We have put together a list of the 18 best privacy trees for a small backyard. After all, not every yard is suited for a giant tree.
There are many reasons why you might want to own your home. One of which is the alluring benefit of privacy.
But what’s the solution when you move into your brand new house and realize your yard doesn’t offer nearly as much privacy as you anticipated? This just happened to be the case for us.
We didn’t catch that there was a certain gaping hole between two big Leyland cypress trees that gave the neighbors behind us a great view of our yard. We wanted to plant something that would grow tall and wide, quickly and be evergreen.
So off I was to do some research on trees. Hopefully this information helps you like it helped me.
The great news is that some of the best privacy trees for a small backyard are fast-growing and easy to maintain, so no worries there.
There are many benefits of planting a privacy screen of trees aside from the obvious.
These include low maintenance qualities, year-round greenery (especially if they are evergreen), and shield your property from wind and noise.
You should plant trees in dormant seasons such as the early spring before bud break or late fall after leaf drop.
You’ll want the weather conditions to be cool and that time allows for new plants to establish roots before spring rains and summer heat.
During the first year, you’ll likely have to water the tree more.
Some Things to Consider Before Planting Your Privacy Trees
Your local nursery can also help you pick out the right tree for your space, but there are always several things to consider before choosing and planting the perfect privacy tree for your backyard.
- Find a spot away from utility lines, homes, and driveways
- Make sure you know where septic lines and sidewalks are (for the roots)
- Determine your USDA hardiness zone
- Do you want to plant all the same type of tree
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18 Best Privacy Trees for a Small Backyard
No matter the size of your yard, your aesthetic preference, and the level of difficulty, there are plenty of great options for privacy trees.
1. Japanese Maple
Latin name: Acer palmatum
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: rich, moist soil; prefers slightly acidic soils
Light conditions: full sun to partial shade
Size: 10 to 25 feet tall
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
Japanese maples are fairly small trees that are a good choice for privacy in a small yard. Even better, these trees are stunning to look at in the fall.
One of the major downfalls is you won’t have as much privacy in the winter when the leaves fall and you’re left with bare branches.
Note: Japanese maples are not native to the US, but the Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe Tree) is a great native alternative, with beautiful fringy white flowers.
2. Burkwood Viburnum
Latin name: Viburnum × burkwoodii
Type: Deciduous shrub in northern climates, evergreen in southern climates
Soil conditions: well drained, but moderate moisture
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 8-10 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
The burkwood viburnum is an evergreen that is known for its stunning pinkish white spring flower clusters that give off a spicy-sweet fragrance.
The blooms are paired with lustrous, dark green foliage. It is well-suited as a hedge, screen (much like a living fence), or accent plant and its mature height is perfect for a small yard.
3. Leyland Cypress
Latin name: Cupressus leylandii
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: well-drained fertile soil but tolerates acidic or alkaline soil
Light conditions: full sun
Size: 40-70 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 10
Some of the best trees, Leyland cypress trees are a very popular choice for privacy.
It is a stunning, fast-growing evergreen tree that forms a pyramidal shape and has been known to reach 50 feet in just 15 years.
The downside to these large trees is that their shallow root system makes them not as well-adapted to warmer climates and they are more vulnerable to root rot.They are also susceptible to blight.
The shorty Leyland cypress is a dwarf cultivar if the Leyland cypress is too large for your space. This smaller version only reaches about 5-10 feet in height.
4. Florida Anise Tree
Latin name: Illicium floridanum
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: moist, rich and well drained
Light conditions: Part shade to full shade
Size: 6 to 10 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
The Florida anise tree is a fast-growing medium to large evergreen shrub that is also known as purple anise.
It is known for being fairly low-maintenance and tolerates heavy shade, erosion, and wet planting sites. However, it is not cold hardy and is not drought tolerant.
The Florida anise tree foliage is bright and attractive as well as aromatic, smelling very much like the spice anise.
For a nice bonus, the leaves contain high levels of aromatic compounds that repel insects which makes them naturally pest resistant.
5. Carolina Cherry Laurel
Latin name: Prunus caroliniana
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: moist and well drained
Light conditions: Sun to Part Shade
Size: 15 to 20 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
The Carolina laurel cherry can be small evergreen shrub or small to medium tree. The fresh leaves give off a maraschino cherry fragrance when crushed.
