Living Privacy Fences provide wildlife habitat, noise barrier, windbreak, as well as adding a sense of seclusion. So In-Line or staggered? Let’s use a Green Giant Arborvitae as our example. For an in-line privacy fence you would plant the trees 8 feet on center. This means that when the trees are planted in the ground there should be 8 feet from the center of one trunk to the center of the next. For a more natural look, some choose a staggered form. Using the same Green Giant Arborvitae, this would be achieved by planting two staggered rows (rows being 8 feet apart) 16 feet on center. So both rows will have trees 16 feet on center but you will see the second row’s trees in between the first rows. Keep in mind this form takes up twice the ground space.

Anyone can have a living privacy fence, even if you have limited space. Just ask your nurseryman for a substitute that has a more compact growth habit like Emerald Green Arborvitae which can be planted 3 to 3.5 feet apart on center.