10 Best Screening Evergreens for Zone 5

There are so many choices, yet hard to know what is best. Certain trees may not be hardy, or get too large, or don't stay evergreen through the rough winters. In this post I will be sharing the best evergreens that are perfect for a screen!


1. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 4-8. Matures to 30'-40' tall by 15'-20' wide. Perfect screening tree for large areas, where dwarf screening plants are not efficient. Extremely fast growing at 3' per year. Even starting with small specimens, you will have your screen in no time!

2. Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd')

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-7 (winter burn can occur in direct winter winds in zone 3) Matures to 12'-15' tall by 4'-5' wide. Perfect dwarf screening evergreen for small/tight spaces.

3. American Holly (Ilex opaca)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 5-9. Matures to 30'-60' tall by 15'-30' wide. (Usually doesn't get larger than 30' tall by 15' wide at maturity in Zones 5-6) Requires acidic soils. In soils with high pH, apply HollyTone or acidic fertilizer. Perfect broadleaf evergreen as a screen! Green leaves that persist all winter, and bright red berries that attract lots of birds around the holidays will surely bring cheer!



4. Yew spp. (Taxus spp.) 

There are several Yew species and too many cultivars to count. With so many options to choose from there are dwarf (shrub) forms or large shrubs used as screens. Some cultivars that can be used as screens include 'Hick's', 'Captain'... Matures to 10'-15' tall by 5'-8' wide. Some Yews exist that can reach 30' tall and wide or bigger, but those are extremely difficult to manage and are not recommended for screening. Most are hardy in USDA Zones: 4-7.

5. Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

Two cultivars in my opinion are the best for screening. First one is 'cupressina' Norway Spruce. Matures to 15'-20' tall by 5'-8' wide. Second one grows a bit wider to fill more space as a screen. It is 'Sherwood Compact'. Matures to 10'-15' tall by 8'-10' wide. Norway Spruce is hardy in USDA Zones: 2-8.

6. 'Degroot's Spire' Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's Spire')

Similar to the Emerald Green, but has a more neat compact look. It grows to the same height but is slightly more narrow than the Emerald Green. Matures to 15' tall by 2'-4' wide. Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-7 (Winter burn can occur in direct winter winds in zone 3)

7. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 5-10 (In zone 5 winters can suffer winter burn in exposed windy sites. Plant in protected spot) Very fast growing at nearly 3' per year! Even starting with small plants, you will have your screen in no time!

8. 'Taylor' Juniper (Juniperus virginiana 'Taylor')


The most upright of any Eastern Red Cedar! As narrow as an Italian Cypress, but is MUCH more cold hardy! Perfect for narrow areas where wide plants are not possible. Matures to 30' tall by 2'-3' wide. Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-9

9.  Black Hills White Spruce (Picea glauca 'Densata')

Compact Spruce that stays smaller than other Spruces. Can exceed 50' in height in cool climates where summers rarely get warmer than 80°F, and the soil and geography is very rocky or mountainous, but in most areas in the Eastern US that is not likely. Has good resistance to needle cast disease which is terrible in Blue Spruce. Matures to 30' tall by 15' wide. Hardy in USDA Zones- 2-7.

10. Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)

The Eastern Hemlock is a gorgeous tree with soft needles that have a pendulous nature. Responses very well to heavy pruning. Can be kept small as a screen or large hedge, otherwise matures to 50'-75' tall by 25'-40' wide. Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-7. One of the few evergreen conifers to grow in shade and moist soils. Grows in full sun as well. It is not tolerant of severe drought. It is highly susceptible to a deadly disease called Wooly Adelgid. As of now it is only found east of the Appalachian Mountains. So the Western US, Plains, and Midwest should not worry about this pest. Requires acidic soils. If soils are not acidic, simply apply HollyTone, or acid fertilizer.