This plant is easy to transplant, is somewhat tolerant of salt, and can handle heavy pruning. It is easily used as a hedge, in small groups, or mass planting.
If you are wondering, this is the privacy tree we chose!
6. Arborvitae
Latin name: Thuja occidentalis
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: well-drained soil
Light conditions: full sun to partial sun
Size: 20-40 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 8
The arborvitae trees have always been a great choice when it comes to fast growing evergreen trees for privacy and there are plenty of good reasons why.
They require very low to nearly zero maintenance and can tolerate a vast array of soil types.
There are many cultivars of this tree including ‘Green Giant’ and ‘Emerald Green.’These are perhaps the most popular best privacy trees for a small backyard.
7. Flowering Dogwood
Latin name: Cornus florida
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: well-drained soil; not too dry
Light conditions: full sun to partial sun
Size: 15-25 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
Flowering dogwood trees are North American deciduous trees and are great seasonal privacy trees and add some color to your yard as well.
They produce a variety of blooms including white flowers, pink flowers, and red flowers.
There’s a reason the dogwood is the state tree of Virginia and Missouri and the state flower of North Carolina and once they start blooming, you know spring has arrived.
8. Bottlebrush Buckeye
Latin name: Aesculus parviflora
Type: Deciduous shrub
Soil conditions: average moisture, but well drained
Light conditions: Part shade to full shade
Size: 8 to 12 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8
Once you know what a bottlebrush buckeye looks like, you’ll be able to spot it every time thanks to its long fluffy white flower clusters that bloom in summer.
This is a large shrub that will, over time, have a much larger spread than height so it won’t do very well in a tight space.
The dark green and coarse leaves turn a rich yellow in the fall.
9. Yaupon Holly
Latin name: Ilex vomitoria
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: medium to wet soil
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 10 to 20 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 9
Yaupon holly is an upright shrub or small tree with small dark green leaves and a pale gray bark with white patches.
The female plants produce bright red berries. There are many cultivars available so whether you want a columnar shape or weeping form or another, you should be able to find something suitable.
This plant is slow-growing and has rather dense foliage and branches. It is ideal for dense hedges, and if you’re wanting it as a small tree, it will take a decent amount of careful pruning.
10. Wax Myrtle
Latin name: Morella cerifera
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: medium to wet soil
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 10-15 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
Wax myrtles are large shrubs that make great privacy hedges. After established, they will grow in a wide range of soil conditions.
Including wet swampy areas to dry uplands, even a gravel garden, which is where I have mine planted.
It is also tolerant of poor soil, high winds, and salt spray, making it an ideal choice for coastal areas.
The wax myrtle also has fragrant flowers that have been used for candles and soaps and edible fruits for birds.
11. Inkberry
Latin name: Ilex glabra
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: rich, moist, acidic soil
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 5-10 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
The inkberry is a slow-growing, broadleaf evergreen shrub that is part of the holly family.
Greenish white blooms appear in the spring and it is an easy to grow shrub.
The inkberry is also a good one for pots, even in winter.
12. Eastern Redbud
Latin name: Cercis Canadensis
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: acidic or alkaline soils
Light conditions: full sun to partial shade
Size: 20-30 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
A native tree to the Eastern United States, the eastern redbud is one of the easiest trees to grow.
It adapts well to most conditions and is the perfect size for most urban gardens or small yards.
One of the best parts about this tree is the pretty pink flowers that bloom in the early spring.
Even without the flowers, the eastern redbud has heart-shaped leaves and it grows tall enough to have a table and chairs underneath the lower branches.
13. Blue Spruce
Latin name: Picea pungens
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: rich, well-drained soil
Light conditions: full sun
Size: 30-70 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
Blue spruces are slow-growing trees that can reach serious heights.
However, there are dwarf varieties that are excellent for ornamental uses as they reach an average height of 15 feet.
14. Eastern Red Cedar
Latin name: Juniperus virginiana
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: rich, moist, acidic soil
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 3-4 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 9
The eastern red cedar is also known as an eastern juniper and red juniper and is the most widespread conifer in North America.
To make it confusing, it’s also not actually a true cedar, but it is a juniper.
