The best hedge for privacy depends on when you need screening, how much room you have, and what grows well in your region. Evergreen trees and shrubs are the main choices for blocking views through winter; flowering deciduous shrubs can add seasonal color and wildlife value but may leave a more open screen in cold months. The 14 plants below are options from regional extension and horticultural guidance—not a universal planting list. Check local suitability and the selected cultivar’s mature size before buying.
Choose the hedge for the privacy you need
Start by deciding whether the screen must work all year or mainly during the growing season. For year-round coverage, look at broadleaf evergreens and conifers that tolerate your site. Deciduous shrubs can still make attractive informal boundaries, but expect less visual privacy after leaves fall. The UC Master Gardener Program’s Napa County guidance and Washington State University Extension’s screen and hedge guidance both emphasize matching plant type to the screening goal and local conditions.
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Before choosing, measure the planting strip and consider sunlight, soil, drainage, desired finished height, and clearance from buildings, sidewalks, utilities, and property lines. Check mature width as carefully as height: frequent pruning is not a reliable fix for a plant that will outgrow its space. Also investigate local invasive-plant guidance, fire behavior, root concerns, and toxicity to pets or livestock where relevant.
14 hedge plants to consider
These selections span several climates and uses. The dimensions below are source-specific descriptions, not guarantees for every cultivar or growing region. Confirm local hardiness and mature size with a regional extension service or nursery before planting.
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1. American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
A familiar evergreen hedge choice in Iowa State University Extension’s guidance, with approximate heights ranging from 3 feet to more than 20 feet depending on selection. Choose a cultivar whose mature dimensions suit the space; “arborvitae” alone does not specify the eventual size.
2. Yews (Taxus species)
Yews are evergreen hedge plants in Iowa State’s list, with approximate heights from 2 feet to more than 10 feet. Their range of sizes can suit different hedge roles, but confirm site suitability and check animal-safety concerns before planting.
3. Boxwoods (Buxus species)
Iowa State lists boxwoods at roughly 2–4 feet tall, making them a low, tidy hedge option rather than a fast route to tall privacy. Use them to define an entry, walkway, or front garden edge where a shorter screen is enough.
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- The Podocarpus Maki is an evergreen shrub with dense, upright growth and glossy dark green foliage that provides year-round beauty.
- Podocarpus Maki grows to a mature size of 8–10 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide, making it ideal for narrow hedges, privacy screens, and foundation plantings.
- This shrub thrives in USDA Zones 7–11 and performs well in full sun to partial shade with well-draining soil. Once established, Podocarpus Maki is drought-tolerant, low maintenance, and highly resistant to pests, diseases, and air pollution.
- Its refined, columnar form requires minimal pruning, offering a more polished alternative to traditional hedge plants like boxwood or holly.
4. Shrub roses (Rosa species)
Iowa State describes shrub roses as deciduous natural hedges around 1.5–6 feet tall. Their flowers and informal shape can soften a boundary, though they are better suited to seasonal screening or a lower barrier than to winter privacy.
5. Japanese spirea (Spiraea japonica)
This deciduous shrub appears in Iowa State’s hedge list at about 2–5 feet tall. Its compact scale can work for a low informal border; check local invasive-plant guidance before selecting it.
6. Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa or A. arbutifolia)
Iowa State lists these native deciduous shrubs at approximately 3–6 feet. They offer an informal, seasonal screen. Confirm which species is appropriate locally and whether its leafless winter form meets your privacy needs.
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7. American witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
A secondary horticultural source describes this as a spreading, multi-stemmed shrub that can reach about 15 feet, with late-season flowers and fruit that can benefit wildlife. Its eventual size and suitability should be confirmed for your region before using it in a hedge.
8. Flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum)
A secondary source describes the ‘Ken Taylor’ cultivar as roughly 6 feet tall and wide, with yellow flowers, and gives Zones 7–10, sun, and well-drained soil as its conditions. Treat those as cultivar- and source-specific details, not a guarantee for other flannel bushes or locations.
9. American holly (Ilex opaca)
This evergreen is described by the secondary source as potentially 30–40 feet tall, so it belongs in a large landscape or a plan that can accommodate its mature scale—not a narrow strip beside a house. That source also flags fire concerns; assess local fire guidance and site conditions.
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- Sun-Loving Charm: Thriving in full sunlight, this plant is ideal for sunny gardens and provides year-round visual appeal.
