Best bush to plant for privacy
20 Fast-Growing Shrubs and Bushes for Privacy
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Don’t want to stare at that ugly block wall next door? Tired of seeing your neighbor taking out the garbage in his pajamas? Plants are the answer! If you don’t have years to wait around, no worries. From hydrangea bushes to lilac bushes and every evergreen in between, many attractive, fast-growing shrubs provide privacy, hide eyesores, and offer food and shelter for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife in a matter of a few seasons.
To ensure your shrub gets a good start, choose varieties that work in your USDA Hardiness Zone. Then dig a hole twice as wide and just as deep as the pot. Rough up the root ball with your hands a bit to help the roots spread out. Backfill the hole, but resist the urge to add peat moss or other organic matter. That’s an outdated practice that actually creates drainage problems (called the “bathtub effect”) which can stunt or kill the plant eventually. Just water and mulch your new shrub, and don’t let it dry out the first season as it gets established. Then enjoy the view!
Here are the best plants for privacy that typically reach their mature size within a few seasons.
1
Arborvitae
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Arborvitae are stately evergreens which come in many different heights, ranging from a few feet to 30 feet tall or more. Most don’t need shearing to maintain their shape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
Varieties to Try: Green Giant, Spring Grove
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2
Butterfly Bush
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Sometimes called summer lilac, this sturdy shrub with purple flowers withstands drought, blooms all season long, and attracts pollinators. Newer types are not invasive.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Varieties to Try: Miss Violet, Miss Ruby
SHOP GARDEN SHEARS
3
Hydrangea
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Hydrangeas are one of the few plants that can be grown from coast to coast in most climates.
Some tolerate part shade, but most need a few hours of sun for best blooms. In the hottest regions, give them morning sun and afternoon shade so they don’t fry.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
Varieties to Try: Firelight, Monmar
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4
Elderberry
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Late spring or early summer flowers and attractive foliage make this graceful plant attractive in a mixed border.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Varieties to Try: Instant Karma, Lemony Lace
SHOP SHOVELS
5
Pyracantha
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This vigorous shrub grows upright and boasts clusters of gorgeous fall berries that last well into winter.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Varieties to Try: Graberi, Kasan
SHOP GARDEN BOOTS
6
Lilac
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Beautifully-scented lilacs like plenty of sun, but give them a space between plants to let air circulate and reduce the risk of powdery mildew developing.
Some types are extremely cold-hardy.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
Varieties to Try: Lavender Lady, Angel White
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7
Forsythia
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You know spring has arrived when the bright yellow forsythia starts blooming! It’s a more moderate grower than some other shrubs but will still reach its mature height relatively quickly.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to Try: Meadowlark, Spring Glory
SHOP FERTILIZER
8
Beautyberry
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Some types of this sun-loving, perennial plant have solid green or variegated green-and-white foliage, but the prettiest variety has dark purple foliage with masses of white blooms in late summer.
The real show is the purple berries in fall.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Varieties to Try: Pearl Glam, Purple Pearls
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9
Ninebark
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This white-flowering native plant is a standout in the garden with its handsome burgundy foliage that lasts all season, topped with creamy white flowers in early summer. The plant is ultra-cold-hardy and has a elegant arching shape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 7
Varieties to Try: Diablo, Summer Wine
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10
Loropetalum
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Also called fringe flower due to its beautiful, showy blooms in shades of pink, white and purple, this graceful, vase-shaped shrub reaches maturity relatively quickly.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 9.
Varieties to Try: Snow Panda, Zhuzhou Fuchsia
SHOP MULCH
11
Viburnum
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This beautiful evergreen shrub has interesting puckered leaves and pretty white fragrant flowers, followed by showy red fruit.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Varieties to Try: Allegheny, Prague
SHOP PLANTERS
12
Dappled Willow
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The weeping stems of this shrub are pink, with mottled foliage of white, green, and pink. It’s spectacular when massed as a hedge for privacy.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
Varieties to Try: Hakuro Nishiki, Flamingo
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13
Spirea
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This arching shrub boasts a mass of white flowers in spring and colorful orange or reddish foliage in fall.
