the first plant you think will fit the bill (leyland cypress). Saving yourself a future headache and the cost of an expensive mistake only takes a few moments. Get a tape measurer, especially if the area in question is narrow. Measure the area both in width and height keeping in mind access, utilities (including overhead lines), fences, etc. So often people buy a plant that quickly outgrows its location. Examine the location for sun exposure. Is the soil dry, poorly draining, damp or wet? A plant that wants full sun and well-drained soil is going to fail in a poorly-drained, shady location. How fast will the plant grow? If it's a slow grower, buy a large plant or choose something different. Finally, I recommend only buying plants that can withstand drought.

Large Evergreen Screens (30-50+ feet)

Name	Size (HxW)	Growth Rate	Drought Tolerance; Comments
Leyland Cypress Cupressus × leylandii	50x10-20	Very Rapid	Fair; Over-used
Green Giant Arborvitae Thuja 'Green Giant'	30-40x15-20	Rapid	Good; Nice texture
Eastern Red Cedar Juniperus virginiana	30-40x10-20	Mod/Rapid	Excellent; Native
Southern Magnolia Magnolia grandiflora	30-40x10-20	Slow/Mod	Fair; Messy leaves
Japanese Cedar Cryptomeria japonica	50-60x20-30	Moderate	Good; Nice texture
Deodar Cedar Cedrus deodara	40-70x30-40	Moderate	Good; Nice texture, open
Arizona Cypress Cupressus arizonica	30-40x15-20	Rapid	Excellent; Gray/blue color
Blue Atlas Cedar Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca'	60-100x40	Rapid	Excellent; Blue color
Chinese Evergreen Oak Quercus myrsinifolia	20-40x20-30	Slow	Good; Uncommon tree
American Holly Ilex opaca	30-60x15-30	Slow	Good; Native
Nellie Stevens Holly Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens'	30-40x10-15	Rapid	Excellent; Dense foliage

Avoid using leyland cypresses. Yes, they are cheap and grow quickly, but they have problems with drought and diseases - you get what you pay for.

Medium Evergreen Screens (15-30 feet)

Name	Size (HxW)	Growth Rate	Drought Tolerance; Comments
Emerald Arborvitae Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'	15-20x3-5	Mod/Rapid	Good; Columnar shape
Foster Holly Ilex x attenuata 'Fosteri'	20-30x10	Rapid	Good; Attractive bark
Chinese Holly Ilex cornuta	15-25x10-15	Moderate	Excellent; Easily pruned
Emily Burner Holly Ilex x ‘Emily Bruner’	15-20x8	Moderate	Good Pyramidal shape
Savannah Holly Ilex x 'Savannah'	25-30x10-15	Rapid	Good; Light green leaves
Yaupon Holly Ilex vomitoria	15-20x10-20	Mod/Rapid	Excellent; Coastal native
Hinoki False Cypress Chamaecyparis obtusa	Varies by cultivar	Moderate	Good; Multiple cultivars
Japanese False Cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera	Varies by cultivar	Moderate	Good; Multiple cultivars
Little Gem Magnolia M. grandiflora 'Little Gem'	15-20x8-10	Slow	Fair; Dwarf magnolia
Devilwood Osmanthus americanus	15-25x10-15	Moderate	Good; Native tea olive
Fragrant Tea Olive Osmanthus fragrans	10-20x10-15	Moderate	Good; Fragrant fall flowers

There are many more varieties of holly that can be classified as medium screening plants. There are also dwarf varieties of many hollies that fit nicely into the small screen category. Make sure you read the tag to ensure the plant you choose will fit in the desired location.

Small Evergreen Screens (Up to 15 feet)

Name	Size (HxW)	Growth Rate	Drought Tolerance; Comments
Bright n Tight Laurel Prunus caroliniana 'Monus'	8-10x6-8	Mod/Rapid	Good; Shade tolerant
Florida Leucothoe Agarista populifolia	10-12x10-12	Mod/Rapid	Good; For shade
Aucuba Aucuba japonica	6-10x6-8	Slow/Mod	Excellent; Sun or shade
Japanese Cleyera Cleyera japonica	8-12x6-10	Moderate	Good; Sun or shade
Boxwood Buxus spp.	Varies by cultivar	Slow	Good; Tolerates part shade
Japanese Camellia Camellia japonica	8-15x8-10	Slow	Good; Partial shade
Sasanqua Camellia Camellia sasanqua	6-10x5-8	Mod/rapid	Good; Partial shade
Japanese Plum Yew Cephalotaxus harringtonia	Varies by cultivar	Slow	Excellent; Prefers some shade
Gardenia Gardenia spp.	Varies by cultivar	Moderate	Good; Fragrant flowers
Yellow Anise Illicium parviflorum	8-10x8-10	Moderate	Good; Prefers part shade
Junipers Juniperus spp.	Varies by cultivar	Mod/rapid	Excellent; Variety of cultivars
Southern Wax Myrtle Morella cerifera	10-15x8-10	Very rapid	Excellent; Handles tight pruning
Loropetalum Loropetalum chinense	Varies by cultivar	Rapid	Excellent; Purple-ish leaves

Invasive Plants

Some plants are absent from these tables: Privet (Ligustrum spp.) and exotic species of Eleagnus (Elaeagnus spp.). They are not on the list because of their invasiveness. These shrubs do not belong in any North American garden, period.