Best Windbreak Trees for Wind Protection
Sometimes prevailing winds can be more than just a nuisance. We all know strong winds, dust, and blowing sand can be damaging to structures and equipment, but constant winds, even of moderate intensity, can hurt ornamental plants too. This is where the best windbreak trees come in.
Plants lose more water through evaporation and transpiration when exposed to constant wind, so they end up needing more frequent watering. Over time, constant winds cause plants to grow with an unnatural bend. In parts of the country where wind-blown dust and sand are a real problem, the effects on plants, animals, and property can be serious. Cold winter winds can be fatal to some plants altogether. Wind protection is essential.
A windbreak is a row, or a few staggered rows, of trees positioned to reduce prevailing winds. Think of it as a living fence that blocks noise, reduces air pollution, hides an unwanted view, provides a backdrop for your plantings, reduces dust and sand, lowers heating costs for your home, and slows the wind. The best windbreak plants are evergreen trees with dense foliage and slender rather than wide-spreading shapes.
Which Trees Make Good Windbreaks?
It isn't hard to grow a strong windbreak, and it doesn't take as long as you might think. First, decide how tall your wind-blocking trees need to be. You might be able to get by with an evergreen hedge just eight or ten feet high, or you may need a taller living wall of majestic conifers.
For lower windbreaks, a dense row of evergreens might fill the bill. For low, hedge-like windbreaks and privacy screens, we recommend viburnum, boxwoods, Podocarpus, or any of the evergreen hollies such as our Oakleaf Holly.
Our favorite trees for taller windbreaks are coniferous evergreens such as pines, cedars, junipers, and cypresses, especially varieties that don't have wide-spreading limbs that could break off in strong winds. Evergreen conifers tend to grow fast, have very low maintenance requirements, and rarely need pruning.
How to Plant Windbreak Trees
To create a classic, formal windbreak, plant a single species evenly spaced in a straight line. However, planting a mixture of different kinds of evergreens adds diversity and architectural interest to your landscape. A mix of species also minimizes the spread of any species-specific pests or diseases should they pop up.
For both aesthetics and effectiveness, try planting in clusters rather than a simple straight line. A very effective configuration is two rows of evenly spaced trees with the trees staggered between the rows. This creates a much denser barrier without requiring more land.
Perfect Plants carries a large selection of trees suited for windbreaks and privacy screens, including both broad-leaved evergreens and needle-leaved conifers. We grow these plants ourselves at our North Florida farm and ship them carefully packaged so they arrive in great shape, usually via FedEx Monday through Wednesday.
Fast Growing Windbreak Trees
Thuja 'Green Giant'
Thuja Green Giant makes one of the very best fast-growing windbreaks. These beauties can put on 3 to 5 feet of height per year, reaching a mature height of 30 to 40 feet. Green Giant can also be used for a low hedge-like windbreak since it tolerates regular pruning and even shearing. It is adaptable to most soil types, tolerant of drought, and hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 9, covering almost the entire continental United States except southern Florida and the northern Great Plains. Rarely bothered by deer, disease, or insects, and it withstands strong winds, ice, and snow. One thing to note: Green Giant does not perform well in salty soils or coastal areas receiving salt spray.
Other Excellent Options
- Norway spruce and Colorado spruce are outstanding windbreak choices for colder climates.
- Japanese cedar, Italian cypress, and American arborvitae are all reliable performers.
- Canadian hemlock tolerates shade better than most conifers but is not suited to hot climates.
- Leyland cypress grows fast to 50 to 60 feet and quickly fills gaps between trees spaced 5 to 8 feet apart.
- For really large windbreaks, Leyland Cypress and Excelsa Cedar can both reach 20 feet wide. Douglas Fir and giant arborvitae can spread up to 40 feet at maturity.
- The Emerald Green Arborvitae is a great fit for shorter windbreaks that require zero pruning, staying tidy at 12 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide on its own.
The Best Wind Blocking Trees: Reference Guide
| Name | USDA Zones | Growth Rate | Mature Height | Mature Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Bouquet Viburnum (Viburnum tinus 'Compactum') | 7–11 | Medium | 4–6 ft | 4–6 ft |
| Schilling Holly (Ilex vomitoria 'Schilling's Dwarf') | 6–9 | Slow | 4–7 ft | 6–10 ft |
| Edward Goucher Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher') | 6–9 | Medium | 5–6 ft | 6–7 ft |
| Boxwood (Buxus microphylla) | 5–9 | Slow | 5–6 ft | 5–6 ft |
| Dwarf Burford Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') | 7–9 | Slow | 5–8 ft | 5–8 ft |
| Japanese Holly (Sky Pencil) (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil') | 6–8 | Slow | 8–10 ft | 2–3 ft |
| Oakleaf Holly (Ilex x 'Conaf') | 6–9 | Slow | 10–15 ft | 6–8 ft |
| Needlepoint Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint') | 7–9 | Fast | 10–15 ft | 5–10 ft |
| Ocala Anise (Illicium parvoflorum) | 8–10 | Medium | 10–15 ft | 6–10 ft |
| Walter Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum) | 6–10 | Medium | 10–15 ft | 8–12 ft |
| Wax Ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum) | 7–11 | Fast | 10–15 ft | 10–15 ft |
| Zhuzhou Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense rubrum 'Zhuzhou') | 7–10 | Medium | 10–15 ft | 6–8 ft |
| Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald Green') | 2–7 | Medium | 13–15 ft | 3–4 ft |
| Hicksii Yew (Taxus x media 'Hicksii') | 4–7 | Slow | 15–20 ft | 10–12 ft |
| Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) | 8–11 | Medium | 15–30 ft | 10–20 ft |
| Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) | 8–10 | Slow | 20–35 ft | 10–15 ft |
| Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum) | 3–7 | 6–12 in/yr | 20–40 ft | 4–12 ft |
| Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii x plicata) | 5–9 | 3–5 ft/yr | 20–40 ft | 10–12 ft |
| Sweet Viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) | 8–10 | Fast | 25–30 ft | 15–25 ft |
| Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) | 7–9 | 2–3 ft/yr | 30–40 ft | 3–5 ft |
| American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) | 3–7 | Medium | 30–50 ft | 10–15 ft |
| Colorado Spruce (Picea pungens) | 3–7 | Medium | 30–60 ft | 10–20 ft |
| English Yew (Taxus baccata) | 5–7 | Slow | 30–60 ft | 15–20 ft |
| Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) | 5–8 | 2–3 ft/yr | 30–60 ft | 15–30 ft |
| Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) | 2–9 | Medium | 40–50 ft | 8–20 ft |
| Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizonica) | 7–9 | Medium | 40–50 ft | 20–30 ft |
| White Spruce (Picea glauca) | 3–6 | Medium | 40–60 ft | 15–20 ft |
| Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) | 3–7 | Medium | 40–70 ft | 25–35 ft |
| Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) | 5–8 | 3–4 ft/yr | 50–80 ft | 15–25 ft |
| Norway Spruce (Picea abies) | 3–7 | 2–4 ft/yr | 50–80 ft | 20–30 ft |
| Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) | 6–10 | 3–4 ft/yr | 60–70 ft | 15–20 ft |
| Giant Arborvitae (Thuja plicata) | 5–7 | Medium | 60–70 ft | 20–35 ft |
| Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) | 3–6 | Medium | 60–150 ft | 20–40 ft |
