If you are looking for a plant to create a screen for your windows, you might want to consider growing a tall thin shrub. These are excellent options, as they will provide privacy without being in the way. Listed below are some of the most common tall thin shrubs for privacy: Azalea, English ivy, Euonymus, and Hicks yew. If you are interested in learning more about these plants, read on.
Azalea
Azalea tall thin shrubs provide excellent privacy for your garden. The flowers are a mixture of pink, white, and orange. This flowering plant is three to four feet tall and wide, so it is ideal for privacy planters or edging pathways. They can be pruned to shape and size to suit your preferences. Azaleas grow well in full sun to partial shade and tolerate a wide range of soil and light conditions.
When deciding on the size of your hedge, you should first choose a variety that will provide adequate privacy. Medium-sized varieties are good for creating dense hedges. Long-blooming varieties produce beautiful blossoms throughout the year. Evergreen varieties are best for winter privacy. Large varieties grow faster than small ones. Popular varieties include Kurume hybrids, South Indian and Rutherfordiana species, and Western Azaleas.
The perfect hedge is a blend of low, dense growth and foliage. The height and form of the hedge is completely up to you. Shrubs for privacy are generally fast-growing, which makes them ideal for edging. Some varieties can even grow into a hedge. However, it is important to consider how tall the hedge will grow before you plant them. If you are concerned about privacy, consider the size of the hedge before committing to it.
Euonymus
The spacing requirements for euonymus depend on the variety you choose. The Irish Juniper, for example, can grow up to 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide, but you can keep it to six feet or less if you wish to minimize its height. You can also try trellising Wintercreeper Euonymus, which can be grown to be up to 15 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
In addition to its wide range of uses, euonymus also has a reputation for being susceptible to disease and pests. Healthy plants can tolerate moderate pest pressure for many years, but damaging fungi, aphids, and bacteria can decimate entire plantings. While most euonymus maladies require multiple treatments, you can still benefit from a privacy-enhancing plant. Euonymus are a great choice for gardeners looking for a thick, privacy-enhancing hedge or accent plant.
This fast-growing privacy hedge will fill in nicely and grow to an average of four feet. In late summer, it will start sprouting flower buds. It is a hardy plant, and grows best in zones five to eight, with regular watering. Euonymus is available at a variety of home improvement stores or online at Amazon for just over $86. There are numerous varieties of euonymus, but you can choose the best one for your property based on its growing conditions and location.
Hicks yew
A Hicks yew makes an excellent privacy hedge, largely because they remain evergreen and provide cover year-round. The shrubs are often sheered or shaped to keep the shrubs’ branches short, but they’re also useful in the garden for providing a corridor for birds and a cool ditch for toads. They also serve as a windbreak, helping to prevent the spread of diseases, and are an attractive addition to your landscape.
Another great privacy shrub is the Hicks yew. Hicks yew is an evergreen, ten to twelve foot shrub that prefers moist, well-drained soil. Despite being a relatively drought-tolerant shrub, it must be pruned annually to keep its dense foliage and a low canopy. This shrub is easy to maintain, and if you do have to graft it, you can do so by cutting it back every year around Fourth of July.
Once established, Hicks yew trees are drought-tolerant. However, they do need 1 inch of supplemental water per week during drier seasons. They do not like to get their feet wet. Hicks yew plants don’t require a lot of nutrients, but a slow-release fertilizer may help them grow faster. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of pruning, a Hicks yew is a good choice.
English ivy
English ivy is a self-clinging vine that requires little care and grows extremely fast. It is hardy from USDA zones four to eleven. Its alternate, dark green leaves are striped with white veins, and have a heart-shaped base. Its woody stems climb trees and are supported by aerial roots. It is a great choice for privacy, ground cover, or accent plants.
If you want to get rid of the English ivy in your yard, physical removal is a good option. Because it has no thorns, the stems are easy to pull and the roots are not deep, you can remove them with ease. However, older plants have thick woody stems, making removal a more difficult task. To keep your ivy in check, follow these guidelines:
English ivy is a perennial vine that spreads vegetatively outward from its nodes. It can take several years to mature and form mature branches. In addition to its leaves, English ivy produces berries. The seeds are dispersed by birds. Some species are poisonous, so be sure to keep ivy out of bird areas. If you do decide to plant it, you must be prepared to deal with its impact on your property.
Depending on your climate and soil conditions, English ivy is an excellent choice for privacy screening. It grows quickly in USDA zones two to eleven, but needs to be pruned frequently. If you want privacy without the need to worry about it encroaching on other people’s property, you can also choose the sweet pea. It blooms throughout the summer and into the winter.
Blue Arrow Juniper
When buying blue arrow trees at the garden center, be sure to prepare the soil for planting. This will help the plants adapt to their new home and grow easily. When planting a Blue Arrow tree, make sure to dig a hole that is two to three times the size of the root ball. Also, make sure to place mulch around the sides of the hole, but not directly on top of the Blue Arrow.
The Blue Arrow is a great plant to plant in your landscape if you have limited space. It is very decorative and is known to attract birds, which tend to nest along its branches. It also provides privacy if you need to screen off a view. If you’d prefer to plant a tree, consider planting several Blue Arrow Junipers three feet apart. It will create a great visual barrier and a focal point for your landscape.
Once planted, the Blue Arrow Juniper tree requires little maintenance. Pruning is required only for unhealthy branches or parts. They will tolerate wet soil as long as they have good drainage. Generally, deer and grazers don’t eat Blue Arrow but it can attract birds. The berries will provide color from spring to winter. Unlike most other plants, Blue Arrow is very easy to care for.
Skyrocket
If you’re in the market for some tall, thin shrubs for privacy, you should check out the ‘Skyrocket’ juniper. This evergreen shrub has a unique, upward cone-like shape and is relatively low-maintenance. The foliage is also bright green and glossy. The foliage will eventually form a dense pyramid, making it an excellent choice for a hedge or privacy screen.
Another excellent choice for privacy is the blue arrow juniper. This narrow, upright juniper is perfect for privacy screens and adds color to your landscape. Another tall, thin shrub to consider is the Skyrocket, which is a columnar variety of Juniper. It will reach a height of 15 feet and spread about two to three feet in width. Despite its narrow size, it will create a windbreak and is ideal for both hot and cold climates. It’s even an accent plant for a mixed conifer garden.
If you’re looking for a privacy hedge, take a look at other privacy shrubs in your neighborhood. This will help you choose a plant that will thrive in your hardiness zone. Then, decide if you want something that will bloom, or one that will simply keep lawn debris off your lawn. Decide which kind of privacy you want before you start shopping for plants. Earlier in spring is the best time to visit local nurseries for the best selection of privacy hedges.