- Water-Wise Choice: Curled Leaf Privet conserves water, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective addition to your landscape.
10. California lilac (Ceanothus species)
The UC Master Gardener guidance includes California lilac among possible native privacy plants, with varied colors and heights across the group. A secondary source gives one cultivar’s dimensions as about 6 feet high by 8 feet wide, with blue flowers, and Zones 8–10. Do not apply those measurements or zones to every Ceanothus; confirm the exact selection locally.
11. Arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)
A secondary source describes spring flowers and blue autumn fruit and gives Zones 3–9. Verify the cultivar, mature dimensions, and regional fit before planting; the cited zone range should not substitute for local guidance.
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University of Florida IFAS recommends this as a Florida-region privacy shrub, describing dense growth to the ground and a height of about 4–9 feet. White flowers and red berries add seasonal interest. It is a regional option, not a general recommendation for colder climates.
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- This upright deciduous, occasionally semi-evergreen, shrub blooms creamy-white, fragrant flowers followed by round blue-black fruit. Its dark green and bright green glossy foliage has larger leaves compared to the Sinense. This fast grower will reach 8-10 feet high. Its dense and bushy characteristics make it ideal for a privacy screen, wind screen, hedging, and small tree, while adding great color to your garden.
- This low-maintenance evergreen needs a regular water schedule to ensure the growth of a mature root system. After the mature root system is established, watering is needed occasionally, except during a drought, watering is needed regularly. Responds well to pruning. Shearing is recommended 2-3 per year to maintain desired shape. Mulching is recommended to detour weeds, retain moisture, and keep temperatures low.
- Compact habit with glossy foliage responds well to pruning into topiary or small standard trees. Displays a profusion of white blooms. Useful hedge, screen or windbreak. Performs well in containers and as a topiary specimen. Evergreen.
- Because of their versatility and undemanding nature, they are used extensively in home landscapes. Plant them as hedges, foundation plants, patio trees or in shrub borders.
- These shrubs are grown primarily for the dense foliage they can provide when pruned into hedges. That dense foliage, along with their height, means that they afford good privacy during the summertime when folks are most active in their backyards.
13. Varnish leaf (Dodonaea viscosa)
Florida IFAS describes varnish leaf as a fast-growing shrub about 8–12 feet tall, with a naturally open habit that becomes denser when trimmed and showy winged fruit. It may suit a Florida screen where its eventual size and pruning needs fit the site.
14. Yellow anise (Illicium parviflorum)
Florida IFAS lists this as a slow-to-moderate-growing evergreen shrub about 6–15 feet tall. Its aromatic foliage and pale flowers are appealing, but its preference for moist, acidic soil is an important condition of fit.
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Set spacing by hedge style and mature size
Iowa State Extension gives 1–2½ feet apart as general spacing guidance for formal, sheared hedges. For informal hedges, it recommends spacing according to mature plant size, offering 2–4 feet for medium shrubs 6–8 feet tall and 4–6 feet for large shrubs 8–12 feet tall. These are starting points, not substitutes for species-specific nursery or extension directions.
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Prune for the shape you want
Formal hedges need regular shearing, started while plants are young. Keep the base slightly wider than the top so light reaches lower branches and the hedge is less likely to thin near ground level. Informal hedges generally need occasional thinning and shaping instead. Prune flowering shrubs after bloom when appropriate: frequent shearing can remove flower buds, as Washington State University Extension cautions.
Consider a mixed screen where space allows
A row of one species can develop a large gap if a pest, disease, or weather event affects that plant. University of Maryland Extension recommends using different plants in mixed privacy screens and prioritizing locally appropriate native species while avoiding invasive choices. Its specific examples and invasive cautions, including Japanese barberry and bamboo, are Maryland-context guidance; check your own region’s lists. Where room permits, a layered screen can place taller plants behind medium shrubs and lower plants or grasses in front.
Regional checks before you buy
Regional recommendations are not interchangeable. Florida IFAS’s examples address Florida’s Treasure Coast; the University of California guidance is specific to Napa County; Iowa State’s and Washington State’s advice reflects their respective growing contexts. Confirm hardiness, water and soil needs, invasive status, and mature dimensions with a local extension service. If you are considering other options such as privet, camellia, cypress, redwoods, loquat, citrus, or English or cherry laurel, the UC Master Gardener Napa guidance likewise advises evaluating site fit, maximum size, invasiveness, fire behavior, roots, and animal toxicity rather than treating a regional list as universal.
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