Trees used in hedges provide both privacy and beauty in the landscape. Many trees are well suited for hedges, but selection of a tree should be made by considering the particular purpose of the hedge and the growing conditions at the desired site. Check the individual tree species links for photo characteristics and site needs.
Abies concolor grows to 65' and is a large evergreen tree with a silver green to blue color. Although not as vigorous as other large evergreens, white fir is one of the best firs for Eastern landscapes in milder climates (in zones 3 to 7) due to heat and drought tolerance and is a great replacement for blue spruce. It is a slow grower, grows large and favored on large landscapes as a barrier specimen.
Arborvitae grows to 35' and is best used as a screen or hedge planted on 8 to 10- foot-centers. Can also be useful for windbreaks. Do not use in hot dry situations. Good as a single specimen plant as well as massed in hedges. Always choose from the superior cultivars, many of which have pyramidal or rounded canopy forms.
Amur maple grows to 20' and is very dense and compact. This maple is easy to maintain as it requires little pruning. Acer ginnala is one of the only maples useful as windbreaks and screens and is an excellent, low-growing tree for small yards and other small-scale landscapes. It can be grown as a multi-stemmed clump or can be trained into a small tree with a single trunk up to four to six feet tall.
This evergreen hemlock grows large to 60' and is densely compact. It is the preferred hemlock for use in larger landscapes for windbreaks or screens. Carolina hemlock is noted to perform better under urban conditions than other hemlocks but grows a bit slower than Canadian Hemlock. This hemlock is harder to find in the nursery trade.
