Create an effective privacy hedge without a hefty price tag by planting a living wall of shrubs.
Hedges add color, texture, and structure to the landscape.
Not all shrubs work well as hedges.
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Weve rounded up the best hedge plants to beautify your garden and give you the privacy you seek.
A privacy hedge may need to be quite tall, particularly if your neighbors property is uphill from yours.
Growth Rate:Also, consider the growth rate of hedge plants.
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Slow-growing species will take longer to create the desired privacy than fast-growing species.
Foliage Density:Another factor is the density of foliage on different hedge plants.
Hollies and boxwoods have tightly packed leaves that work well at creating dense walls of foliage.
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Rose of Sharon also makes a good hedge but has a more open canopy.
Space plants closer for a denser screen and wider apart for a more open enclosure.
As with any planting, match plant selections to your local climate including rainfall and summer and winter temperatures.
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Use plants wellwithin your hardiness zoneto minimize the risk of losing a full-grown hedge to atypical freezes.
Oakland holly is a hybrid with distinct, oak-shaped leaves.
This holly is winter hardy in USDA zones 6-9.
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Plants require little to no pruning to maintain their attractive shape.
They grow quickly to establish a hedge or windbreak.
Flowers are available in three colors: blush pink, white, and cream.
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Set plants three feet apart to create a dense hedge or farther apart for a loose screen.
Avoid heavy and poorly draining soil.
Cleyera BigfootTM
BigfootTM is a giant among cultivated cleyeras, soaring at fifteen to twenty feet tall.
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This fast-growing shrub makes a beautiful hedge with glossy evergreen leaves that grow uniformly head-to-toe.
Despite its height, BigfootTM has a narrow profile.
At just 5 to 6 feet, it can be used in tight spaces that need screening or protection.
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The shrub is winter hardy in USDA zones 7-10.
Flowers are lilac purple with a red-streaked throat.
Hardy in USDA zones 5-9, it is also suitable for cooler climates.
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Some are more compact than others.
Some are bred to tolerate warmer or colder temperatures.
All produce gorgeous rose-like blooms.
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Like all camellias, it is hardy in USDA zones 7-9.
These open-branching shrubs make an informal hedge that requires little pruning.
Native to the Southeast, these shrubs grow in USDA zones 5-9.
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Red DiamondTM Midsize Loropetalum
Who says hedges must be green?
With rich burgundy foliage and vibrant spring blooms, Red DiamondTM loropetalum packs a lot of punch.
And because it grows more compact than the loropetalum species, it won’t take over the garden.
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The gorgeous foliage of Red DiamondTM provides year-round color accented by rosy-red blooms in late winter to early spring.
The plant is hardy in USDA zones 7-10.
Oleander looks best when left untrimmed to take on its natural form.
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Compact cultivars are available.
This tough, adaptable evergreen is hardy in USDA zones 4-9 and requires no pruning or pampering.
Forever Goldy Arborvitae
The Forever Goldy arborvitae provides year-round foliage and privacy.
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Plant it within its hardiness range (USDA zone 5-8) and provide consistent irrigation to support new growth.
Arborvitae are also great for landscapes where deer are a problem.
Green ValleyTM arborvitaeis another great arborvitae variety that offers higher heat tolerance, and disease resistance.
It grows around one foot each year, quickly transforming your landscape into a private oasis.
Perfect for windbreaks, screening, and hedges, this tree also supports an abundance of birds.
Robins and cedar waxwings feast on the blue-black berries in winter and early spring.
Carolina cherry laurel is moderately salt tolerant and performs well in coastal landscapes.
It is hardy in USDA zones 7-11.
Thick evergreen foliage and fragrant pink blooms provide beauty throughout the seasons.
Pollinators frequent the showy blooms while songbirds are attracted to the autumn fruits.
New growth emerges with a lovely bronze-pink color in spring before turning deep green.
This tough, low-maintenance podocarpus tolerates salt, drought, and heat, and resists deer browsing.
It is hardy in USDA zones 7-10.
Chindo Sweet Viburnum
Chindo sweet viburnum is a handsome broadleaf evergreen shrub.
Pollinators and songbirds are frequent visitors.
Sweet viburnum adapts to a wide range of soil conditions and grows quickly to create a privacy screen.
Plants resist deer and drought.
The shrub is hardy in USDA zones 7-9.
