The best trees for windbreak planting in the Southeast are dense native evergreens: eastern redcedar, loblolly pine, Virginia pine and eastern white pine, with Green Giant arborvitae where you want a fast, tight screen. Plant at least two or three staggered rows, with a shrub row on the windward side and taller trees behind.
This guide comes from Tennessee Wholesale Nursery, the family-owned wholesale nursery in Altamont, Tennessee, near McMinnville, growing trees, shrubs, perennials, wetland and native plants. It is written for farms, landowners, landscapers and homeowners planting a windbreak in bulk.
How a windbreak works and how many rows you need
A windbreak slows wind rather than stopping it. How much it slows depends on its density: the share of the windbreak that is solid branches and foliage. More rows and more evergreens mean higher density. The right density depends on what you are protecting.
| What you are protecting | Density to aim for | Rows to plant |
|---|---|---|
| Crops and soil | 25 to 50% | One row of deciduous shrubs plus two rows of deciduous trees or shrubs |
| Snow control along a drive or yard | 50 to 65% | Three rows: evergreen trees, mixed evergreen and deciduous, then a deciduous mix |
| A home, barn or livestock area (energy savings, odor, noise, wildlife) | 65% or more | Two evergreen rows plus three or more mixed rows |
These density and row figures come from the University of Minnesota Extension's windbreak guide. For most Southeast farmsteads and homes, that means two or more evergreen rows at the core, because evergreens keep their density through the winter months when wind protection matters most.
Best trees for windbreak planting in the Southeast
In the humid Southeast, native pines and redcedar are the dependable backbone of a windbreak, rather than the Norway spruce and Douglas fir planted farther north. The species below are all grown by the nursery, and each zone range is taken from its catalogue listing.
| Species | Type | Zones | Growth | Best row in the windbreak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern redcedar | Native evergreen | 2 to 9 | Steady | Dense inner or outer evergreen row |
| Loblolly pine | Native evergreen | 6 to 9 | Fast | Tall back row |
| Virginia pine | Native evergreen | 3 to 9 | Moderate | Middle evergreen row, poorer soils |
| Eastern white pine | Native evergreen | 3 to 8 | Fast | Tall back row, cooler sites |
| Green Giant arborvitae | Evergreen hybrid | 3 to 9 | Fast | Narrow evergreen row near buildings |
| Arrowwood viburnum | Native deciduous shrub | 3 to 9 | Moderate | Low windward shrub row |
| Bald cypress | Native deciduous conifer | 4 to 9 | Fast | Tall row on wet or low ground |
Eastern redcedar
Eastern redcedar is the most dependable native evergreen for a Southeast windbreak. It holds foliage to the ground, handles dry and rocky sites, and keeps its density all year. The nursery's cedar trees are eastern redcedar, sold bare-root in bundles of 25, 50, 100 and 500 at 1 to 4 feet tall.
Loblolly pine
Loblolly pine is the Southeast's workhorse timber pine and one of the quickest ways to gain height in a back row. It suits zones 6 to 9, so it fits most of Tennessee and the states south of it. Loblolly pine seedlings come in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000.
Virginia pine
Virginia pine is a native pine that stays bushier than loblolly and tolerates thin, poor soils, which makes it a good middle row on rough ground. Choose Virginia pine seedlings in bundles of 100, 500 or 1,000 for long runs.
Eastern white pine
Eastern white pine grows fast and soft-needled, and it suits cooler and higher sites in zones 3 to 8, such as the Cumberland Plateau and the mountains. White pine seedlings are sold in 6 to 12 inch, 12 to 18 inch and row-run grades.
Green Giant arborvitae
Green Giant arborvitae is not native, but it is one of the fastest ways to build a dense, narrow screen close to a house or barn. Use it where space is tight and you want privacy as well as shelter. Green Giant arborvitae ships at 1 to 2 feet in bundles of 25 to 500.
For more evergreen options, browse the nursery's evergreen conifers.
