We sell so many screening trees so they make a popular choice for me to talk about in the blog. At present we have the following in stock: Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’, Ligustrums, Quercus ilex and Hoheria. These varieties prove to be the most popular, most likely because they are evergreen and at least one of these trees will be suitable for your ground conditions i.e. chalk or clay soils.
A good screening tree that is also becoming a very popular container tree is olive. Because the olive is acclimatised to prolonged dryer conditions it is the ideal tree for not getting stressed if not watered for a month. So if you are away for a few weeks, at least you know it is unlikely to suffer too much. It is always wise to put them in the shade. Olive trees for screening are best to be shaped and this is easily done. I will always take a pair of secateurs to them once a year. Olive trees are also good for a manageable shade tree in a container.
When our customers come to us for advice and ask for screening trees, we always try to establish the following information: soil type, whether the plant will be planted in a north-south-east-west facing position, how close to the sea the site is and how wet or dry the ground is. This will allow us to recommend a species that is most likely to thrive in those conditions giving it the best chance of health and growth.
