Selection, spacing & planting tips to help you screen

If you are looking to screen off an area for privacy or protection, spacing is going to be guided by the particular tree you are looking to use. Trees for screening are generally more open. They can still result in a wall of green that you...

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The gracefully pendulous Allocasuarina littoralis

If you are looking to screen off an area for privacy or protection, spacing is going to be guided by the particular tree you are looking to use. Trees for screening are generally more open. They can still result in a wall of green that you can’t see through, but they are visually softer because they have been left to exhibit their own natural attributes.

Trees used for screening are not necessarily dressed all the way to the ground like varieties used for clipped hedges. If you are looking for a screen with coverage to the floor it is often wise to consider underplanting with a second storey. Called layering, smaller trees or plants are planted in front of the taller screen to add depth to the landscape. Planting in two lines and at opposite intervals will provide you with solid block out.

Larger material can get a little trickier, depending on the variety you choose, but knowing how tall your specimen grows to  is the key.

For more information, our Planting Tips for Hedging should assist you.

If you are unsure, please contact us to discuss your particular needs.


A dense screening option is Prunus lusitanica

Growing 10 metres tall by 7 metres wide, this tree makes a soft silvery-green screen in that moves with the wind. In winter the branchlets turn a copper colour. This is a moderate grower in well drained soils, so our 50 litre material will achieve a whispy screen pretty quickly. For an 8-10 metre hedge, we suggest planting 2 metres apart. 40cm/27L 50cm/52L
This is a dense growing evergreen shrub or small tree. Its leaves are glossy green and with cherry-like fruit and small white flower heads and distinct times of the year. It is a medium to fast grower and because of its rounded shape should be planted at maximum intervals of 2 metres for a natural screen. For a formal hedge, we suggest using the 3:1 rule and plant material at 1.5m intervals for a 5 metre tall hedge. We have great stock ready to go now in 30cm and 50 litres. 30cm/14L 40cm/27L 50cm/52L
This conical conifer has an upright growth habit with very dark green foliage. It has a dense growth habit with small fleshy berries. It is great for topiary as it responds well to pruning. A natural screen, it is mainly bought for this purpose. Growing 9 metres by 3 metres wide, plant no wider than this for a dense screen. We have stock ready to go now in 30cm, 50 litres and 100 litre bags. 30cm/14L 40cm/27L 50cm/52L
This is an evergreen Magnolia growing to 4 metres tall by 3 metres wide. It has round, cup-shaped leaves that are held tightly on the tree. These round leaves make the tree denser in appearance. A great specimen for an informal screen. We suggest planting around a metre apart for an instant affect. We have material most of the year from 30cm to 150 litres. 30cm/14L 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 100L 200L
This tree has a wonderful weeping habit with narrow linear leaves. The leaves are various shades of green with new growth a pinkish-green. It is our most widely used screening specimen. We suggest planting this using a 3:1 ratio. If you require a screen to 8 metres, plant 2-2.5 metres apart depending on your needs. We have good numbers all year from 30cm to 150 litres. 30cm/14L 40cm/27L 50cm/52L 100L 150L

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With over 400 tree varieties for review, the Treefinder app enables you to conveniently browse and compile a list of trees suitable for a number of common landscaping uses - from attracting birds to creating a formal screen or hedge. By selecting desired size, foliage, and a few categories, Treefinder opens up a world of possibilities.

Once you've found the perfect tree you can click through to our website for more information, availability and a quote.

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For more than 47 years Speciality Trees has been a leader in the production and supply of advanced environmentally sustainable, containerised landscape trees for local government, the landscaping industry and retailers.

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