Many types are cold-hardy.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
Varieties to Try: Renaissance, Grefsheim
SHOP GARDEN HOSES
14
Red Twig Dogwood
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This multi-stemmed shrub has striking red branches that are stunning in the winter landscape, especially against snow. It’s cold-tolerant, too.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
Varieties to Try: Isanti, Sibirica
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15
Crape Myrtle
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These heat-tolerant and elegant shrubs or small trees have vibrant purple, pink or white flowers in summer. Some varieties have eye-catching peeling bark.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
Varieties to Try: Tonto, Natchez
SHOP VASES
16
Serviceberry
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This shrub or small tree is prized for its beautiful orange-red fall color and clusters of white flowers that become deep purple fruits that the birds love.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
Varieties to Try: Glenform, Autumn Brilliance
SHOP BIRD FEEDERS
17
Mock Orange
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This fountain-shaped shrub with beautiful white flowers has a light citrusy scent and lush green foliage.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 7
Varieties to Try: Natchez, Belle Etoile
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18
Euonymus
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Many types of this evergreen work well as a clipped hedge, while others look best left to naturalize. Happy in the shade or sun, some varieties have green and gold variegated foliage.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
Varieties to Try: Manhattan, Aureovariegatus
SHOP GARDEN GLOVES
19
Juniper
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Junipers come in a staggering array of sizes and colors ranging from green to gold.
It’s an extremely cold-hardy evergreen that’s not particularly fussy.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
Varieties to Try: Montodd, Spartan
SHOP LANDSCAPING STONES
20
Rose of Sharon
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This reliable summer bloomer boasts exotic-looking flowers of white, pink, purple, or lavender and every shade in between. New varieties grow in a pillar (columnar) shape.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
Varieties to Try: White Pillar, Notwoodthree
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Arricca SanSone Arricca SanSone writes for CountryLiving.com, WomansDay.com, Family Circle, MarthaStewart.com, Cooking Light, Parents.com, and many others.
the top 10 varieties for your yard |
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If you are looking for some of the best shrubs for privacy for a front or backyard, there are many options to choose from that will add color, shelter, and structure to your garden, too.
Along with providing screening from the road or neighboring properties, the best evergreen shrubs can also add color, structure and interest year round.
Using natural barrier options in place of fencing or walls is also among the best wildlife garden ideas for providing habitats and sources of food for a variety of animals, birds and important pollinators.
Best shrubs for privacy
When you're choosing the best shrubs for privacy you'll mostly be landscaping with evergreens due their year round foliage screen, but that's not to say that you can't still include some deciduous shrubs among the planting. Try to envisage how the combination of shrubs will looks throughout the year – some will add differing color, flowers or perhaps seasonal fruit and berries.
If space permits, plant a variety of evergreens and deciduous options, some of which will also be the best fast growing shrubs – particularly useful if you are looking for speedy results.
1. Schip laurel
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'Schip laurel is a compact, evergreen shrub that thrives in partial shade and sun.
Highly versatile, it grows to heights of 10-14 feet, making it perfect for privacy,' explains Tammy Sons of Tn Nursery .
Prunus laurocerasus 'schipkaensis', also known as skip laurel, is a great option for shrubs for privacy in zones 5-9. If you have a north facing or shady plot and are looking for shrubs for shade, it copes well in shadier environments.
Smaller growing than other laurels, schip laurel can create a more compact, neat natural privacy screen or privacy hedge when pruned and tolerates many soil types.
2. Inkberry, Ilex glabra
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'Inkberry, Ilex glabra, can grow a beautifully rounded broadleaf evergreen crown. If a tall shrub for privacy is your goal, avoid named varieties, such as ‘densa’, ‘compacta’, and ‘gem box’,' explains Kathleen Connolly, ecological landscape designer and founder of Speaking of Landscapes .
Also known as evergreen winterberry, Appalachian tea tree and gallberry, inkberry is native to eco-regions in the east and southeast US coast, as well as southern maritime Canada.
As with all choices, make sure you know how to plant shrubs to help them to thrive. 'To keep it in top form, plant inkberry where there’s at least moderate soil moisture. It can tolerate light shade as well as full sun. Trim inkberry 6 inches each year to encourage dense leaf coverage up and down the stem,' Kathleen adds.
They are not ones to plant for their flowers, as these are very small, 'but if you plant both male and female inkberries, a host of native birds will thank you for the distinctive blue-black berries midwinter,' Kathleen explains, so the shrub is one to include in your winter garden ideas.
3. Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’
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Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ is a thick dense evergreen that prefers well-drained, moist and fertile soils. It's a great choice because it is a fast-growing evergreen conifer, ' explains Tammy Sons.
