Privacy Hedges for Zone 6 That Block Noise

Pine

• Trees and shrubs in the Pinus genus create good sound barriers. These coniferous evergreens thrive in sun to light shade and well-drained, acidic, moist soil. The University of Wisconsin Extension recommends the eastern white pine (P. strobus) for noise barriers. This fast-growing tree has a low-spreading canopy and is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8. It grows to 100 feet tall and has light- to blue-green needles. Other fast-growing, dense pines include the loblolly (P. taeda), which grows to 90 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 6 to 9. Loblolly pines thrive in full sun to partial shade and tolerate a range of site conditions. They have long, stiff needles and attract wildlife with their large cones.

Cedar

• Several species of cedar grow quickly and form dense, noise-reducing barriers. These evergreen shrubs and trees include the western redcedar (Thuja plicata), which grows to 80 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 5 to 8. This long-lived tree thrives in sun to partial shade and well-draining, moist soil. The eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) grows as a shrub or tree, from 6 to 40 feet tall and is hardy in Zones 2 to 9. This versatile plant has dense, scalelike foliage and tolerates heat and drought. Other dense cedars hardy in Zone 6 include the incense (Calocedrus decurrens) and the Atlantic white (Chamaecyparis thyoides).

Spruce

• Spruce trees and shrubs (Picea spp.) range from foot-tall ground covers to 70-foot-tall trees. Dense varieties for screening include the white spruce (P. glauca), a 60-foot tree with an extremely thick, low canopy. White spruce trees keep their lower branches as they mature. These evergreens are hardy in Zones 2 to 6 and thrive in sun to light shade and well-drained soil. Other dense species include the Oriental spruce (P. orientalis), which grows to 60 feet tall with a low, compact canopy and ascending branches. Hardy in Zones 4 to 7, this spruce thrives in full sun and tolerates a range of soils.

Others

• Other hedge plants that block sound include the ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). This deciduous shrub grows quickly to 8 feet tall with a 10-foot spread and has dense foliage. It prefers sun to partial shade and tolerates wet or dry soil. Ninebark shrubs tolerate drought and are hardy in Zones 2 to 7. The fiveleaf aralia (Acanthopanax sieboldianus) is hardy in Zones 5 to 8. It grows well in a range of conditions, from sun to shade, clay to sand, and tolerates pollution and drought. This deciduous shrub grows to 10 feet tall and has thick, bright-green foliage.