Evergreen Screening Trees
These trees can be considered as substitutes for the Leyland Cypress either as a border or in a mixed planting.
Fir - Abies
Abies concolor - White Fir, Concolor Fir
30’ – 50’ x 15’– 30’ wide
upper & mid-south
Tolerates heat better than moist Firs
Can tolerate upper Alabama & Georgia summers
Zone 4 - 7
Abies firma - Japanese Fir, Momi Fir
Broad Pyramidal
40’ – 50’ x ½ as wide
Can tolerate hot moist climates
Winters in upper south, mid-south, lower south
Can take Alabama & Georgia summers
Grows in mobile Alabama & Athens & Georgia
30’ – 40’
Zone 6 - 9
Abies nordmanniana - Nordmann Fir, Caucasian Fir
40’ – 60’
Zone 4 -6 (7)
Cedar - Cedrus
Cedrus atlantica 'Glauca' - Blue Atlas Cedar
30’ – 50’ x 35’ – 40’ wide
Zone 7 – 9
Keep trimmed for fullness
Cedrus deodara
30’ – 50’ x 35’ – 40’ wide
Zone 7 – 9
Keep trimmed for fullness
False cypress - Chamaecyparis
Chamaecyparis lawsoniana - Oregon Cedar, Port Orford Cedar
30’ – 40’
Doesn’t like excessive heat
Zone 5 – 7 (8)
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Crisppsii'
10’ – 15’ x 6’ – 10’
Zone 4 – 8
Yoshino Cryptomeria
Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’
50’ – 80’ x 20’ – 35’
Zone 6 – 9
Leyland Cypress
Cupressocyparis leylandii - Leyland Cypress
50’ – 60’ x 12’ – 15’ wide
Zone 6 – 10
Holly - Ilex
Ilex attenuata 'Fosteri' – Fosteri Holly
25’ high conical
(Cassine x Opaca)
Zone 6 – 9
Ilex latifolia – Luster Leaf Holly
15’ x 8’
Zone (6b) 7 – 9
Ilex opaca – American Holly
15’ – 30’ x 10’ -15’ (Can get bigger)
Zone 5 – 9
Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’
Broad pyramidal
20’ x 12’
Zone 6 – 9
Ilex x koehneana ‘Wirt L. Winn’
Cross aquilfolium x latifolia
15’ – 20’ x 8’ – 15’
Zone (6b) 7 – 9
Spruce - Picea
Picea glauca – White Spruce
30’ – 50’ x 15’ – 25’ wide
Zone 2 – (7)
Picea omorika - Serbian Spruce
50’ – 75’ x 20’ – 30’ wide
Zone 5 – (7) DIRR – Zone 4 – 7
Picea pungens ‘Glauca’ - Colorado Blue Spruce
30’ – 50’ x 10’ – 20’ wide
Zone 3 – 7 Dirr – Zone 3 -7 (8)
Pine - Pinus
Pinus cembra - Swiss Stone Pine
30’ – 40’ x 15’ – 25’ wide
Pinus cembra ‘Columnaris’ is more narrow
Zone 3 – 7
Pinus nigra - Austraian Pine
50’ – 60’ x 20’ – 40’ wide
Zone 5 – (7)
Pinus strobus - White Pine
50’ – 80’ x 20’ – 40’ wide
Zone 3 – 7 (8)
Pinus strobus ‘Fastigiata’
Can get tall
3 - 4 times as tall as wide
Zone 3 – 7 (8)
Pinus thunbergii - Japanese Black Pine
30’ - 80’ x 20’ – 40’ wide
Zone 6 – 8
Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii - Douglas Fir
50’ – 80’ x 10’ – 25’ wide
Zone 4 – (7)
Arborvitae - Thuja
Thuja occidentalis - Eastern Arborvitae, White Cedar, American Arborvitae
Moderate Deer Resistance
40’ – 60’ x 10’ – 15’ (Probably 20’ – 30’ Tall)
Zone 3 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Degroot’s Spire’
Grows fairly slowly as a tight column
6’ – 12’ x 3’ – 5’ wide
Zone (3) 4 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Elegantissima’
Narrow, pyramidal
Dark green foliage
Tipped with yellow
10’ – 15’ x 4’ – 5’ wide
Zone (3) 4 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’
See T. occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
Thuja occidentalis ‘Fastigiata’
aka: 'Columnaris', 'Pyramidalis', 'Pyramidalis Compacta'
25’ x 5’
Zone (3) 4 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Holmstrup’
Tight pyramidal bright green
8’ – 12’ x 3 ½’ – 5’
Grows in Georgia
Zone 3 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Nigra’
Pyramidal
Dark green
20’ – 30’ x 4’ – 5’
Zone 4 – 7
Thuja occidentalis ‘Pyramidalis Compacta’
Columnar
See – Thuja occidentalis ‘Fastigiata’
Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’
aka: ‘Emerald’ or ‘Emerald Green’
Columnar, bright green
10’ – 15’ x 3’ – 4’ wide
Hedges & Corners
Hardy to -40 degrees F
Zone 3 – 7
Thuja orientalis - Oriental Arborvitae
Does well in south & even key west Florida
Dense, columnar
18’ – 25’ x 10’ – 15’ (to 30’)
Zone (5) 6 – 11
Thuja orientalis ‘Pyramidalis’
30’ – 40’
Zone (5) 6 – 11
Thuja plicata - Giant Arborvitae, Western Arborvitae, Western Red Cedar, Giant Western Cedar
Sun – Part Shade
Good substitute for Leyland Cypress
Lustrous, Dark Foliage
50’ – 70’ x 15’ – 20’ wide
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicata ‘Emerald Cone’
Sub for Leyland Cypress
24’ – 40’
Zone (4) 5 – 7
Thuja plicata ‘Fastigiata’
Columnar Form
50' – 70' x 15' – 20'
Dense columnar silhouette, medium growth rate
Resistant to bagworms
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicata ‘Green Giant’
Could be a hybrid of standishii & plicata
Excellent Vigor
30’ – 40’ Narrow, Fast Growing
Dark Green, Good for screening
Good substitute for Leyland
Sun – Part Shade
Deer Resistant
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicata ‘Grovepli’
A Proven Winner
Deer Resistant
18’ – 24’ x 3’ – 6’
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicata ‘Hogan’
Dense, pyramidal – Conical Tree
Fastigiate to 40’
Good substitute for Leyland Cypress
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicata ‘Spring Grove’ - Pyramidal Western Cedar
(Forest Farm)
20’ – 30’
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Thuja plicta ‘Collyer’s Gold’
(Forest Farm)
Upright to 6 feet
Zone (4) 5 – 7 (8)
Hemlock - Tsuga
Tsuga canadensis - Canadian Hemlock
40’ – 60’ x 20’ – 30’ wide
Very shearable to 8’ x 4’ – 5’
Zone 3 – 7 (8)
Tsuga caroliniana - Carolina Hemlock
40’ – 60’ x 20’ – 30’ wide
Zone 5 – (7)