The thick growth offers the best privacy and it can also act as the the perfect backdrop for other flowering varieties of shrubs.
It can grow up to 6-10ft (2-3m) so especially useful for providing a screen from neighboring properties.
4. Mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia
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If you are looking for shrubs for privacy that also produce beautiful flowers, then the mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia, is one for the list.
'The large white and pink flowers are a joy to see in June and July,' explains Kathleen, and can be mixed with other flowering shrubs for beautiful, seasonal displays.
Also known as calico-bush, or spoonwood, mountain laurel 'has a reputation as a shade-lover, but it is happier and healthier in part to full sun,' she adds.
Mountain laurel is native to eco-regions of the eastern third of the US and southern Canada.
'Once established, mountain laurel can tolerate drier sites. If you're after plants for privacy from neighbors, avoid varieties bred for low height; if a tall screen is your goal, avoid cultivars bred for low height,' adds Kathleen.
You may choose cultivars bred for low height if you're looking for shrubs for the front of the house, however, as these will not block views, but will help increase your home's curb appeal with the summer blooms.
5. Rosebay rhododendron, Rhododendron maximum
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Another flowering candidate for a shrubs for privacy is Rosebay rhododendron, Rhododendron maximum, or American rosebay.
'Native to eco-regions in the eastern third of the U.S. as well as southeastern Canada, this tall shrub displays large white flowers in July. In most locations, this broadleaf evergreen can grow to 15 feet; in the southeastern U.S., it has been known to reach 30 feet,' explains Kathleen.
Rosebay rhododendron thrives in part to full shade, and prefers moist, acidic soil.
6. California privet
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'California Privet is a medium-sized evergreen shrub that requires dry soil,' explains Tammy Sons.
'A fast-growing and reliable shrub that is perfect for fast growing hedges, screens, and windbreaks, Ligustrum ovalifolium can reach heights of 10-12 feet,' she adds.
7. Spotted laurel – Aucuba japonica
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Spotted laurel, also known as Japanese laurel or Aucuba japonica, to give it its botanical name, is a fast grower, reaching up to 15 feet tall. It can tolerate partial or full shade, so is an ideal choice for shrubs for privacy in shady borders or corners.
With attractive spotted, variegated leaves, that can brighten dark areas, it also bears bright red berries in fall that visiting birds will flock to.
The shrub's dense foliage provides a good windbreak, as well as minimizing road noise if used as front garden ideas.
8. Photinia x fraseri
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This lovely evergreen shrub has red, glossy leaves and white flowers in the spring and summer, before maturing to lush dark green foliage.
Photinia x fraseri grows well in full sun to partial shade, and will tolerate normal, clay or chalk soils.
It is a low maintenance shrub for privacy although does not grow as tall as some of the other options, so might be better suited to a front as opposed to a backyard.
9. Forsythia
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As mentioned, not all shrubs for privacy have to be evergreen, and if you add in a few deciduous varieties into the mix, it will create more interest and color in your garden.
Forsythia is a good option for providing a living privacy wall from spring to fall once they are in flower and leaf, and grow to about 8-10 feet in height. They produce beautiful vibrant yellow flowers in spring, followed by green foliage.
'Hardy in zones 5 to 9, the shrub is requires very little maintenance and can live for many decades,' says Tammy Sons.
Forsythia is considered invasive in some areas, as it can quickly spread, so bear this in mind before planting depending on where you live.
10. Shrubby honeysuckle – Lonicera nitida
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Lonicera nitida, shrubby honeysuckle, or Wilson's honeysuckle, is a fast-growing, hardy evergreen shrub for privacy.
Reaching up to about 11 feet, it's a fairly tall choice, and with densely packed, tiny leaves, it forms a very dense living screen. Added to which it can produce scented off-white flowers in spring and purple-blue berries in fall, so can be a magnet for wildlife, and is pretty to boot.
This shrubby honeysuckle grows well in sun or partial shade, and will tolerate most soil types as long as they are well draining.
What is the fastest growing shrub for privacy?
There are a number of fast growing shrubs for privacy that you can choose if you are keen to establish a natural, living screen as soon as possible.
Shrubby or Wilson's honeysuckle is one fast grower – growing 15-23 inches (40cm and 60cm) per year.
Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’ can grow up to 3 feet per year, as can California privet.
There are many other options you could try, so carefully read the plant description and make sure you plant the chosen shrub in its preferred conditions to maximize its growth rate.
What can I plant to block neighbors' view?
