19 Plants To Consider When Looking To Add Privacy To Your Yard
A beautiful yard should feel like your own private escape – not a stage for the neighborhood. That’s where the right plants come in.
With the perfect greenery, you can soften your fence line, shield your patio, and hush the outside world without losing an inch of charm. Some grow tall and lush, others spread with purpose, and a few add fragrance while they’re at it.
If you’re craving a little more seclusion, these 19 plants will help turn your yard into a peaceful, green retreat.
1. Arborvitae
Standing tall as nature’s privacy guards, these evergreen sentinels create dense walls of foliage that block unwanted views year-round.
Many homeowners love how quickly they establish themselves, often growing 3-4 feet annually until reaching their majestic height of 40-60 feet. Their minimal maintenance requirements make them perfect for busy gardeners who want instant privacy without constant pruning.
2. Bamboo
Running or clumping? That’s the first question to ask when considering bamboo for your privacy screen. Running varieties spread aggressively, while clumping types stay more contained.
With their exotic appearance and soothing rustle in the breeze, bamboo creates a tropical atmosphere while reaching heights of 10-40 feet in just a few seasons. Just remember to install proper barriers if choosing running varieties to prevent them from invading your neighbor’s yard!
3. Boxwood
For those who appreciate formal elegance, boxwoods offer timeless appeal with their dense, evergreen foliage that can be shaped into precise hedges or left more natural.
Unlike faster-growing options, these dignified shrubs take their time, adding about 6 inches yearly until reaching 3-12 feet depending on variety. Their patience is rewarded with exceptional durability – some boxwood hedges have stood guard for over a century in historic gardens!
4. Privet
Famously fast-growing, privet hedges have been the go-to privacy solution for generations of gardeners who need quick results. Within just a couple of seasons, these adaptable shrubs form impressive barriers.
White flower clusters appear in summer, adding visual interest before transforming into black berries that birds adore. Regular trimming keeps them looking sharp, but even with minimal attention, privets maintain their screening abilities while reaching heights of 4-15 feet.
5. Holly
Beyond their Christmas fame, holly varieties offer year-round privacy with glossy evergreen leaves that create dense barriers between properties. Female plants produce those iconic red berries that brighten winter landscapes and attract colorful birds.
With heights ranging from compact 3-foot shrubs to impressive 50-foot trees, there’s a holly for every space. Their naturally thorny leaves provide an added security bonus, discouraging both human and animal intruders.
6. Leyland Cypress
Few plants can match the rapid vertical growth of Leyland cypress when you need privacy yesterday. These pyramidal evergreens rocket upward at 3-4 feet yearly until reaching heights of 60-70 feet if left unchecked!
Their soft, feathery foliage creates a dense screen that blocks views and reduces noise from busy streets. Just be mindful of their ultimate size when planting – give them room to spread their lower branches or prepare for regular pruning to keep them in bounds.
7. Laurel
Cherry laurel’s glossy leaves create a lush, year-round privacy screen that thrives even in challenging conditions.
Their fragrant white flower spikes in spring attract beneficial pollinators before developing into small berries that birds love. With growth rates of 1-2 feet yearly and ultimate heights of 10-18 feet, these hardy evergreens quickly transform exposed yards into secluded retreats.
8. Photinia
Nature’s color show begins with photinia’s brilliant red new growth that gradually matures to deep green, creating a vibrant privacy screen that changes throughout the seasons. White flower clusters appear in spring, adding another dimension to these showstopping shrubs.
Reaching heights of 10-15 feet at maturity, photinias grow quickly enough to provide privacy within a few seasons while being manageable enough for smaller yards when pruned regularly.
9. Viburnum
Garden designers often reach for viburnums when clients want privacy with multi-season interest. These versatile shrubs offer beautiful flower displays, attractive berries, and some varieties even feature spectacular fall color.
With dozens of species available, you can select varieties that grow from 3 to 20 feet tall. The dense branching pattern creates effective screening even in winter when some varieties drop their leaves. For year-round privacy, choose evergreen types like Sweet Viburnum or Prague Viburnum.
10. Juniper
Tough as nails and drought-resistant once established, junipers offer privacy solutions for challenging sites where other plants struggle. Their blue-green to silver foliage creates interesting color contrasts in the landscape.
