We need to know your geographical location to make specific suggestions but there are a lot of trees that are very shade tolerant - Japanese maples. most hollies, beech, nyssa, sourwoods, hornbeams, hemlocks, dogwoods, sweetbay magnolia, just to name a few.

Don't plant a monoculture or all the same species. Mix it up! And consider adding some larger growing shrubs as well.

Add Redbuds, another understory tree.

Camelias are understory, evergreen and beautiful in bloom.

Why do you need the shade ? IMO you have enogh trees already and to control heat and UV during the summer why not use solar shades on the windows and then during the winter just roll them up . I really dislkike too much shade material during the winter months , On outdoor areas use umbrellas .

^^^ Maybe reread a bit more carefully. The OP doesn't want to add shade....they want to add privacy screening that will tolerate the existing shady conditions. Two very different situations.

It looks like you may live in the southeast US. If so, Chindo Viburnums, Fatsias, Camellias, Cleyeras, Aucubas & Illuciums will do well in the shade.

Privacy from what? This looks like huge plot how many eyes are looking . You are right I misread.

Oh, and azaleas!

Presuming that is a neighbor’s house you want to screen and your property is this side of the fence? Patricia, no one has to justify to you their reason or desire for privacy.

Sometimes context is everything and I sure would ask my clients for that info before giving advice .The fact that privacy is apreceived idea often it is good to know the reasoning .In the picture posted I see no need for privacy so Ineed info and why do you care what I ask of a poster.

No need for privacy?

OP and neighbours are in full view of each other whenever they are outside, and, quite possibly, sometimes inside too.

Look into dogwoods. Native ones seem to do best when growing under larger trees.

Pretty in pink

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Shaped to form a privacy barrier

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Thank you for the suggestions! We live in Georgia and would love to do a mix, but definitley need a few taller/larger trees to create some privacy higher up :) This picture is taken from our back deck, so this house in the neighborhood behind us is what we are looking at every day. We will take a look at all of these possibilities!

Can we see the space that is the issue hard to help with no context as to where the privacy is needed . BTW to answer how I know about landscaping I design many things kitchens are just my main focus and I happen to love gardening and landscape design .Sorry did not get the fact that house is what you are trying to block. Can I ask why the firepit so close to the property line? IMO you need shorter fuller trees togive you privacy so stuff that does not have a tall trunk andall the foliage at the top Maybe the best would be a mix of plantings all along the fence so you would have some evergreens , some taller stuff at the back something like DIg Dougs idea since mostly the privacy is viewed from a lower down place with you looking up

She already posted a pic of the area she needs privacy plantings to screen out the view of that house! And their view into her property. Why can’t you understand that? She wants privacy in her yard and house provided by plants/trees and is asking for recommendations for plants and trees that will thrive in the area pictured.

Here is a different approach using Ligustrum lucidium, Persea borbonia & Southern indica azaleas:

Can I ask why the firepit so close to the property line?

To keep the smoke away from the house, most likely. We have no idea which way the prevailing winds blow but I betcha' that had something to do with locating the fire pit.

Doug, your posts are always so focused on being helpful to posters!

Favorites here in central NC: Little Gem Magnolia; Variegated Osmanthus aka False Holly, Juniper Sky Pencil, Camellias. Yews, Fatsia as mentioned above. Even Gold Mop Cypress, we have some in 1/2 sun and 1/2 shade and they are fine. And lovely Japanese maples and Dogwoods. Our prettiest dogwood is a variegated pink one. Spirea 'Ogon', does best in full sun but tolerates some shade. A lot of people in our neighborhood have ligustrum growing in full shade as hedges, but they can get unruly very quickly. Note: We have heavy deer presence.

Can’t help with types of trees, but have included an article below. https://www.budgetdumpster.com/blog/best-trees-for-privacy/

Having experienced the same lack of privacy/being on view all the time, suggest looking at short and long term, and at two different areas, as the trees will take years to fill out.

Consider adding a row of privacy screens, basically where the two small trees are, but fairly wide. Measure out the distance that would at least give some immediate privacy in the area of the fire pit. As the landscaping starts to fill it, it will still be a nice backdrop. Your neighbour may also chip in, as they will benefit as well.

Layering will also be important.

Looks like your deck is high, as was ours and I cried lol when the neighbour cut down seven large trees, (due to not wanting leaves in his pool).

The best decision was adding privacy to our deck. Without seeing yours, hard to suggest, but if intetested, search Pinterest for ideas that would suit the set up and your tastes.

You are ahead of the game in that you don't have to deal with grass removal--the area is already prepped for planting. I agree with some of the above posters that large shrubs and a mix of plantings (trees and shrubs) will be much more interesting visually. I would add that you want to be conscious of the seasons, and to plant for each: evergreens for winter, blooms in spring, color in fall, etc. It's great when plants can do double-duty: color and fragrance or privacy and wildlife friendly, etc.

It would be nice if you could even have some edible landscaping: consider a paw paw, dogwood, hazelnut, elderberry or persimmon tree: many add beautiful color and all can handle some shade. Currants are not large, but would add beautiful chains or red ruby fruit that, planted as an understory plant would be beautiful. Rhododendrons can get quite large, are evergreen and add beautiful blooms. Viburnums would be another great shrub that can have phenomenal fragrance, bloom and color, depending on the variety chosen. They come in a range of sizes, depending on the variety, but all are bird friendly.

I have a wonderful book called, Gardening in the Shade, which has wonderful pictures and many plant lists: plants for shade and dry soil; plants for shade and wet soil, etc. Maybe your library has it or something similar that would give you ideas. Inter-library loan? You could underplant with bulbs for a spectacular spring display.