If you want to block your neighbors' view then it is best to choose a tall growing variety of shrub.
The laurels can all reach a good height, with spotted laurel, schip laurel and mountain laurel all growing up to 15 feet given the right conditions.
Also look to some of the best trees for privacy and screening in a backyard if you're looking for tall plants to block neighbors' views from upstairs windows.
Rachel is senior content editor, and writes and commissions gardening content for homesandgardens.com, Homes & Gardens magazine, and its sister titles Period Living Magazine and Country Homes & Interiors. She has written for lifestyle magazines for many years, with a particular focus on gardening, historic houses and arts and crafts, but started out her journalism career in BBC radio, where she enjoyed reporting on and writing programme scripts for all manner of stories.
Rachel then moved into regional lifestyle magazines, where the topics she wrote about, and people she interviewed, were as varied and eclectic as they were on radio. Always harboring a passion for homes and gardens, she jumped at the opportunity to work on The English Home and The English Garden magazines for a number of years, before joining the Period Living team, then the wider Homes & Gardens team, specializing in gardens.
Which shrubs are suitable for hedges
A hedge of shrubs is most often used for landscaping an area in landscape design, as a delimitation of different zones on a site or fencing the territory from prying eyes. Such plants have different lengths and heights, which allows you to build a beautiful green fence, impassable to outsiders.
In this article we will analyze the main types of bushes suitable for these purposes.
Why choose shrubs for a live fence?
The hedge can be formed in the form of a low-growing border, as well as a dense fence 2-3 meters high, wild or of a certain shape.
Bushes are ideal for:
- the formation of various areas on the site, for example, areas for privacy and recreation;
- curbs along paths;
- external and internal delimitation of the territory;
- protect the site from prying eyes, dust and noise;
- focusing on certain parts of the garden.
A living shrub fence can be given any shape: elliptical, round, pyramidal, etc. by shearing. Such a fence is decorative, it is suitable for drapery of an old picket fence. Shrubs grow quickly, you can pick up plants of different heights and splendor with different periods of flowering, plant them in one, two or more rows. The result is a lush, green, flowering fence throughout the warm period.
If you want to know which vines are the best choice for your fence, read this article.
Detailed information about planting, caring for and cutting hedges in the country is here.
Whether spirea is suitable for hedges, which variety is better to choose and why - in this material.
Types of shrubs for hedges
For hedges, plants are selected that are unpretentious and shade-tolerant. This is especially true for dense multi-row fences. For fences of a certain shape, bushes are selected that easily tolerate a haircut. When selecting, take into account the growth rate of the variety and the shape of the crown. Plant height ranges from 10 cm to 6 m.
Evergreen varieties
Evergreen shrubs in winter are covered with the same elegant foliage as in warm weather. Some of them bloom beautifully. Some types of evergreens need shelter for the winter in the absence of snow, for example, boxwood or cherry laurel. Shrubs of European varieties do not require shelter. They go well with conifers and deciduous plants.
- Rhododendron is well suited for forming a fence on the north side of the site or in the northeast. It is recommended to combine with plants that have a tap root system. Some varieties in open areas are prone to burning in the spring sun, so they need to be shaded or hedge in shady places.
The first year after planting, the plants must be thoroughly watered. Further care for them is minimal. Feed with fertilizer for rhododendrons. - Magonia attracts with glossy evergreen leaves and fragrant flowers. The aroma of flowers resembles the smell of flowering lilies of the valley. The berries are dark purple with a bluish bloom, suitable for food, used in winemaking and cooking. Blooms in November-March, depending on the variety and region. Easily tolerates frosts even during flowering. Suitable for hedges: Oregon grapes, Japanese mahonia, Wagner and creeping.
- Heather is decorative during the flowering period, especially when the inflorescences are crushed by snow. The height of the bush is about 1 m and above. Color variations are different: yellow, white, lilac. Unpretentious, does not need systematic top dressing. Tall branches can bend on their own, rooting in the ground. Only dense hedges need moderate pruning until buds appear.
For the winter, the roots are covered with sawdust, dry leaves or peat.
The following video details how to create an evergreen hedge:
Prickly bushes
Prickly bushes are optimally suited for forming an external impenetrable hedge. Most of them tolerate shearing well, but look spectacular in the wild. Some species grow wide and require careful pruning and overgrowth control.