Depending on the variety, junipers range from low spreaders to upright columns reaching 20+ feet tall. The aromatic foliage naturally repels many insects and deer, making maintenance easier. For the best privacy screens, look for varieties like ‘Spartan’, ‘Skyrocket’ or ‘Blue Point’.
11. Hornbeam
When European garden designers need a sophisticated privacy solution, hornbeam hedges frequently top their list. These deciduous trees form dense, living walls when pruned regularly.
While they drop leaves in winter, the dried foliage often clings to branches, providing some screening even in dormant months. Their tolerance for heavy pruning allows creation of formal green walls from 6 to 40 feet tall. Patient gardeners are rewarded with hedges that grow more beautiful and dense with each passing year.
12. Hedge Maple
Underneath that unassuming appearance, hedge maples hide remarkable adaptability to urban conditions, making them perfect privacy screens for challenging city lots. Their tolerance for pollution, compacted soil, and various light conditions has earned them a place in countless European hedgerows for centuries.
Growing moderately to heights of 25-35 feet, these versatile trees can be maintained as formal hedges at 8-12 feet or allowed to develop into small shade trees while still providing privacy.
13. Pittosporum
Gentle fragrance wafts from pittosporum’s small white flowers, adding a sensory dimension to this excellent privacy screen. Their naturally dense growth habit requires minimal pruning to maintain an effective visual barrier.
With varieties ranging from 4 to 14 feet tall, these adaptable evergreens work in spaces large and small. Their glossy leaves create attractive backgrounds for showier plants while still providing substantial screening. In coastal areas, they’re particularly valuable for their tolerance of salt spray.
14. Lilac
Imagine stepping into your private garden retreat surrounded by the intoxicating fragrance of lilac blooms each spring. These beloved flowering shrubs create seasonal privacy screens that engage multiple senses.
Traditional varieties grow 8-15 feet tall and wide, while newer compact cultivars fit smaller spaces. Though primarily deciduous, their dense branching provides some screening even in winter. For maximum privacy, plant common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) varieties, which grow larger than their Korean or dwarf cousins.
15. Euonymus
Cold climates meet their match with euonymus varieties that maintain their screening ability through harsh winters. Many varieties feature variegated or colorful foliage that brightens privacy hedges beyond basic green.
Reaching 10-15 feet tall depending on variety, these adaptable shrubs grow in sun or part shade. Their dense growth habit creates effective screening with minimal maintenance. For year-round privacy, choose evergreen types like Euonymus japonicus or E. kiautschovicus, which hold their leaves even in cold regions.
16. Ornamental Grasses
Swaying gracefully in the slightest breeze, tall ornamental grasses create seasonal privacy screens with unmatched movement and texture. Varieties like Miscanthus, Pampas grass, and Ravenna grass reach impressive heights of 8-12 feet.
Unlike rigid hedges, these natural beauties form soft, flowing barriers that whisper in the wind. Their dramatic plumes add visual interest above the foliage. While most are deciduous, their dried stalks and seed heads can provide winter interest and partial screening if left standing until spring.
17. Clematis
Vertical space transforms into a flowering privacy screen when clematis vines climb trellises, fences, or arbors. These vigorous climbers quickly cover structures with lush foliage and spectacular blooms in nearly every color imaginable.
By selecting varieties that bloom at different times, you can create a privacy screen with flowers from spring through fall. Most grow 8-12 feet tall, with some reaching 20+ feet. For maximum privacy, plant them 3-4 feet apart along existing structures or purpose-built supports.
18. Climbing Hydrangea
Shade-loving climbing hydrangeas transform north-facing fences and walls into spectacular flowering privacy screens over time. Unlike most climbers, they attach themselves to surfaces with aerial rootlets, requiring no additional support.
Patient gardeners are rewarded with masses of lacy white flower clusters against rich green foliage. These long-lived vines grow slowly for the first few years, then accelerate to cover large areas up to 30-40 feet. Their peeling cinnamon bark adds winter interest when leaves drop.
19. Wisteria
Drama unfolds each spring when wisteria’s pendulous flower clusters transform ordinary structures into fragrant privacy screens dripping with purple, white, or pink blooms. These vigorous vines need substantial support systems like pergolas or heavy-duty trellises to handle their eventual weight.
Growing up to 30 feet tall and equally wide, wisterias create spectacular living curtains that provide dappled shade and privacy. Just be prepared for annual pruning to keep these enthusiastic growers in bounds!
