Boundary Trees for Landscaping

Lombardy Poplars

• A favorite with songbirds, Lombardy poplars have a tight, narrow shape with upward-growing branches. Their dense foliage provides a wind and sound barrier, while their bright green color provides an attractive backdrop to any landscape. Known for their fast growth rates of up to 6 feet per year, Lombardy poplars have uniform columnar silhouettes that allow them to be planted just 5 to 8 feet apart. They mature to 40 to 60 feet in height and grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9.

Loblolly Pine

• Often chosen for erosion control and evergreen decorative value, loblolly pine trees grow 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide. They grow best in the warm climates of Hardiness Zones 5 and 6. Young plants have an upright pyramid shape, but develop a round crown as they mature and lose lower branches. Their thin needles grow up to 9 inches long and turn from dark green in summer to yellow-green in winter.

Leyland Cypress

• A row of Leyland cypress trees provides a fast-growing natural boundary. The thick branches form an almost solid wall for privacy, and block noise and wind. The leyland's soft, feathery foliage remains green year-round and it sheds minimal branches and needles. It grows in a symmetrical pyramid shape at a rate of 3 to 4 feet per year in Hardiness Zones 6 through 10, and reaches 60 to 70 feet in height with a canopy 5 to 15 feet wide, depending on how close it is planted to other trees. These drought-tolerant trees adapt well to sandy or clay soil.

Chinese Elm

• For a border tree that changes throughout the year, consider the Chinese elm, a fast-growing ornamental tree. Also known as the Lacebark elm, it is native to Korea, China and Japan, but grows well in the colder climates of Hardiness Zones 4 and 5. Growing an average of 3 feet per year, it reaches a mature height of up to 50 feet. This deciduous tree's leaves are bright green in spring, change to red during the summer, and by late fall turn bright yellow. It also produces red berries in September.