The best privacy plant is the one that fits your mature space, light, soil, climate and maintenance budget. Evergreen trees and shrubs provide year-round screening, while deciduous and semi-evergreen choices can deliver strong summer privacy with seasonal change. For most properties, a diverse mixed screen is safer and more resilient than a single-species wall. Oregon State University Extension estimates that an effective hedge may take approximately 4–8 years to establish.
The choices below combine narrow plants for small lots, large trees for expansive boundaries, shade-tolerant shrubs, wet-site options and broadleaf evergreens. Mature dimensions are from the University of Maryland Extension plant table unless another source is identified; actual size varies with climate, soil, irrigation and pruning.
How to choose a privacy screen that will work
Before buying plants, measure the available strip at the property line and decide whether you need screening in winter or only during the growing season. Check mature height and width rather than the size of the nursery pot. Also account for fences, foundations, drains, septic systems, overhead and underground utilities, access for maintenance, local setbacks and any high-hedge rules.
- Year-round privacy: Evergreens retain foliage through winter. Deciduous plants can screen well in summer but open after leaf fall; sweetbay magnolia is semi-evergreen.
- Sun and soil: Match the plant to available sun, drainage and moisture. Wet ground, drought-prone soil, deep shade and exposed wind each call for different species.
- Footprint: Columnar junipers and Emerald Green arborvitae suit narrow boundaries. pines, firs, cedars, magnolias and Leyland cypress need substantially more room.
- Maintenance: Formal clipped hedges require regular trimming. Informal mixed screens need more planning and occasional selective pruning, but usually less shaping.
- Resilience: Grouping several species reduces the chance that one pest, disease, drought or flood removes the entire screen. It can also improve habitat value.
- Wildlife and regulations: Favor locally native plants where practical, consider deer pressure and check local invasive-plant rules before planting.
Chris Rusch, an Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener, describes grouping several species in small clusters as “the best solution” for a mixed screen. A hedge can provide visual separation and may buffer wind, dust and noise, but no reliable universal noise-reduction number has been established.
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21 plants for privacy from neighbors
The table is a starting point, not a guarantee of final size. Cultivar performance changes with region, soil, irrigation and pruning, so confirm local nursery specifications before ordering.
| # | Plant | Approximate mature size | Best fit and cautions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emerald Green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) | 12–15 ft tall × 3–4 ft wide | Narrow evergreen for small lots; OSU gives 3–4 ft hedge spacing. Protect from severe drought and winter burn. |
| 2 | Green Giant arborvitae (Thuja ‘Green Giant’) | 40–60 ft tall × 12–18 ft wide | Fast, tall screen for large properties. Its eventual width and height make it unsuitable beside tight boundaries or utility lines. |
| 3 | American holly (Ilex opaca) | 15–30 ft tall × 10–20 ft wide | Evergreen and shade-tolerant; native in parts of Maryland. Female plants need a suitable male pollinator for berries. |
| 4 | Nellie Stevens holly (Ilex × ‘Nellie R. Stevens’) | 15–25 ft tall × 8–12 ft wide | Upright broadleaf evergreen for a substantial screen; allow room for its mature spread. |
| 5 | Inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) | 5–8 ft tall × 5–8 ft wide | Native evergreen shrub for sun to part shade. Useful where a lower, natural-looking screen is preferable. |
| 6 | Foster’s holly (Ilex × attenuata ‘Fosteri’) | 20–30 ft tall × 10–20 ft wide | Large evergreen holly for a roomy boundary; verify mature spread before planting near structures. |
| 7 | Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) | About 40–50 ft tall | Densely branched evergreen that tolerates urban conditions and works in rural windbreaks. It needs long-term vertical and lateral clearance. |
| 8 | Hollywood juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’) | 20–30 ft tall × 6–10 ft wide | Upright, sculptural evergreen for a relatively narrow screen; avoid constantly wet soil. |
| 9 | Blue Arrow or Skyrocket juniper (Juniperus scopulorum cultivars) | 12–20 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide | Very narrow columnar forms for tight spaces. Their limited width may leave gaps unless plants are carefully aligned or layered. |
| 10 | White fir (Abies concolor) | 30–50 ft tall × 15–30 ft wide | Full-sun evergreen for evenly moist, well-drained soil; not a choice for a narrow suburban strip. |
