Too many of us have unsightly views we want to block. A privacy hedge is the perfect way to block an ugly view and give you a beautiful one.

The most common plant option used is arborvitae. While a great plant, it’s often overused and isn’t always the best choice.

Instead, consider using one of our native trees to create a privacy hedge.

Don’t worry about trimming it every year. Just find a tree that will fit the width of the area you need.

Plant them a little bit closer and over time they’ll grow into a beautiful privacy hedge for you to enjoy year-round!

With that in mind, here’s 3 native evergreen conifers that would make a great privacy hedge for your South Puget Sound yard!

1. Cupressus nootkanensis (Alaskan Red Cedar) ‘Glauca Pendula’

"Callitropsis nootkatensis 'Pendula'" by Crusier is licensed under GFDL and CC By 3.0

Fast growing to 35′ tall x 12′ wide

The Alaskan Red Cedar ‘Glauca Pendula’ is a beautiful, quintessential Western Washington tree. It has a gorgeous weeping habit that adds a stately presence to your garden. Combine multiple trees together to form a tall hedge. It will lose its pyramidal shape this way, but will still retain its interest as the branches stick out and weep.

Definitely plan to give this tree enough space to grow wide enough. If it’s pruned as a hedge, it will look very odd indeed – and be VERY difficult to prune at 36′!

2. Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir)

"Pseudotsuga menziesii, Mouscron, Hainaut, Belgium - 20110323" by Jamain is licensed under GFDL and CC By 3.0

Fast growing to 25′ tall x 15′ wide

The Douglas Fir is a classic choice for Puget Sound gardens. It’s a common native in the area with towering trees growing naturally all over the place.

What you may not know is that this native has some smaller varieties available that will enhance, but not dominate, your landscape.

Varieties:

• Blue – 25′ x 15′
• Graceful Grace – 25′ x 15′
• Torquis – 25′ x 15′

3. Calocedrus decurrens (Incense Cedar)

"Calocedrus decurrens Cedrzyniec kalifornijski 2021-10-16 01" by Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova is licensed under GFDL and CC By 3.0

Medium growing to 80′ tall x 15′ wide

Incense Cedar is a gorgeous native that will eventually reach a large height of about 80′ tall. It doesn’t spread too much though and is a great option for an evergreen hedge.

Its fan-shaped leaves bring interest and movement to the garden while its height will easily block any unsightly views. Just make sure you plant it where its height won’t be a problem as tree-topping is pretty much never a good idea.

There you have it! Three excellent South Puget Sound native evergreen conifers that make a great privacy hedge – if you have the space for them.