Privacy and screening trees for Boulder
Last updated 2026-09-17
Quick answer
10 privacy and screening trees for Boulder are ranked here for Boulder's specific conditions, drawn from the 2024 Front Range Tree Recommendation List and regional extension sources, then ordered for Boulder's local hazards. Compare them below.
For year-round privacy in Boulder, evergreens do the work that a deciduous tree can't, they hold their screen through the winter, right when bare branches would otherwise open the view. Boulder makes that harder than most Front Range towns: it sits at the foothills' edge around 5,430 feet and takes the region's most punishing downslope chinook winds, which can desiccate or topple a poorly sited evergreen. Add heavy alkaline clay and steady deer pressure from the open space, and the screen you plant has to be genuinely tough. Every tree below is an evergreen rated for the Front Range and ranked here for Boulder's wind, deer browse, and low-water reality, so it keeps its privacy without constant babying.
Plan your garden
Not sure what to plant? The finder matches Front Range trees, shrubs, perennials, and groundcover to your soil, water, sun, and zone.
What this means in Boulder
Wind is the deciding factor in Boulder. Give a young evergreen screen a windfirm start, water it through the first winters to prevent needle desiccation, and protect the trunks from deer rub. Mixed plantings of a couple of species screen more reliably than a single-species row that one pest or storm could take out at once.
Top picks for Boulder
| Plant | Mature height | Water | Colorado native | Hardiness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One Juniper | 10–20 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–8 |
| Rocky Mountain Juniper (species) | 15–30 ft | low water | Yes | USDA 3–8 |
| Arizona Cypress | 30–50 ft | low water | — | USDA 7–10 |
| Arizona Cypress 'Blue Ice' | 20–30 ft | low water | — | USDA 7–10 |
| Singleleaf Pinyon Pine | 15–30 ft | low water | — | USDA 3–7 |
| 'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' Pine | 25–30 ft | low to medium water | Yes | USDA 4–7 |
| Colorado Blue Spruce | 15–50 ft | medium to high water | Yes | USDA 2–7 |
| Colorado Spruce | 50–75 ft | medium to high water | Yes | USDA 2–7 |
| Rocky Mountain Douglas fir | 40–80 ft | medium water | Yes | USDA 4–6 |
| White Fir | 50–80 ft | medium water | Yes | USDA 3–7 |
One JuniperJuniperus monosperma10–20 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Rocky Mountain Juniper (species)Juniperus scopulorum15–30 ftlow waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–8
Arizona CypressHesperocyparis arizonica30–50 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10- Arizona Cypress 'Blue Ice'Hesperocyparis arizonica20–30 ftlow waterUSDA 7–10
Singleleaf Pinyon PinePinus monophylla15–30 ftlow waterUSDA 3–7
'Vanderwolf's Pyramid' PinePinus flexilis25–30 ftlow to medium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–7
Colorado Blue SprucePicea pungens glauca15–50 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Colorado SprucePicea pungens50–75 ftmedium to high waterColorado nativeUSDA 2–7
Rocky Mountain Douglas firPseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca40–80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 4–6
White FirAbies concolor50–80 ftmedium waterColorado nativeUSDA 3–7
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best evergreen for a windy Boulder yard?
- Windfirm conifers adapted to the foothills do best. Favor species rated for exposure and water them through their first few winters to prevent the needle browning that chinook winds cause.
- How far apart should I plant a privacy screen?
- Space evergreens by their mature spread for a healthy screen, crowding them invites disease and bare lower branches. Each tree's page lists its mature size and recommended spacing.
- Will deer leave my privacy trees alone in Boulder?
- Most conifers are not a deer's first choice to eat, but bucks rub their antlers on young trunks. Protect new trees with trunk guards until the bark matures, especially near Boulder's open space.