| 11 | Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) | 40–50+ ft tall × 10–20 ft wide | Evergreen native to Maryland’s Coastal Plain and useful where site conditions suit it; plan for eventual tree size. |
| 12 | Leyland cypress (× Cuprocyparis leylandii) | 60–70 ft tall | Very fast-growing, year-round screen. Give it generous setbacks and avoid a long monoculture: one pest or disease event can create a major continuous gap. |
| 13 | Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica) | 50–60 ft tall × 20–30 ft wide | Large evergreen tree for broad properties, not a foundation planting or narrow fence line. |
| 14 | Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) | 50–80+ ft tall × 20–40 ft wide | Large native evergreen; use only where there is ample room for roots, branches and future height. |
| 15 | Deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara) | Broad, large evergreen tree; final dimensions vary by site and cultivar | Fast-growing with dense juvenile branching and suited to broad screens. Confirm local hardiness and mature spread. |
| 16 | Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’) | 20–30 ft tall × 15–25 ft wide | Broadleaf evergreen with substantial leaves; needs room and a site compatible with its regional climate. |
| 17 | Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) | 12–30 ft tall × 12–30 ft wide | Semi-evergreen native that tolerates full sun to part shade; foliage retention varies with winter severity. |
| 18 | Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera) | 6–15 ft tall × 10–15 ft wide | Fast-growing, pruning-tolerant broadleaf evergreen. OSU identifies it as useful on difficult sites; confirm regional hardiness. |
| 19 | Viburnum, including Prague and leatherleaf types | About 10–15 ft tall, depending on cultivar | Shade-tolerant screening shrubs with flowers and berries. Choose a cultivar whose mature width fits the border. |
| 20 | Japanese plum yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’) | 10–12 ft tall × 6–8 ft wide | Evergreen shrub for sun to shade; listed as deer resistant in the Maryland table and useful where browsing is a problem. |
| 21 | Skip laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) | About 10 ft tall × 7 ft wide | Broadleaf evergreen for sun to shade. Allow enough width for mature foliage and airflow. |
The University of Maryland Extension figures above are reference sizes, not planting guarantees. Climate, soil, irrigation and pruning can produce materially different results.
Best choices by yard condition
Small lots and narrow side yards
Emerald Green arborvitae, Blue Arrow or Skyrocket juniper, Hollywood juniper, Japanese plum yew and Skip laurel are among the most space-conscious options. Even these need room for their mature width, access for trimming and clearance from fences, drains and foundations.
Large properties and tall sightlines
Green Giant arborvitae, eastern redcedar, white fir, Atlantic white cedar, Leyland cypress, Japanese cryptomeria, eastern white pine and deodar cedar can create a tall backdrop where setbacks and overhead clearance permit. Planting a large tree too close to a boundary creates future pruning, access and neighbor-conflict problems.
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- the thuja green giant is known as the premier. fast growing privacy tree for much of the united states
- This large privacy evergreen has dense, dark green foliage that smells like christmas trees when the leaves are broken
- The Thuja grows in a wide bottomed pyramidal shape, and can reach up to 60ft tall and 20ft wide at full maturity. This tree can be pruned to keep it at your desired size.
- The green giant thrives in zones 5-9, which mean you can grow this almost anywhere in the united states
- Once established, just watch them grow with little to no maintenance required
Shade or part shade
American holly, inkberry, viburnum, Japanese plum yew, Skip laurel and sweetbay magnolia tolerate some shade. Light levels still matter: dense shade, dry tree-root competition and wet shade are different conditions, so improve drainage or irrigation before relying on a plant list.
Wet or difficult sites
Atlantic white cedar and sweetbay magnolia can suit moisture-compatible sites, while wax myrtle is noted by OSU as useful on difficult sites. Do not use a moisture-tolerant plant as a substitute for correcting standing-water problems that could kill roots.
Deer pressure
Japanese plum yew is identified as deer resistant in the Maryland table. Browsing preferences vary by herd and season, so protect new plantings and assess local deer pressure rather than treating any plant as browse-proof.
How far apart should privacy plants be planted?
Space plants from their mature width, not from the width of the container. For a general hedgerow example, Oregon State University Extension recommends trees and shrubs about 6–8 ft apart, with rows 8–10 ft apart. Where space allows, stagger rows so plants close sightlines without forcing every root and branch into the same narrow strip.
