Article
"Top 10" Privacy Trees in Washington State
By Michael S. Gillie, Founder & Manager, NurseryTrees.com
When homeowners seek enhanced yard privacy, the solution involves determining appropriate screening options. These projects function as "exterior remodels" that improve property use and value when planned correctly with experienced professionals.
Using trees as natural screens requires specialized landscaping knowledge. The approach must be customized rather than one-size-fits-all, considering:
- What requires screening? Roadways versus two-story houses demand different heights and density
- Growing conditions? Sunlight availability, soil quality, drainage, and available space matter
- Budget versus timing? Smaller trees cost less but require patience; larger trees provide instant privacy
#1 Emerald Green Arborvitae
The most popular privacy trees. They create solid, low-maintenance walls occupying only 3–4 feet of yard space.
- Mature Height: 15 ft (can reach 18 ft over many years)
- Mature Width: 2–3 ft (4 ft if left unpruned)
- Sunlight: Full sun to close-to-full sun
- Soil: Well-drained; must stay watered when newly planted
- Growth Rate: Slow, 6–9 inches annually
Advantages: Narrow footprint preserves yard space; small root systems allow planting near driveways, patios, sidewalks; dense screening capability.
Disadvantages: Only reach 15 feet maximum; require full sunlight and well-drained soil; slow-growing; deer browse them.
View Emerald Green Arborvitae Page →
#2 Excelsa Cedar
A native Western Red Cedar variety offering more height than Emerald Greens with a natural appearance; fuller and bushier than standard Western Red Cedar.
- Mature Height: 30–35 ft
- Mature Width: Approximately 15 ft
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
- Soil: Moist/wet soil tolerant
- Growth Rate: Medium/fast, 2–3 feet yearly
Advantages: Attractive appearance with pleasant cedar scent; naturally full and bushy; adaptable to various soil and sunlight conditions.
Disadvantages: May overwhelm urban yards at full size; requires yearly maintenance if hedged.
#3 Leyland Cypress
Well-known as the fastest-growing privacy tree; continues vigorous growth year-round.
- Mature Height: To 60 ft
- Mature Width: Approximately 25 ft
- Sunlight: Prefers full sun; likes hot weather
- Soil: Must be well-drained; won't tolerate wet soil
- Growth Rate: Fast, up to 4 feet annually
Advantages: Exceptional growth speed; can be hedged into beautiful shapes.
Disadvantages: Relentless growth—trees often become oversized; require excellent sunlight and drainage; shallow-rooted, prone to windthrow.
#4 Green Giant Arborvitae
Fast-growing hybrid cedar; taller than Emerald Greens but not as wide as Excelsa Cedars and Leyland Cypress.
- Mature Height: 30–40 ft
- Mature Width: Approximately 12 ft (can be hedged narrower)
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
- Soil: Widely adaptable, including wet soil
- Growth Rate: Rapid, up to 2–3 feet yearly
Advantages: Fast-growing; handles wide range of growing conditions including wet soil.
Disadvantages: Still somewhat wide for many yards; may develop sparse top areas.
View Green Giant Arborvitae Page →
#5 Schipka Laurel
Smaller, slower-growing than English Laurel; columnar growth habit; creates lovely, full hedges.
- Mature Height: 12–15 ft
- Mature Width: 6–8 ft
- Sunlight: Full sun to shade-tolerant
- Soil: Well-drained; fairly drought-tolerant when established
- Growth Rate: Moderate
Advantages: Suitable for urban settings; creates beautiful hedges; more shade-tolerant than Emerald Greens; often replaces Arborvitaes.
Disadvantages: None significant if 12–15 ft height and 6–8 ft width suffice.
Ready to transform your property with privacy trees?
Request a Free EstimateOr call us directly: (425) 343-2650
#6 English Laurel
Dense evergreen shrub/tree with shiny green leaves; one of two shade-tolerant options on the list.
- Mature Height: To 20 ft
- Mature Width: To 20 ft
- Sunlight: Full sun to shade
- Soil: Well-drained; fairly drought-tolerant when established
- Growth Rate: Fast, up to 3 feet yearly
Advantages: Fast-growing evergreen; beautiful hedge potential; shiny foliage; grows in shadier areas than most privacy trees.
Disadvantages: Requires pruning at least twice yearly if hedged; often reacts negatively to transplanting, though typically recovers.
#7 "Thin Man" Arborvitae
A newer privacy tree combining Emerald Green characteristics (tall and narrow) with faster growth and greater height. Described as the "Holy Grail" of privacy trees. Available exclusively through NurseryTrees.com.
- Mature Height: 22–25 ft (estimated)
- Mature Width: 4 ft (estimated)
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
- Soil: Likes well-drained soil
- Growth Rate: Fast, up to 2 feet yearly
Advantages: Fills the gap between short-but-narrow Emerald Greens and wider options; significantly taller; narrower than other trees; full, bushy, fast-growing.
Disadvantages: Mature dimensions not yet precisely determined.
View Thin Man Arborvitae Page → | View Emerald Tower Page →
#8 H.M. Eddie Yews
Excellent shade-tolerant alternative to Emerald Greens; columnar growth habit; much more shade-tolerant than Arborvitaes.
- Mature Height: To 20 ft
- Mature Width: 3–5 ft
- Sunlight: Full shade to partial shade
- Soil: Likes well-drained soil; tolerates dry shade once established
- Growth Rate: Moderate, 6 inches to 1 foot yearly
Advantages: Low-sunlight alternative; same columnar growth as Emerald Greens without requiring full sun; narrow, space-efficient.