Shrub and deciduous rows that fill the gaps
Pines lose their lower branches as they age, which lets wind slip underneath. A shrub row on the windward side closes that gap. Arrowwood viburnum is a native shrub that suits this outer row and adds white flowers in spring.
Where part of the line runs through a low, wet field or along a creek, pines struggle. Bald cypress seedlings handle wet ground and give height there, though they drop their needles in winter, so pair them with an evergreen row where the soil allows.
How far apart should windbreak trees be planted?
Spacing depends on the kind of plant in each row. The University of Minnesota Extension gives these ranges for multi-row windbreaks:
| Row type | Spacing in the row | Spacing between rows |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubs | 3 to 6 feet | 6 to 10 feet |
| Deciduous trees | 12 to 20 feet | 20 feet |
| Evergreen conifers | 20 to 25 feet | 20 to 25 feet |
Stagger the plants so each one sits opposite a gap in the row next to it. That way the rows overlap and the windbreak fills in without holes. The conifer figures give each tree room to reach its full spread, so density comes from the number of rows and the staggering, not from crowding one row. Leave enough room between rows for a mower or tractor, because you will be cutting weeds for the first few years.
How many seedlings to order for your windbreak
To count the plants for one row, divide the row's length in feet by the spacing in the row, add one for the end plant, and round up. Then add up the rows. The table below works this out for two common lengths, using the spacing ranges above.
| Row type and spacing | Plants per 500-foot row | Plants per 1,000-foot row |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubs at 3 feet | 168 | 335 |
| Shrubs at 6 feet | 85 | 168 |
| Deciduous trees at 12 feet | 43 | 85 |
| Deciduous trees at 20 feet | 26 | 51 |
| Evergreens at 20 feet | 26 | 51 |
| Evergreens at 25 feet | 21 | 41 |
Here is a worked example. A 1,000-foot, three-row windbreak with one shrub row at 6 feet and two evergreen rows at 20 feet needs 168 shrubs and 102 evergreens, or 51 per evergreen row. Pine seedlings come in bundles of 100, 500 and 1,000. A 100-bundle of loblolly for one row and a 100-bundle of Virginia pine for the other leaves about 49 spare of each, which covers replanting gaps in the first years. Arrowwood viburnum comes in bundles of 25 to 500, so 168 shrubs means a 100-bundle plus a 50 and a 25.
Tip: Ordering for a long line? Measure the length with a wheel or from a property map, decide your rows and spacing first, then use the table. A row of seedlings at the tighter end of each range fills in sooner.
When to plant and first-year care
Windbreak trees are usually planted bare-root while they are dormant, from late fall through early spring. Before your order arrives, read the nursery's bare-root information and planting instructions, which explain how to handle and plant the stock.
- Keep roots moist and shaded from the moment the bundle opens until each plant is in the ground.
- Clear grass and weeds in a strip along each row before planting, and keep that strip clear for the first few years.
- Water during dry spells in the first growing season, when roots are still small.
- Walk the rows after storms and in early summer, and replant any gaps the next dormant season so the windbreak stays even.
Windbreak tree questions
What trees are wind hardy?
Deep-rooted, flexible native evergreens stand up to wind best in the Southeast. Eastern redcedar, loblolly pine and Virginia pine are dependable choices. A mix of species in staggered rows holds up better than a single species in one row, because the trees shelter each other and one pest or storm is less likely to open a long gap.
What are the fastest-growing windbreak trees?
Loblolly pine, eastern white pine, Green Giant arborvitae and bald cypress are among the quickest to gain height. Pair a fast species with a denser, slower one such as eastern redcedar, so the windbreak stays thick from the ground up as the fast trees grow tall and shed their lower branches.
Which native trees make a good windbreak?
For the Southeast, eastern redcedar, loblolly pine, Virginia pine and eastern white pine make a strong native evergreen core. Arrowwood viburnum is a native shrub for the low outer row, and bald cypress suits the wet or low parts of a line where pines would struggle to establish.