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- the thuja green giant is known as the premier. fast growing privacy tree for much of the united states
- This large privacy evergreen has dense, dark green foliage that smells like christmas trees when the leaves are broken
- The Thuja grows in a wide bottomed pyramidal shape, and can reach up to 60ft tall and 20ft wide at full maturity. This tree can be pruned to keep it at your desired size.
- The green giant thrives in zones 5-9, which mean you can grow this almost anywhere in the united states
- Once established, just watch them grow with little to no maintenance required
Emerald Green-type arborvitae are a specific exception: OSU gives approximately 3–4 ft between plants for a hedge. That spacing should not be copied for Green Giant arborvitae or other species with much wider mature crowns.
- Keep root flares and trunks clear of foundations, retaining walls, drains and septic components.
- Leave room to mow, inspect fences and reach both sides for pruning and watering.
- Use wider spacing on poorly drained sites or where airflow is limited; tightly packed foliage stays wet longer and can increase disease pressure.
- Confirm utility easements and local property-line or high-hedge requirements before digging.
A practical planting plan for a durable screen
- Map the boundary. Mark the property line, utilities, structures, drains, gates and equipment access. Note winter sun and prevailing wind.
- Measure the planting depth. Reject any species whose mature width cannot fit without repeated severe pruning.
- Group compatible plants. Put plants with similar light and moisture needs together in small clusters instead of making one uninterrupted row of a single species.
- Prepare the soil. Correct compaction and drainage, remove competing turf and incorporate only amendments appropriate to a soil test.
- Set out plants at mature-width spacing. Use a staggered second row when the site is wide enough, keeping the recommended row spacing and access paths.
- Water during establishment. Smaller nursery stock often establishes more easily than oversized specimens. Supply consistent moisture while roots expand, then adjust for rainfall and species needs.
- Mulch without burying trunks. A moderate mulch layer reduces competition and moisture swings; keep it away from stems and root flares.
- Prune for structure, not just height. Begin formative pruning early, keep the base at least as wide as the top when appropriate and avoid cutting into bare old wood on species that do not readily regrow.
- Inspect annually. Look for browning, dieback, pest outbreaks, storm damage and gaps. Replace failed plants with a compatible, different species where practical.
Smaller stock, prepared soil and adequate early watering generally make establishment easier. Plan for a developing landscape rather than instant enclosure; OSU’s approximately 4–8-year establishment estimate is a useful expectation for an effective hedge.
Why a mixed screen is usually safer than one long hedge
A single-species row looks uniform, but one host-specific insect, pathogen, drought episode or flooding event can remove privacy across the entire boundary. A mixed screen divides that risk and can layer different heights, textures, flowering periods and wildlife resources. For example, a narrow evergreen row can be backed by a taller tree group and softened with shade-tolerant shrubs at the ends.
Keep species together in compatible clusters rather than alternating every plant at random. This preserves visual rhythm, simplifies irrigation and pruning, and prevents a plant adapted to dry sun from being forced into wet shade.
Plants to approach cautiously
Do not select a privacy plant solely because it grows quickly. Bamboo, Japanese barberry, burning bush and other potentially invasive plants can escape cultivation or violate local restrictions. The University of Maryland Extension specifically flags bamboo and Japanese barberry among exotic plants used in the past that are invasive in natural areas. Check your state or municipality’s current invasive-plant list and choose contained, noninvasive alternatives where possible.
Fast-growing Leyland cypress illustrates the trade-off: it can create a screen quickly, but its eventual size, disease exposure and the consequences of a long monoculture demand careful siting and diversification.
Maintenance and neighbor considerations
Formal clipped screens, especially tightly shaped conifers, require a recurring trimming schedule and access on both sides. Informal mixed borders reduce shearing but still need formative pruning, deadwood removal, watering during drought and prompt replacement of failed plants. Keep growth on your side of the boundary where local rules require it, and discuss access before planting in a narrow shared corridor. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s concise principle is worth remembering: “Privacy hedges, like fences, can make good neighbors.”
Before installation, review local planning or high-hedge rules and verify the mature height, spread and root behavior with a regional extension service or reputable nursery. A screen that fits the site at maturity is less likely to become a costly dispute or removal project.
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