Deer Resistant Evergreens for Privacy Screens

Spring is nearly upon us! Like many of you I lost too many trees to count including nearly all of my  evergreens that shielded several of my neighbors from view. I wanted to go over the different choices you have when it comes to deer resistant privacy screens and the appeal of each tree or bush. I also will touch on some other choices for fenced in areas that make great screens as well. Hopefully this helps in making your decision a little easier.

Deer Resistant Trees and Shrubs

Norway Spruce

Size: 25-30' Wide and 40-60' Tall

Growth Habit: Pyramidal Shape

Growth Rate: 12-24" per year once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun is best but can take some shade

Soil Requirements: Various Soils

Appeal: Completely deer resistant and dense, the Norway Spruce is an ideal privacy screen if you have the space. Beautiful dark green needles and strong branches make it a very attractive tree.

Full Grown Norway Spruce

Green Giant Arborvitae

Size: 10-20' Wide and 50-60' Tall

Growth Habit: Pyramidal Shape

Growth Rate: Fast - Can grow 3' in a year once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Requirements: Various Soils - Moist Tolerant

Appeal: Creates a very dense fast growing screen. Despite its rapid growth, it can withstand heavy snow loads. It's extremely fast growth rate make it an excellent choice for rapid screening.
Privacy Screen Planting: 6' on center or closer for an instant screen.

Green Giant Arborvitae

Virescens Arborvitae

Size: 10-20' Wide and 40-50' Tall

Growth Habit: Pyramidal Shape

Growth Rate: Fast - 2' A year once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade

Soil Requirements: Various Soils - Moist tolerant

Appeal: Lighter green than the Green Giant and with a softer look, they too create a fast privacy screen. Holds its gren color year round and has a feathery look to it. 
Privacy Screen Planting: 6' on center or closer for an instant screen.

Virescens Arborvitae

Leyland Cypress

Size: 15-25' Wide and 60-70' Tall

Growth Habit: Columnar

Growth Rate: Fast - 1-2' per year once established.

Light Requirements: Full Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils
Appeal: Another fast growing privacy screen that should be planted in full sun. Leyland Cypress has fine soft needles that turn a blue green in maturity.

Leyland Cypress

Skip Laurel

Size: 7' Wide and 10' Tall

Growth Habit: Bush

Growth Rate: Medium to Fast - 12-24" per year once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Shade

Soil Requirements: Various Soils
Appeal: Creates an excellent shorter privacy hedge that can be pruned into any shape. Elongated glossy green leaves are also a contrast to the other needle evergreens. Excellent for shade as well. Deer may nibble it in a harsh winter.

Skip Laurel

Rotundifolia Boxwood

Size: Up to 10' Tall and Wide

Growth Habit: Rounded Bush

Growth Rate: Slow - 3-6" per year once established. Will grow faster in full sun

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Shade

Soil Requirements: Various Soils
Appeal: Another excellent choice for a shorter privacy screen, Rotundifolia Boxwood can also be shaped into almost anything. Great for sun or shade, very deer resistant. Looser growth habit than most boxwood.

Rotundifolia Boxwood

Bamboo - Yellow Groove - Running Variety

Size: Up to 25' Tall and Spread Indefinite

Growth Habit: Spreads by sending underground runners in any direction.

Growth Rate: Extremely Fast once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils

Appeal: An extremely fast privacy screen with its only downside being that it runs in any direction it wants. Can be withheld with the use of liners but they need to be put in at least 30" deep around the entire area.

Bamboo - Clumping - Green Screen

Size: 12-15' Tall

Growth Habit: Vase Shaped

Growth Rate: Fast - Should reach 10' after 5 years from a 2 gallon pot

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils

Appeal: A better choice if you don't want to be bothered pruning unwanted runners. Provides a much neater screen as its clumping nature stays very tight and kept.

Non Deer Resistant Privacy Screen Options

Hemlock

Size: 25-35' Wide and 40-70' Tall

Growth Habit: Pyramidal Shape

Growth Rate: Slow to Medium - 6-12" per year once established

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Shade - Prefers Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils - Avoid very heavy clay
Appeal: Very soft green foliage and has the ability to be shaped into anything you want. Not as fast growing but tolerates shade better than most evergreens. Slightly deer resistant.

Hemlock

Japanese Holly - Steeds Holly or Schwoebel Upright Holly

Size: Up to 6-10' Tall and 5-6' Wide

Growth Habit: Upright Bush

Growth Rate: Moderate- 6-12" per year once established.  
Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils
Appeal: Another slightly deer resistant bush that is left alone in all seasons except winter, Japanese Holly are another option for a shorter hedge. Tight glossy green foliage and upright conical form make it a more formal option. Definitely accepts pruning.

Steeds Holly

Black American Arborvitae

Size: 20-30' Tall and 4-5' Wide

Growth Habit: Columnar

Growth Rate: Moderate - 6-12" per year once established.

Light Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Sun

Soil Requirements: Various Soils
Appeal: An excellent choice for a narrow very tall privacy screen if you are fenced in. Very hardy, very dense dark green foliage make this an excellent choice. Inexpensive as well.

Black American Arborvitae

Fresh Nursery Stock

We unloaded four trucks this morning with a lot of nice nursery stock. Here are some pictures and a list of all the material we received.  