Really, you just need something as tall as your neighbors' second story windows, if that. I'm not sure of the exposure, but if it's southern, you might want to check to see if they have any intention of putting solar on their roof. It would be a bummer for them if they wanted to, but then trees grew up and shaded the panels. Also, consider tree maintenance. With storms as they are, the taller the tree, the harder to prune out dead wood, etc. More leaves to rake? Trees that grow to be within the range of 15-40 feet would be more than enough height.

I live in Atlanta and also have a home in north Georgia. In addition to Jean and Doug’s suggestions, I have successfully grown Chinese Snowball viburnum in filtered sun and even heavy shade. Can be shaped as shrub or tree. Offers large white blooms in spring that light up the shade. Have had 22 blossoms on one branch. Mine are two-and-a-half stories high now and pretty much evergreen. A few leaves drop in the fall but still provide screening and block view of neighbor’s garage roof. Also have a screen hedge of Osmanthus in morning sun that has done very well. Near bedroom windows and so fragrant. Love camellias but are slow growers. North Georgia property has a screen of tall 45 year old camellia sasanquas my mother planted that provide solid hedge of lovely evergreen foilage and lightly fragrant blossoms. Filtered or morning sun is perfect for them. (I am blessed. Buying larger camellias would be pricey.) Understory trees I have are dogwood, redbud, Grancy Graybeard (fringe tree), Smoketree, and Japanese maple. I think the viburnum or camellia would be lovely in that space. Hope that helps. Good luck!

Will it make the Neighbour's house very dark if you plant trees ?

Interesting question. I doubt understory trees would. And from the picture, seems far enough away. But larger trees might.

I would go for some azaleas for some color. Nice area. Good luck finding something suitable. Hopefully your neighbors are at least nice.

I was advised by my arborist to plant cherry laurels for privacy. They are dense and grow quickly, too. We are remodeling the house so I haven’t planted them yet, so I can’t provide first-hand experience.

How considerate you are Snaggy. I’d welcome you as my neighbor.

My comment is related to my allergies. Ligustrum, in bloom season, is a killer for me.
But, if the area is far enough away from where you primarily relax outside; allergy concerns may not factor in. I had to relocate beautiful mature ones from around our pool deck.
Good news…they transplant well; even though they moved from full sun to spacious shade.

Dogwood, mature sasanqua camellia, and a assortment of holly trees in the back ground. And, in the foreground, foxtail fern, a variety of caladium, impatiens, hydrangea and hosta.

O, and, unless I had a preferred place for the two you said you were moving, I would leave them there. However, they would do better with a pruning; lifting the branches touching the ground. ‘Showing a little leg” is great looking, and healthy for the plant.

Lots of suggestions on what to plant but may I add that in anything you plant, know the spread of the tree and the height at maturity. You be able to choose the proper spacing of the new trees for their mature size and make some good estimations on the shade your trees will provide in what looks like a very shady setting.

It seems like you have a plethora of helpful suggestions and being in Georgia many of the trees will not loose their leaves during* the winter . Most conifers like a bit of sunshine and tend to struggle in shady areas, but there are a number of broadleaf evergreen shrubs like rhododendrons and azaleas that thrive in your area and you could mix them with trees that are described as “understory “ plantings (e.g. dogwoods, redbuds, Japanese maples) to get more height. Doug digit appears to me well versed in this area and I would take note of his suggestions.

I have Podocarpus as a privacy screen, layered with a Red Japanese Maple and smaller plants to add variety. Podocarpus grows in the sun but slowly in the shade. It can be pruned as a hedge or tree. It can grow tall but it’s not very deep, so it can sit close to a fence and not take up a lot of space. You can add plants in front of them to add variety so it doesn’t look like a boring wall of green. I have had success growing it in the shade of redwood trees.

Portuguese Laurels grow very large and have shiny leaves. Drought resistant and very attractive. I have had 4 of them in an island side yard and at this point have had three if them removed because they became too large. They grow very tall and wide and are very pruneable.

From the University of Georgia Extension service: Native Plants for Georgia Part I: Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines

Try to identify and source some of the understory trees, shrubs and plants that are already in the surrounding wooded area.

For privacy, I would think that a few evergreens might be just the thing. Canadian Hemlock and Hollies seem to grow well in partial shade; Cryptomeria, and Hinoki Cypress might also be good choices. For Deciduous trees, You might also consider Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud), Amalanchier (Serviceberry), Viburnum. A truly beautiful, thick, lush, shade l

Oops, I posted too soon! A truly beautiful shade loving shrub which can grow quite large/tall is the Oakleaf hydrangea.

Dogwoods are certainly beautiful and do well in GA, but you might want to see if you can fit in (maybe in areas that get at least some sun) some tea olives. They are evergreen, beautiful, and have the prettiest scent when in bloom…at least twice a year! (But they are bot sickeningly sweet!) You can easily keep them in check, ours never grew super large…and you can smell them usually before you can see them. I miss mine so much, but we’re (at most) zone 6 now, so they’re out of the question in the mountains at elev. 4500’ and howling winds from Nov-April☹️.

I wanted to add a caution on planting native dogwoods in North Ga. Due to disease they are declining. Over the last 10 yrs I have lost all but 3 in my woods and another one is sick, just not dead yet. We have a huge specimen native white dogwood tree in our front yard that is sick and I dread when it is gone. One of my Kousa's died last year. Flowering cherry do well, grow fast and the leaves are not an issue.

Patricia Colwell Consulting I'm confused, does a person have to have or even give a reason why they want a privacy fence, and does it need to meet your criteria before it's acceptable? Seriously. (I've been doing several "non mainstream" things at my home, should I have consulted or gotten permission based on my reasons before doing so?