NOTE: Please do research on plants before buying and planting them. Different plants require different growing conditions, such as light, water, cold hardiness, soil type, and pH level

Needlecast Disease on Conifers and Alternatives

Needle Cast disease is killing millions of Blue Spruce trees across the Eastern US. The tree in native to the dry arid climate of the Rocky Mountains. Clay soils, high humidity and water puts tremendous stress on these trees and hosts multiple diseases. The tree has no mechanism to fight it off since it never encounters them in their native habitat. The disease that is of most concern is Rhizosphaera Needle Cast disease is killing millions of Blue Spruce trees across the Eastern US. The tree in native to the dry arid climate of the Rocky Mountains. Clay soils, high humidity and water puts tremendous stress on these trees and hosts multiple diseases. The tree has no mechanism to fight it off since it never encounters them in their native habitat. The disease that is of most concern is Rhizosphaera Needle Cast disease. This starts by killing off the tree at the bottom, and works its way up to the top. The needles will turn a purple/brown color, then drop. There is no cure, and no treatment is proven to work. Some nurseries sell fungicide to kill the disease, it is not porven, nor does it work on already infected trees. It MAY only work on new growth that hasn't been affected yet. Trees that are most susceptible are Blue Spruce (Picea pungens), and Engelmann Spruce (Picea engelmannii). White Spruce has good resistance to the disease, and is a good alternative to Blue Spruce. Serbian Spruce, and Oriental Spruce haven't been planted in North America long enough to know if they are susceptible to the disease, but as of now very few problems have come up with the trees so they may be a good alternative

Alternatives:

1. As mentioned above White Spruce, also it's variety Black Hills.
2. Reportedly has some resistance: 'Fat Albert' and 'Hoopsi' Blue Spruce (still susceptible though!)
3. White Fir (Blue cultivars: 'Candicans' and 'Blue Cloak')
4. 'Norway Spruce (Blue cultivar: 'Paul's Select')
5. Oriental Spruce (Bluish cultivar: 'Deer Run') (May be susceptible)
6. Serbian Spruce (Deeper Green and bluish cultivar: 'Bruns') (May be susceptible)


Pictures below I have taken. My 'Fat Albert' Blue Spruce in my yard has zero sign of Needle cast. While my neighbors Blue Spruce trees are dying from Needlecast. This may be an indication of the resistance to Needlecast in my 'Fat Albert'. It has been in the ground for almost 7 years.

Growing Leyland Cypress

meLeyland Cypress is a hybrid between the Monterey Cypress and the Alskan Cedar. Leyland Cypress is one of the few confiers that can successfully grow in the deep South. Hardy in USDA Zones: 5b-10. When growing anywhere in Zone 5, it must be planted in a protected location. Leyland Cypress will survive without any winter damage to -10°F. Winter damage occurs with temps colder than that, and ultimately death for pronged time. Zone 5 gardeners have had success growing these tree in sheltered locations. These trees have endured temps down to -20°F, but only survive becuaee they are protected for winter winds. Any exposure to wind, or prolonged exposure to temps colder than -10°F will kill the tree. My personal favorite cultivar is the 'Gold Rider' Leyland Cypress. It has deep golden yellow foliage that persisits all year. It has branches the branch outwards gracefully from the rest of tree, the gold color makes this even more striking to the eye! Leyland Cypress can grow in most soils, and isn't picky on certain pH. One disadvantage is that it struggles in drought. It has only minor drought tolerance once established. So in any extreme drought, it is best to irrigate your trees. Leyland Cypress is a popular Christmas tree in the deep South, parts of the southwest, and Hawaii due to being one of the few conifers to grow in a sub-tropical climate. Mostly grown for privacy screens.

Quaking Aspen

Quaking Aspen is a gorgeous mountain tree that reminds me of the Arctic. It has powdery white bark, and leaves that quake violently with the slightest breeze. Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) is hardy in USDA Zones: 1-6. In areas of USDA Zones 5 and 6 with hot and humid summers the Quaking Aspen can have many disease problems. The most common is fungal diseases. They can be easily treated. The fungal issues can be treated with a fungicide. The Quaking Aspen is native to the northern half of Indiana. I live in the northern suburbs of Indianapolis. I have seen some wild patches growing on the edges of woodlands near my home. I am in USDA Zone 5b. There are some landscaped at a local nursery. They get terrible fungal problems that turn the leaves black then they fall off. They have spray fungicide on them a couple times during the growing season. This significantly reduces the disease on them. Now it is very spotty, but mostly green. These trees are very versatile on growing conditions. They can grow in arid rocky soils, to wet boggy sites. Found throughout the Rocky Mountains out west, and along streams and lowlands. There is a cultivar available called the 'Prairie Gold' Aspen that is highly tolerable to the heat and humidity of the east. It gets little disease problems, and has been grown all the to zone 8 with little problems. The cultivar was found in a prairie in Nebraska.

