10 Best Native Trees for Screening

Eastern Red Cedar

  • Scientific Name: Juniperus virginiana
  • Mature Height: 30 feet to 50 feet
  • Mature Width: 10 feet to 20 feet
  • Notes: Scaly evergreen with blue, berry-like fruit
Eastern Red Cedar

Eastern Arborvitae

  • Scientific Name: Thuja occidentalis
  • Mature Height: 40 feet to 60 feet
  • Mature Width: 10 feet to 15 feet
  • Notes: Needled, fan-like foliage; evergreen; many cultivars of various heights and widths, Cultivars: “Emerald” is a popular cultivar with emerald, green color and tight form
Eastern Arborvitae

Atlantic White Cedar

  • Scientific Name: Chamaecyparis thyoides
  • Mature Height: 50 feet to 80 feet
  • Mature Width: 20 feet to 40 feet
  • Notes: Scaly, needled, evergreen foliage; prefers sandy soils to swamps
Atlantic White Cedar

American Holly

  • Scientific Name: Ilex opaca
  • Mature Height: 40 feet to 60 feet
  • Mature Width: 12 feet to 10 feet
  • Notes: Spiny, evergreen leaves with red berries on females; shade tolerant; good for pollinators
American Holly

Yaupon Holly

  • Scientific Name: Ilex vomitoria
  • Mature Height: 10 feet to 20 feet
  • Mature Width: 8 feet to 12 feet
  • Notes: Broad, small leaf; evergreen; suckers underground; produces red fruit on females
Yaupon Holly

Inkberry

  • Scientific Name: Ilex glabra
  • Mature Height: 6 feet to 10 feet
  • Mature Width: 5 feet to 8 feet
  • Notes: Broadleaf, evergreen shrub; salt tolerant
Inkberry

Sweet Olive Tea

  • Scientific Name: Osmanthus americana
  • Mature Height: 10 feet to 20 feet
  • Mature Width: 10 feet to 14 feet
  • Notes: Broad leaf evergreen with fragrant, small, white flowers in the fall and winter
Sweet Olive Tree

Southern Wax Myrtle

  • Scientific Name: Myrica cerifera
  • Mature Height: 12 feet to 25 feet
  • Mature Width: 8 feet to 15 feet
  • Notes: Evergreen; broad leaf foliage; salt tolerant; can prune heavily
Southern Wax Myrtle

Carolina Cherry Laurel

  • Scientific Name: Prunus caroliniana
  • Mature Height: 15 feet to 30 feet
  • Mature Width: 15 feet to 20 feet
  • Notes: Very good for wildlife; evergreen; broadleaf; grows like a weed; can prune heavily
Carolina Cherry Laurel

Ironwood

  • Scientific Name: Carpinus caroliniana
  • Mature Height: 25 feet to 30 feet
  • Mature Width: 15 feet to 35 feet
  • Notes: Deciduous; muscular, smooth, grey bark; oval narrow habit
Ironwood

About this page

The top 10 most compatible and popular native trees for screening in the City of Wilmington are listed on this page. This list was developed by the Wilmington Tree Commission in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation and the NC State Cooperative Extension.

Please contact your local nursery to determine if it has native plants in stock. Not all businesses are able to stock these plants, and some may only be available in certain seasons.

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