Benefits of Evergreen Fencing

Evergreen fencing softens spaces between neighboring houses while establishing boundaries. Aesthetically, they offer living alternatives to utilitarian chain-link and wooden fencing. However, verdant enclosures offer more than just aesthetics. They provide habitats for birds and shield homes and yards from noise, wind and pollution. Benefits of installing an evergreen fence also extend to the pocketbook, as they are generally less expensive than other options.


Traditional fencing affords some privacy between neighbors, but an evergreen fence can offer more. Height restrictions of hardscape fences are imposed by local ordinances that usually limit backyard fence construction to 6- or 8-foot tall structures. If your neighbor has a two-story deck, even the tallest allowable wooden fence will give neither of you complete privacy. Many mature evergreen plants exceed this height, giving you a completely private outdoor space. A quick glance overhead ensures that established plantings will not interfere with power lines.

Pollution, Noise and Wind Buffers

If your home is adjacent to a busy road, evergreen fencing mitigates pollution from automobile exhaust. University of California Davis research revealed that evergreen trees are good filters for toxic airborne particulates. Plants also buffer noises. Smaller plant parts, such as leaves and twigs, absorb various sounds, and larger plants parts, such as tree trunks, deflect sounds. Evergreen fences also provide windbreaks which protect against wind damage, lessen windborne odors, and can even help lower heating bills.

Aesthetics and Wildlife Enhancement

An evergreen fence that surrounds a garden on all sides can be used like a picture frame to showcase plants within its border. A living fence planted on one side of a yard only serves as a backdrop against which you can feature certain plants or design a themed garden. Attracting birds is one goal of “habitat gardening,” or designing outdoor spaces with the needs of wildlife in mind. Evergreen fences offer birds shelter and places for them to build nests. Washington State University notes that some plants also provide “significant amounts of food” for birds.


Hollies (Ilex spp.) offer cold-season food sources for birds. Since some species need male and female plants to produce berries, designing a multi-plant evergreen fence ensures cross-pollination. Choosing evergreens with dense foliage that grows all the way to the ground offers the most privacy when planting a living fence. Although Leyland cypress trees have been the fast-growing evergreen of choice for many years, they are susceptible to many diseases. A healthier, lookalike alternative is “Green Giant” arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata), which has the desirable traits of Leylands, but without the disease problems. Along coastal areas, deodar cedars (Cedrus deodora) are tolerant of salty air. Although camellias (Camellia spp.) are slower-growing plants, they reward patient gardeners with flowering evergreen fences.