- Blackthorn is a highly branching winter-hardy plant up to 4 m high. It is undemanding in care. Forms dense impenetrable hedges that protect the site from gusts of wind. Suitable for outdoor fencing. Blossoms before the appearance of leaves, abundantly white flowers, bears fruit in August. The fruits are edible.
- Sea buckthorn is an easy-care shrub. Well propagated by seeds. Looks beautiful as a hedge planted in two rows.
Fruits in combination with leaves are very decorative. They are edible and have medicinal properties. Needs systematic pruning to form the boundaries of the fence, while reducing yield. - Roses - thorny shrubs of various heights. Under this name, many undersized, standard and climbing varieties are combined. A wide range allows you to create both an impenetrable living fence and a beautiful border. Some varieties need to be covered for the winter. They tolerate pruning well. Decorative during flowering.
Hedge roses
Tall shrubs
Tall varieties allow the formation of hedges 3-5 m high. Such plants grow quickly, which allows the formation of a fence within 2-3 years. To form a uniform hedge, it is recommended to combine them with plants of various sizes. The fence needs height control.
- Lilac tall varieties attract landscape gardeners with their captivating aroma and decorative qualities during the flowering period.
It is unpretentious in leaving, grows on any soils. Needs sanitary pruning, winter-hardy. A high hedge can be formed from bushes with different shapes and colors of buds. - Aronia chokeberry grows to a height of 2.5-3 m, forming dense hedges. Blooms in June-July with white or pink flowers. The fruits are edible, but in limited quantities due to the large amount of ascorbic acid in them, they have healing properties, suitable for harvesting. Winter-hardy and unpretentious. Very decorative, especially when the fruits ripen. Suitable for wild growing hedges, does not need frequent pruning.
- Elderberry is a shrub up to 4 m high. Blossoms in May-June. Many white inflorescences create a powerful heady aroma. The fruits have medicinal properties. Red and black varieties are suitable for high hedges. Mice can't stand it. There are several forms of elderberry bushes, for example, weeping and pyramidal. Unpretentious and winter-hardy.
Tall lilac
Shade-loving bushes
Shade-loving varieties are most often used to form arbors and hedges in combination with tall plants.
It's nice to relax in such a corner in hot weather. Shade-loving bushes also need sunlight, but differ in the degree of shade tolerance. They are divided into shade-loving and shade-tolerant. The difference is that shade-loving shrubs prefer shady places, while shade-tolerant shrubs put up with little shading.
- Honeysuckle is a frost-resistant shrub up to 2.5 meters high. Easily grows in width and height over the age of 4 years, so this fact must be taken into account when laying a fence. Flowering plant tolerates early frosts. The fruits are edible, ripen at different times. Until the age of seven, it does not need pruning. Virtually unaffected by pests and diseases.
- Hazel - shade-tolerant, suitable for places with little shading, while the amount of harvest depends on the degree of illumination of the planting. Needs top dressing with nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers, as well as sanitary pruning. For hedges form a crown of 4-8 branches.
Only annual branches bear fruit, this must be taken into account during the haircut. It is recommended to rejuvenate annually by cutting up to 3 old trunks. - Mexican jasmine attracts gardeners with its citrus aroma during flowering, and it blooms several times a season. Poorly tolerates a strong haircut. Can grow in full shade. Needs frost protection. It grows slowly, reaches a height of up to 3 m.
Jasmine fence
Low-growing varieties
Low-growing shrubs grow from 0.5 m to 1 m high. They are ideal for delimiting areas on the site and forming borders along paths. Their crown shape is varied. Many people tolerate haircuts very well. The border can be formed uncut, freely growing in one or two rows without losing its aesthetic appearance.
- Low Japanese quince is a small shrub with arcuate branches covered with thorns. When planting in two rows, it will protect the site from the penetration of animals.
Winter-hardy. It is very decorative during the flowering period and when the fruits ripen with a golden color. Fruits are fragrant, hang on branches until late autumn. Unpretentious, the crown can be given any shape by cutting.
- Graceful action grows up to 80 cm in height. It retains its decorative effect in the wild due to falling branches blooming with white small flowers. Depending on the species, the leaves have different colors: variegated, green and golden. The bush is not damaged by pests.
- Potentilla shrub is a versatile long flowering shrub. Yellow, yellow-orange or white flowers stay on the branches for about 100 days. Unpretentious. Multiple fruits resemble buttons covered with fine hairs. Winter-hardy and drought-resistant. Spraying is recommended on hot days.