Disadvantages: Upward branching and flat top make them susceptible to snow damage; periodic tying lessens this risk.
#9 "Gold Rider" Leyland Cypress
A variety maturing at half the regular Leyland Cypress size with slower growth; features beautiful golden foliage creating stunning hedges or specimen trees.
- Mature Height: To 35 ft (estimate)
- Mature Width: To 15 ft (estimate)
- Sunlight: Full sun (anything less may prevent yellow color)
- Soil: Must be well-drained; drought-tolerant when established
- Growth Rate: Medium
Advantages: Unique golden color distinguishes from all-green trees; colorful alternative to Emerald Greens, Excelsa Cedars, or Green Giants.
Disadvantages: Requires full sun for full gold color development; more golden in summer than winter.
View Gold Rider Cypress Page →
#10 Portugal Laurel
Easy-to-grow, densely branched shrub with glossy green leaves turning reddish when young.
- Mature Height: 15–18 ft
- Mature Width: To 15 ft
- Sunlight: Full sun to partial sun
- Soil: Well-drained; fairly drought-tolerant when established
- Growth Rate: Moderate
Advantages: Medium-sized; makes good screens either hedged or natural.
Disadvantages: Different appearance with curved leaves—some prefer English or Schipka Laurel.
How to Start Your Project
NurseryTrees.com offers free, no-obligation estimates, expert consultation, delivery and planting services, and a one-year warranty on planted trees.
We serve the Greater Puget Sound — from Bellingham to Olympia, Highway 2 to Leavenworth/Wenatchee.
Request a Free EstimateOr call us directly: (425) 343-2650
Privacy Trees
We are a nursery tree farm specializing in Privacy Trees for screening. We sell retail & wholesale, for residential and commercial projects and we “deliver & plant” our trees. Our most common project is planting a line of privacy trees for a homeowner.
Great Selection
We have approximately 12,000 privacy trees growing at our Snohomish farm, and many years’ experience in “what works where”. We also have privacy trees that are not available elsewhere, such as our “Hedged Privacy Trees” and “Thin Man” Arborvitae. You can see our hedged and natural privacy trees in our beautiful 8 minute YouTube Farm Video.
Ornamental Trees
While we specialize in Privacy Trees, we also have a nice selection of Ornamental Trees, with many of our trees being on the “Great Plant Picks” list for the Pacific Northwest.
Delivery & Planting
We usually deliver & plant our trees for Customers. Click here for more information.
Free Estimates
We will help you determine which trees are right for your project, and provide you with free, no-obligation estimates. This is often accomplished by e-mail and phone, usually first using our online Free Estimate Request Form. Where necessary, we will send one of our experts out to review the project (no cost or obligation). More information
Location
We’re conveniently located just 15 minutes north of Woodinville. Please also read the next section.
Farm Visits
We are a working farm not a retail nursery so we don’t keep regular retail hours; instead we set up appointments so that we can focus on your project. This is particularly important during our busy seasons. So please set up an appointment instead of “just coming out.” Thank you. (425) 343-2650; info@NurseryTrees.com.
Payment
We don’t require any money “up front”—you only pay when the job is completed (unusual exceptions to this are large/special projects or lengthy “holds” on trees). Be careful of contractors asking for “up front” money; they might not come back!
Warranty & Support
When we plant your trees we include staking (if necessary), transplanting fertilizer, and an easy-to-use watering system that hooks into your garden hose. We also give a one year Warranty on trees we plant, for no additional charge. We have a detailed “Care of Your Trees” section of our website, and provide ongoing support—we’re available to answer your questions as your new trees grow.
Customer Service
We pride ourselves on our Customer Service—real people answering the phone. We have an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau (their highest rating), are an Angie’s List Super Service Award winner, have excellent reviews on Yelp, Google, etc. and a 100% satisfaction rating with eBay.
Our Business History
We planted our first trees in the summer of 1995 and our “workforce” consisted of Mom, Dad and 3 young children. Today we have a dedicated, experienced staff, most of whom have been with us for many years. See: “About Us” for our farming history.
Contractor Registration
NurseryTrees.com, LLC is a registered Washington State contractor (License Number: NURSEL*956J1). Be sure to hire a registered contractor—to go to the Department of Labor & Industries website to check a contractor’s registration, click here. As it says there: “Unregistered contractors carry no bond or insurance to protect consumers. Consumers can face serious issues if anything goes wrong on a job.” These liability risks are in addition to fraud, poor workmanship, worthless warranties, etc. We are fully bonded and insured, of course.
Customer Satisfaction
Most important of all is what our customers think of us:
“I am really pleased with your work. You saved me several thousand dollars, steered me away from trees that wouldn’t work, provided healthy and beautiful trees, did a great job planting them, and did everything on time and on schedule. You can quote me.”
Jo, Vashon Island
“Our privacy bank of trees has done nothing but grow well into maturity. Our back yard and deck area is totally private and the 10 trees your team planted [in 2005] are rich, leathery and dark green. We remark on them every day it seems. Please include me in any of your ‘Testimonials’ as you would be hard pressed to find a more satisfied customer.”
Jim, Port Orchard
“For quality vs. value, your trees are the best landscape purchase I’ve ever made.”
Jeff, Seattle
“Michael, I just wanted to pass along a note to tell you how thrilled I am with the trees. The effect they have brought to our new courtyard in the front of our home here in Seattle has exceeded my expectations!”
Chip Hanauer, Hydroplane Driver