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Privacy trees are an excellent way to block out unwanted sights and sounds. They are also perfect for defining a property line. There are many great privacy tree options available. In this article, we will focus on how to choose privacy trees that have the added bonus of being deer and pest resistant. If you live in an area with a heavy deer population, you likely know that choosing deer-resistant privacy trees is extremely important. In fact, choosing the right trees may ultimately determine the success and longevity of your landscaping project.
Unfortunately, there are no trees that can be labeled as 100% deer resistant. They just don’t exist. However, there are precautions you can take when choosing your privacy trees to help minimize potential deer damage.
In order to choose the right trees, you first must understand what a deer eats. During the spring, summer, and fall, their diet consists mainly of flowers, fruits, seeds, and nuts. However, during the winter, when food is harder to come by, deer often resort to eating tree bark and any existing buds set to bloom the following spring. So, how do you stop deer from eating your hedges and shrubs? As a general rule, deer usually avoid plants that have strong scents, so choose fragrant varieties as a deterrent. Examples of privacy trees that fit in this category would be pine, fir, and spruce. Deer also tend to avoid trees that produce thick sap. Additionally, they dislike greenery that is prickly, hairy, or has an unpleasant texture.
Growing Zones: 5 to 9
Mature Height: 40-60 feet
Mature Width: 10-15 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 5-10 feet
The Thuja Green Giant is the most popular, fastest-growing privacy evergreen money can buy. This hardy tree is naturally disease and pest-resistant, and has growth rates that can exceed 5 feet per year. If you are looking for an attractive, deer-resistant privacy tree, you simply can’t go wrong with the Green Giant.
Growing Zones: 5 to 9
Mature Height: 20-30 feet
Mature Width: 15 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 7-8 feet
The Carolina Sapphire Cypress is a fast-growing, heat and drought-tolerant evergreen. This privacy tree offers a unique look, a lovely scent that will also act as a deer and pest deterrent. It also adds great color to your landscape!
Growing Zones: 4 to 9
Mature Height: 12 feet
Mature Width: 6-8 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 5 feet
The Blue Point Juniper is a stunning evergreen with blue-green foliage. This tree creates a lovely privacy screen and needs no pruning. The feathery Blue Point Juniper is drought tolerant and easy to grow, with the added bonus of being deer resistant.
Growing Zones: 6 to 9
Mature Height: 15-20 feet
Mature Width: 12-15 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 7-10 feet
The low-maintenance Oakland Holly has emerald green leaves that resemble oak leaves. This privacy shrub is similar in size and shape to the American Holly, but is a less prickly variety. Even so, it will serve as a great deer deterrent and a beautiful addition to your landscaping project.
Growing Zones: 5 to 9
Mature Height: 30-40 feet
Mature Width: 15-20 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 8-10 feet
This hardy privacy tree offers highly fragrant, feathery foliage that is sure to deter pests of all kinds. The Cryptomeria Radicans, otherwise known as the Japanese Cedar, is a fast-growing, low-maintenance, versatile, and extremely adaptable tree that offers a colorful display all year long.
Growing Zones: 7 to 9
Mature Height: 10-15 feet
Mature Width: 10-15 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 7-8 feet
The hardy and extremely easy-to-maintain Needlepoint Holly grows in the sun or shade. It is highly adaptable to just about any soil type, and is extremely forgiving. In the spring, this beautiful tree blooms with beautiful white flowers. In the fall and winter, red berries become the star of the show, adding color to landscapes that often become quite dull.
Growing Zones: 6b to 10
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 3-4 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 2-3 feet
The beautiful Heavenly Bamboo Nandina evergreen shrub makes a truly unique and colorful privacy screen. Not only will you enjoy its evergreen foliage, but the Nandina domestica offers clusters of petite pink flowers in spring, and cherry red berries well into the winter season. Nandinas are low maintenance, drought and heat-tolerant, and pest and disease-resistant.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 10 feet
Mature Width: 6 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 4-5 feet
If you are looking for an inexpensive, natural privacy fence, the Wavy Leaf Ligustrum is a perfect choice! The Ligustrum is one of the fastest-growing evergreen shrubs. It can actually double its size each year. This shiny shrub tolerates heavy pruning and is extremely easy to grow and maintain.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 5-6 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 4 feet
The Howardi Ligustrum stands out with a beautiful luscious lemon and lime coloration that cannot be beaten! New growth emerges yellow, and as the leaves age, the color gradually deepens to green. The leaves are thick, shiny, and smooth, not prickly like those of holly. This shrub is dense and lush, with pink and white flowers that bloom in spring, and deep bluish to black berries in fall and winter. The Ligustrum makes the perfect pest and deer-resistant privacy tree.
Growing Zones: 7 to 10
Mature Height: 15-20 feet
Mature Width: 6-10 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 4-6 feet
Wax Myrtles are very fast-growing privacy trees that give you full privacy within 2 years of planting. In fact, they can grow up to 5 feet in just one growing season! These deer-resistant privacy trees tolerate heavy pruning, so you can sculpt them just about any way you want to. Wax Myrtles are tough, adaptable, easy to maintain, and perfect for creating a privacy screen.
Growing Zones: 7 to 9
Mature Height: 70 feet
Mature Width: 20-40 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 15 feet
This large, fragrant, fast-growing privacy tree has an extremely long life span. The Deodar Cedar is adaptable to just about any soil type and is naturally pest resistant. It’s also low maintenance, drought tolerant, and resistant to storm damage and breakage. With stunning silvery-green two-inch needles, the Deodar Cedar will easily become a focal point in any yard or garden.
Growing Zones: 3 to 7
Mature Height: 8-10 feet
Mature Width: 10-15 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 7-8 feet
This small evergreen bush has dense foliage that provides complete privacy coverage, with little to no maintenance required. The Mugo Pine is a hardy shrub that features deep green fragrant needles and small brown decorative cones. This tree makes the perfect anchor to the corners of your home.
Growing Zones: 3 to 7
Mature Height: 60 feet
Mature Width: 15-20 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 10 feet
The Colorado Blue Spruce has silvery-blue needles and a powerful scent. This low-maintenance privacy tree is tough and sturdy. It tolerates extreme cold, high winds, and heavy snow with ease. If you are looking for a privacy tree that won’t succumb to deer damage, the Blue Spruce is hard to beat.
Growing Zones: 6 to 9
Mature Height: 6-8 feet
Mature Width: 6-10 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 4 feet
The Japanese Plum Yew has lush evergreen foliage that looks similar to miniature palm fronds. This low-maintenance shrub is pest resistant, drought, heat, and salt tolerant. It can also grow in full sun to full shade.
Growing Zones: 5 to 9
Mature Height: 10-12 feet
Mature Width: 8 feet
Privacy Screen Spacing: 6 feet
The popular American Boxwood tree is a surefire way to transform your home and garden. The Boxwood is a landscaping focal point that provides year-round color, texture, and beauty. It is also naturally deer, rabbit, and pollution-resistant.
Deer-resistant privacy trees can create a beautiful privacy hedge or screen. For additional privacy tree options visit our online plant nursery. Be sure to check out our best-selling privacy trees including the Thuja Green Giant and Leyland Cypress, or check out our complete Privacy Tree Collection.