                                                            Native Range

 

Indiana Native Range

 Indiana USDA Zone Map

 Took these 2 pictures in Colorado

Wild clump near my home

Best Golden Evergreens

1. Golden Mop Cypress
USDA Zones: 4-8
Moisture: Medium (tolerates drought)

2. 'Forever Goldy' Arborvitae
The most golden Arborviate I know of.
USDA Zones: 4-7
Moisture: Medium (tolerates drought)

3. 'Gold Rider' Leyland Cypress
USDA Zones: 5-10
Moisture: Medium

4. 'Sea of Gold' Juniper
USDA Zones: 3-8
Moisture: Dry-medium

5. 'Louie' White Pine
USDA Zones: 3-8
Moisture: Dry- medium

6. 'Gold Cone' Juniper
USDA Zones: 2-7
Moisture: Dry

'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia Update: 5/12/19

My 'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia survived the winter just fine with winter burn. The tree is shedding all the dead leaves, and every single branch is alive and sending up new shoots. Reached a temp of -13°F with winds over 30 mph back on January 31. So excited to see it fill back in! 😁

Indianapolis, IN
USDA Zone: 5b


NatureMan

 

Circles show where new bud grow

Shade Perennials

Perennials that grow in the shade can be hard to find, many gorgeous perennials grow in full sun. There are beautiful shade loving perennials you can buy! Here are the top 10 best shade loving perennials.

1. Variegated Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum 'Variegatum')

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-8. Moisture: medium to wet soils.

2. Coral Bells (Heuchera spp.)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 4-9 Moisture: medium to moist

3. Hostas (Hosta spp.)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-9 Moisture: Medium

4. Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 5-9 Mositure: Medium to moist

5. Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-9 Moisture: Medium.

6. Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-9 Moisture: Dry to moist

7. English Ivy (Hedera helix)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 5-11 Moisture: Medium to moist (tolerates drought once established)

8. Vinca Myrtle (Vinca minor)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 4-8 Moisture: dry to medium

9. Columbine (Aquilegia spp.)

Hardy in USDA Zones: (3)4-8 Moisture: medium

10.Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Hardy in USDA Zones: 3-8 Moisture: medium

 

Growing Hens and Chicks (Sempervivum)

Hens and Chicks also called Houseleeks are cold hardy perennial broadleaf evergreen succulents. Hens and Chicks are extremely cold hardy to USDA Zone 3 (-40°F). They may suffer at those temps, but should bounce back. They are guaranteed hardy to Zone 4 (-30°F). Since these guys are succulents, they do not like wet soils. They need full sun, and require excellent drainage. If your soil is all clay, make sure the soil is away from standing water, like on top of a mound, or protected from rain. Another way to make drainage better is to add organic matter to the soil. Adding sand to clay does NOT equal better drainage. This will actually fill up even more pores in the soil, thus having even worse drainage than before. Add fertilizer, or compost to the soil will loosen up drainage. One other thing you can add to loosen up drainage is adding perlite. This is a fine pebble like material that is good at absorbing oxygen and helping soil to dry. I have experimented with Hens and Chicks indoors, and they do not require a dormant state every Winter. They can be grown as houseplants, or in tropical regions. I mix them with my other regular succulents.

