If you’re looking to add balance to a landscape, give your house some afternoon shade or maybe hide an unsightly neighbor, our selection of trees and shrubs are fast-growing and will provide a lush privacy hedge that will increase your curb appeal.
When choosing your shrubs or trees, make sure to take into account the mature width and height listed on the plant tag or website. Your plant should have a mature height that correlates with your goal for the screen. If you want to block a house or building, go with a taller selection such as a tree or Italian Cypress. If you want to block people, traffic or road-noise, you can use a Cleyera, Arborvitae (Thuja) or Cypress that are dense and moderately tall.
The mature width will help you decide how many plants you need to buy. If your arborvitae lists the mature width at 6 feet, space each plant 6 feet apart at planting from trunk to trunk. Calculate your desired width of the hedge by using your mature width as a rough estimate; i.e. a 60′ wide hedge will require 10 arborvitaes.
Check out this list of our 19 favorite privacy plants.
After determining the width and height of the hedge you intend to have, it’s time to get planting. We recommend planting your privacy screen in early spring or fall, to avoid the threat of frost as well as the extreme temperatures of summer. Planting in fall before dormancy gives your plants a chance to root before dormancy so that when spring arrives, they’ll have a headstart on the next growing season.