These trees are cold-hardy and very adaptable to many climates.
Traditionally, the eastern red cedar is a rather large tree, but luckily there are many cultivars suitable for small backyards.
For example, the blue eastern red cedar is a narrow, upright, columnar evergreen that grows to 20-25 feet.
The blue mountain eastern red cedar is a spreading evergreen shrub that only reaches 3-4 feet in height.
15. Crepe Myrtle
Latin name: Lythraceae
Type: Deciduous
Soil conditions: medium moisture and well drained soil
Light conditions: full sun
Size: 6-25 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 to 9
Crepe myrtles (or crape myrtle) are perfect trees for the South. They are small to medium deciduous shrub or small tree.
They have lovely late spring and early summer flowers, attractive bark, and often colorful fall leaves making them a year-round beautiful tree.
It is a common misconception that crepe myrtles are native to the US. The Chilopsis linearis (Desert Willow) is a fantastic native alternative if you live in the southwestern US.
Why go native? This article explains why native plants are important.
16. American Hornbeam
Latin name: Carpinus caroliniana
Type:Deciduous
Soil conditions: medium moisture soil
Light conditions: Full to partial shade
Size: up to 35 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
A lesser known, but still one of the best privacy trees for a small backyard is this slow-growing, deciduous tree is low-maintenance and grows practically everywhere.
This is definitely a shorter shade tree compared to others and develops an attractive rounded shape.
17. Dwarf Southern Magnolia
Latin name: Magnolia grandiflora (Little Gem)
Type: Evergreen
Soil conditions: well-drained, slightly acidic soil
Light conditions: full sun to partial shade
Size: 20-25 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 to 9
When you picture magnolias, you likely picture huge white flowers and deep green leaf color.
Standard magnolias may be a bit too large for a super small yard, but a dwarf southern magnolia is a good option for a smaller yard.
18. Arrowwood Viburnum
Latin name: Viburnum dentatum
Type: Deciduous shade
Soil conditions: slightly acidic, moist, well drained
Light conditions: full sun to part shade
Size: 6 to 12 feet
USDA Hardiness Zone: 2 to 8
The arrowwood viburnum is a multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded shape. It shows off creamy white flowers in late spring or early summer.
The flowers aren’t all this shrub offers. Afterward, the flowers are followed by blue-black berries that ripen in early fall.
The dark green leaves change to yellow to glossy red to reddish-purple in the fall.
If you’re having trouble finding some of these trees at local nurseries, I have linked to trees from places I have purchased from online with very good success. Here’s a link to one of my favorite tree places for privacy trees.
And for later, you also may want to check out our article on great ground cover plants for shade.
Other Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Privacy Trees for a Small Backyard
What are the fastest growing small trees?
These fast-growing smaller trees will give your outdoor space more shade, privacy, and windbreak.
- Crape myrtle
- Crabapple trees
- Leyland cypress
- Eastern redbud
- Star magnolia
What is a good shade tree for a small backyard?
If you have a tight space to work with, you’re probably going to want some dwarf trees that won’t take up much space. There are plenty of great trees that will make a perfect choice for your space.
- Japanese maple
- Crepe myrtle
- Eastern redbud- check out the purple leaved cultivar –Forest Pansy cultivar
What is the least messy tree?
Make your yard work for you and not add more work to your plate. The last thing you want to do is have to constantly clean up after your tree.
- Spruce
- Maple
- Flowering dogwood
- Arborvitae
What are the best trees for small gardens?
If you’re looking for the best small tree to plant in a garden, there are several options that will give off beautiful flowering blooms or edible fruits.
- Blackhaw viburnum
- Dwarf cherry trees
- Crabapple tree
- Crepe myrtle
Just because you have a small yard doesn’t mean you can’t have trees in your yard. There are a plethora of options when it comes to privacy trees for a small backyard.
You’ll want to consider what unique features you really want from your tree. Some things to consider before choosing a good option for you include:
- Whether you want a flowering tree or not
- If you want colorful foliage in the fall
- Whether you want a deciduous or evergreen tree
- Do you need privacy trees that grow in shade?
- Are small trees for privacy important?
- Do you have power lines to avoid
Don’t forget to Pin it for later!