NatureMan

Growing Rosemary

Rosemary is a popular herb. It is extremely aromatic, and is fabulous for cooking, or just for smelling! It's foliage is cooked into or on top of meats, fish, vegetables, soups.. It's flowers are crushed to make oil, and perdfumes. Rosemary is also used as a mini Christmas tree. It is sold at stores around Christmas time in a pyramid/Christmas tree shape. People can walk by and have a delightful holiday smell fill the room! Rosemary requires excelent drainage to survive. It willl survive areas with lots of rain, but is absolutly essential to have excellent drainage for it to thrive there in that rainy spot. Only water in the summer if potted, or in the desert in the ground. Otherwise, it should handle the summer heat. Rosemary needs full sun. It can take part shade, but won't perform its best. Rosemary is very finicky indoors. Winters (at least in Indiana) are very cloudy. Days on end can be cloudy here. Even in a full sun spot by the window, the Rosemary could die. Or even if you have sunny Winters an area not directly in a sunny window may die. Since it is cooler inside, it takes longer for traditional potting mix to dry, and any remaining moisture for more than a day or two will rot the plant. Make sure you water it only when the soil is completely gone dry, and is in the brightest window of your home. It can also be grown under grow lights as well. Rosemary is freeze tolerant to a certain degree. It is hardy between 15°F to 20°F. It will only briefly survive temps in the teens. There are cultivars that are hardy below 0°F. These cultivars include 'Arp', 'Alcalde', 'Madeline Hill', and 'Athens Blue Spire'. These varieites are hardy in USDA Zones: 6-11. They can survive zone 5 with protection from winter winds. I have had success growing 'Arp' Rosemary in my USDA Zone: 5b in Indianapolis. It survived temps into the negative single digits with minimal damage. However on January 31, 2019 the polar vortex brought temps to -13°F with strong winds over 30 mph. I had protected it with multiple layers of burlap, but got zapped by the cold anyways. I have a rooted cutting from that plant before it died. I am also ordering more 'Arp' Rosemary plants this Summer, and have a new plan for winter protection next winter. 🤞

Also really popular varieties are weeping. Several weeping varieties do exist, and are beautiful drooping over planters, or walls.

Where temps stay warmer than -10°F at all times, the cold hardy cultivars I mentioned above should succeed with minimal damage. If temps colder than -10°F are expected provide extreme protection by means of burlap, heat lamp, or a box or cold frame of somekind to protect from the wind. Or a much easier route will be to dig it up and bring it inside untill it warms up.

Good luck!

NatureMan

Spring Window-Box Planter

I made a Window-Box planter with Spring annuals. It consists of Pansies, Dusty Millers, and Weeping Rosemary. All are freeze tolerant. Pansies are the most cold tolerant annual I know of. Pansies are cold hardy to 10°F. They will die back around 0°F, but they come back from the roots if that cold is very brief. Dusty Miller is hardy to 10°F. It may survive near 0°F, but will die back and may come back from the roots. Rosemary is hardy between 15°F to 20°F. While some cultivars are known to survive sub-zero °F, but Weeping Rosemary has the same hardiness as traditional Rosemary. Here in Indy the temp is not going to get any lower than 20°F till next Fall. My last frost will be in about a month or so. I hope this inspires you all to make your own awesome spring planters! 🌿🌷🌸🌼🏵️

Indianapolis, IN
USDA Zone: 5b

'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia Update: 3/4/19

This is an update post to my 'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia tree I planted last summer. Here in Indianapolis, Indiana in USDA Zone 5b the coldest temperature this winter has dipped to -13°F with winds howling at the time, winds at that coldest temp was taken at nearly 30-40 mph. (Note: only humans detect wind chill, not plants) The strong winds along with those cold temps burned one side of the tree facing the wind. While the other side not facing the wind had virtually no winter damage at all. As long as the temps in the winter do not get colder than -20°F the tree will survive and send new sprouts in the Spring. So on my tree, many leaves have burned or partially burned, but many are still unaffected as well. For anyone who has a Southern Magnolia in a northern climate, do not dig up or discard your tree if you see lots of brown on the tree before the next growing season. The new growth will form in the spring and push off all the dead foliage. Always wait until spring to determine if your tree is dead. There is a big 20' tall by 10' to 15' wide ish 'Edith Bogue' Southern Magnolia outside a local nursery here in Indianapolis. It has been in the ground for well over a decade. The tree there has experienced temps down to -25°F with winds blowing more than 30 mph during that time in the winter of 2014. Every single leaf on the tree burned. It most certainly looked dead. It wasn't dead though, just about every branch survived and sprouted leaves. The new sprouts pushed off all the dead leaves. By the end of the following summer, you wouldn't have even known it was damaged by the cold. It has done this at least a few other cold winters as well when temps dipped below -10°F.

Today is March 4. Indianapolis last night tied the record for the coldest temperature for this date. The record was set back in 1871. The low last night dipped down to 2°F. Sub-freezing highs and lows will continue until this weekend when highs are going to get into the mid 50s. Signs point to REAL Spring staying after this week. This month has literally been "March comes in like a Lion, and out like a Lamb."

NatureMan