Question: We need to screen a county road and would like to use trees. What are the best evergreen types for that purpose?

Answer: Live oaks, magnolias, including Little Gem, cherry laurels (East Texas primarily), ligustrums (South and Central Texas primarily) and tree-form hollies. You could also use ornamental pears. Although they’re deciduous, they do hold their leaves from late winter well into early the next winter. Total down time: probably only 10 weeks or so annually.