Green Velvet Boxwoods, Blue Star Juniper, Spirea Magic Carpet, Bloomerang Lilac, Royal Burgundy Barberry, Winter Gem Boxwood, Henry's Garnet Itea, blue Pacific Juniper, Liriope, Russian Sage, Kings Gold Cypress, Helleri Holly, 5-6' Opaca Holly, Kniphofia, Goshiki Osmanthus, Prelude Andromeda, Roseum Elegans Rhodies, PJM Elite Rhodies, Male Skimmia, 6-7' 7-8' 8-10' Norway Spruces all came this morning.  We have another truck coming before the weekend with the following: Larger Green Velvet & Winter Gem Boxwood, Endless Summer Hydrangea, Tuscarora Crepe Myrtle, 30-36" Steeds Holly, Hetzi Holly, and Justin Browers Boxwoods.  

Fall is a great time to plant because you don't have to worry about watering as much and gives your plants a head start on establishing a good root system that will carry them through the dry summer next year.  

Osmanthus & PJM Rhodies - Deer Resistant!

Really Fat 5-6' Norway Spruce - Great for PRIVACY, Deer Resistant.

5 Gal. Rhododendrum Roseum Elegans

Pyramid Boxwoods good for stoops as well or in the ground.

Caryopteris have awesome blue flowers for great fall color

Green Velvet Boxwoods in 3 Gal and 4 Gal

Grafted Blue Spruce - Good for Stoops & Christmas Trees

Fresh Hanging Baskets & Perennials

Received a nice shipment of new hanging baskets, annuals, and perennials yesterday and today. Figured I'd share some pictures.

In hanging baskets we got some really nice 12" Vinca and awesome Coco Basket Petunias.  

Check them out.

The Front Walk still in full color

We also have some awesome 10" Caladiums, really nice big full plants.

Excellent for Shade.

Perennials we received include Echinacea 'Hot Papaya', Agastache 'Purple Haze', Coreopsis 'Rosea' & 'Zagreb', Lavender 'Dilly Dilly' & 'Provence', Catmint ' Walkers Low', Rudbeckia 'Denver Daisy' & 'Goldstrum'.  Here are some pics.

Rudbeckia 'Denver Daisy' & 'Goldstrum' in the back.

Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer'

Agastache 'Purple Haze' - Great for Honey Bees, Flowers a VERY long time.

Coreopsis 'Zagreb'.  Aweesome plant, very Deer Resistant.

6" Annuals Arriving, Perennial Shipment, Fresh Aquatic Plants

While the weather is terrible out today, its a good chance to catch up on some recent arrivals.  We got some new annuals in, some fresh herbs & tomatoes, a good selection of perennials, some fill in shrubs, and some easier to handle trees in large pots.  Here's a rundown on the goods with accompanying pictures.

Annuals in 6" Pots:  Begonia - Dragonwing, Celosia in 6 colors, Dusty Miller, Dianthus in 4 colors, Dahlias in red and white, Gazania in 4 colors, Marigolds in 10 varieties, Impatiens in 7 colors, Wave Petunias in 11 colors, Lobelia in 4 colors, Sunflowers in 4 varieties, Salvia in 4 colors, Snapdragon in 2 varieties, and Verbena in 6 colors.

Petunias

Dianthus

Marigolds & Silverdust

Lobelia & Vinca in the backgroung

Hanging Baskets:  Fresh Portulaca in a variety of colors, Fuschia, and Dragon Wing Begonias.

Herbs & Tomatoes:  Fresh parsley, oregano, and thyme in flats.  Also received 6" Basil pots & Grape Tomatoes in 6" as well.  4" Tomatoes include three heirloom varieties including Cherokee Purple (a personal favorite), Pineapple, and Old German.

Perennials:  Delphinium - Summer Blues & Summer Nights, Gallardia - Arizona Red, Hemerocallis / Daylilly - Happy Returns, Pardon Me & Stella D'Oro, Leucanthemum / Daisy - Snowcap, Rudbeckia / Black Eyed Susan - Indian Summer & Tiger Eye, Dianthus - Firewitch & Pomegranate Kiss, Dicentra / Bleeding Heart - Eximia, Hibiscus - Jazzberry Jam & Sultry Kiss, Hosta - Blue Angel & Fragrant Blue, Lavender - Munstead, Platycodon / Balloon Flower - Astra Blue, Salvia - Caradonna & May Night, Agastache - Blue Fortune, Coreopsis - Zagreb, Digitalis - Foxy, Echinacea - Magnus, Lilly - Oriental Casablanca, Nepeta / Catmint - Walkers Low, and Pervoskia / Russian Sage.

Delphinium & Rudbeckia with Topiary Rosemary

Awesome Echinacea Variety

Shrubs:  Spirea - Neon Flash, Grasses - Hamlen, Buddleia / Butterfly Bush - White Profusion, Cryptomeria Globosa, Hydrangea - Tree Phantom, Ilex / Holly - Blue Princess, and Rose - Drift Pink.

City Line Paris Hydrangea - Really Brilliant Pink

Incrediball Hydrangea living up to its name.  Some of the balls are 12" round!

Trees in Containers:  Red Bud Forest Pansy, Pear - Cleveland Select, Plum - Crimson Pointe, and Cherry - Kwanzan.  All are good sizes for the homeowner to take home and plant themselves.

New Aquatic Plants:  All of the these (except the tropical lillies) are supposed to be hardy in our area meaning they will come back year after year.  Acorus calamus Variegatus, Colocasia / Elephant Ear -Black Magic & Fontanessi, Equisetum japonica (horsetail), Houttuynia cordata Variegata, Iris lousiana - Ann Chowning & Lousiana Mix, Musa Basjoo (A HARDY BANANA THAT GETS TO 13' TALL!), Pontederia cordata (Blue & Pink), and Pink and Red Tropical Lillies.

Really Nice Plants!

Horsetail, Iris, Bamboo, Black Magic Elephant Ear...