Privacy, Shade & Ornamental Trees
A screening plant is bought for one job: to stop a sightline. That makes it a different purchase from an ornamental tree, because what matters is density at eye level and above, how fast it fills in, and how often it needs trimming to stay that way. Height alone does not screen anything if the canopy sits above the wall you are trying to hide.
Ficus Nitida, the standard screening tree
Ficus Nitida, also sold as Indian Laurel Fig, is the most requested screening tree in Dubai and the most used across UAE landscaping. It holds dense foliage from low down, tolerates hard trimming into a formal hedge or a clean block, and keeps its leaves year round.
It is stocked at AED 350 for a 180cm plant and AED 3,450 for a 3.5 metre tree. The gap between those is the difference between planting a hedge that fills in over a season or two and buying a screen that works the day it goes in. Nitida Cage Bonsai at AED 450 is the same species trained as a feature rather than a screen.
The trade off with Ficus Nitida is maintenance. The density that makes it good at screening comes from regular trimming, and an untrimmed specimen loses its shape and its lower foliage. Its roots are also vigorous, so keep it away from pool shells, paving and boundary walls unless a root barrier goes in with it.
Damas, also sold as Silver Damas
Damas, stocked here as Silver Damas, is the other workhorse of UAE screening and the cheaper one. It runs from AED 25 at 100cm, with a 50cm plant at AED 155, and it is used along boundaries and roadsides across the Emirates because it handles heat, wind and poor soil with almost no attention.
Its silver grey foliage reads differently from the deep green of a ficus, which matters when the screen is also part of how the garden looks rather than just a barrier. Silver Damas Ball at AED 200 for a 110cm plant and Damas Ball at AED 199 are the same plant trained into a clipped sphere, used in pairs to frame an entrance rather than as a run.
Shaped and trained screening
Ficus Panda runs AED 250 to AED 550 and holds a tighter, smaller leaf than Nitida, which suits a lower or more formal hedge. Ehretia Cone at AED 95 to AED 820 and Ehretia Spiral Shaped at AED 185 to AED 240 are trained forms bought as features. Casuarina, the Australian Pine, is AED 350 to AED 600 and gives a softer, needled screen that suits a naturalistic boundary rather than a clipped one.
Shade rather than screening
These are different jobs and they need different trees. Screening wants density at eye level. Shade wants a canopy above head height and a clear trunk underneath it, so you can use the space below. Ficus Nitida at 3.5 metres and Weeping Fig at 3.5 metres, AED 1,999, both cast usable shade immediately. Amstel Queen Fig at 3 metres is AED 1,150.
How fast do they fill in
Buy the screen you need rather than waiting for it. A row of 180cm Ficus Nitida planted at sensible spacing closes into a continuous hedge over a season or two with regular trimming. If the point is to block an overlooking window now, that is a reason to buy taller stock rather than to plant closer, since overcrowding produces thin plants competing for the same water.
Spacing and trimming
Space a screening row so each plant has room to widen, not so it looks finished on day one. Plants set too close compete, and the row thins at the base, which is exactly where a screen needs to be dense. Trim Ficus Nitida and Ficus Panda on a regular cycle rather than when they look overgrown, since cutting back hard into old wood leaves bare patches that take a long time to recover.
Water and roots
Damas is the more drought tolerant of the two once established and suits an unirrigated boundary better. Ficus Nitida wants more water and gives more density in return. On roots, treat Ficus Nitida as a tree that will look for water: keep it clear of pool shells, irrigation lines, paving and boundary walls, or install a root barrier when planting near any of them.
Planting a boundary rather than buying plants
For a full boundary treatment where screening is planned with irrigation, levels and hardscape, see our landscaping service. Rows of matched plants are quoted directly rather than ordered through the cart, since consistent height and density across a run matters more than the unit price.
FAQ
What is the best privacy tree in Dubai?
Ficus Nitida for dense, trimmable screening that holds foliage from low down, and Damas where the boundary is unirrigated or exposed. Ficus gives more density, Damas needs less attention.
How much does Ficus Nitida cost?
AED 350 for a 180cm plant and AED 3,450 for a 3.5 metre tree. The smaller size is for planting a hedge that fills in, the larger for a screen that works immediately.
What is a Damas tree?
Damas, sold here as Silver Damas, is a heat and drought tolerant screening plant with silver grey foliage, used along boundaries and roadsides across the UAE. It starts at AED 25 for a 100cm plant.
Which is better for a boundary, Ficus Nitida or Damas?
Ficus Nitida for a formal, dense, trimmed hedge where irrigation is available. Damas for an exposed or unirrigated boundary, and where silver grey foliage suits the garden better than deep green.
How often does a Ficus Nitida hedge need trimming?
On a regular cycle rather than when it looks overgrown. Trimming is what keeps it dense, and cutting back hard into old wood after neglect leaves bare patches that recover slowly.
Do Ficus Nitida roots cause damage?
They are vigorous and will seek water, so keep them clear of pool shells, irrigation lines, paving and boundary walls, or plant with a root barrier.
How far apart should screening plants be spaced?
Far enough that each plant can widen. Planting too close makes them compete, and the row thins at the base, which is where a screen needs to be densest.
Which tree gives shade rather than screening?
Ficus Nitida at 3.5 metres, Weeping Fig at 3.5 metres for AED 1,999, or Amstel Queen Fig at 3 metres for AED 1,150. Shade needs a canopy above head height with a clear trunk below it.