Low-growing fence
Ornamental shrubs
Ornamental varieties differ from other types by a wide variety of leaf shapes and colors.
They look beautiful throughout the warm period. In various combinations, plants allow you to emphasize the features of the landscape. This category includes evergreen and deciduous plants. They are divided into ornamental and decorative flowering. The distance between specimens should be equal to twice the height of adult bushes. With this planting, many varieties do not need care and will be attractive in the wild.
- Weigela attracts attention with dark green saturated foliage. Blooms in May-June. Unpretentious and frost-resistant. Not damaged by pests. In autumn, it is decorative due to bright red berries that remain on the branches for most of the winter.
- Hydrangea attracts landscapers with a wide variety of color shades. Perfectly coexists in full shade and in partial shade, combined with trees. Inflorescences are large with a diameter of up to 25 cm. Likes loose soil, needs shelter for the winter. Handles shearing well.
The bush is very sprawling, with a dome diameter of up to 1.5 m. - Barberry Tumberga attracts with blue-gray foliage. It cuts perfectly, allowing you to create hedges of an unusual shape. Can be grown wild without loss of aesthetic qualities. Blooms up to 20 days. Winter-hardy and unpretentious. The crown has a spherical shape. Bush height up to 70 cm.
Hydrangea hedge
Fast-growing species
Fast-growing plants make it possible to form a beautiful fence in 2-3 years. Most often, vines and other climbing plants are used for this purpose. They are decorative throughout the warm period, do not need frequent pruning. By interweaving plants, you can create an impenetrable hedge of any height from them. It will perfectly hide the area from prying eyes. Annuals are planted to decorate the finished fence.
- Clematis - look impressive during the flowering period. The color scheme is varied. They love sunny places.
Ideal for fast growing hedges. For the winter, the root neck is covered, but sawdust cannot be used for this. A chic fence is formed in 2-3 years. Growth can be controlled by pinching the shoots. Pinching inhibits growth for 2-3 months. - Common hop especially beautiful with knobs on the branches. It grows to a height of up to 7 m, attaches to the surface on its own with the help of spikes on the stem. Does not require pruning. Unpretentious and frost-resistant. Used in medicine. Needs root control and regular watering.
- Aubert's Knotweed is the fastest growing variety and needs constant pruning. Unpretentious, but can freeze slightly in cold weather. Easily restored after freezing. It blooms in June-July with small whitish-greenish flowers. Suitable for hedges in partial shade, grows well in full sun. It is valued by landscapers because of the dense, bright green foliage.
Fast-growing live fence
Unpretentious shrubs
Unpretentious shrubs not only grow well on any soil, but also easily recover after heavy cutting and freezing.
Many of them easily take root in shady places. They tolerate heat and city conditions well.
- Schmidt Currant is ideal for medium hedges. Has a curly crown. It tolerates a haircut, allows you to create three-dimensional sculptures. Suitable for laying a fence in the shade, frost-resistant. It produces small fruits that are not used for food due to poor taste.
- Snowberry allows you to form a fence 1.5-2 m high. Thin curved shoots look impressive during the fruiting period. The fruits are small, white, remain on the plant until frost. Unpretentious to the soil and planting site, grows well in deep shade. It tolerates a haircut well, but it does not bloom and does not bear fruit.
- Mock orange attracts with its beauty during flowering and its chic aroma. Flowers and leaves of various sizes and textures. There are terry forms that are less fragrant. Suitable for hedges up to 2 m high. Suitable for sunny areas and partial shade.
Unpretentious and frost-resistant.
Mock orange fence
Planting and shearing basics
Before planting a hedge, determine the purpose for which it is needed. Based on this, they decide what height the green fence will be formed. For borders and low fences, undersized and medium-sized plants are selected. Coniferous bushes, creepers and thorny plants are suitable for external fences. Annuals are only suitable for decorating an existing fence.
When choosing bushes, pay attention to compatibility of varieties with each other . Not all shrubs can get along with each other. A hedge can be formed both from a variety of varieties of one plant, and various combinations of different bushes. Most often they combine shrubs of different heights. The result is a homogeneous hedge that protects the territory from prying eyes and visitors.
Different periods of flowering allow you to create a fence that will bloom throughout the warm period.
The distance between the bushes depends on the diameter of the crown of adult plants and ranges from 0.5-1.5 m. Ornamental plants are planted at a distance equal to twice the height of an adult bush. Dense impenetrable hedges are formed in 2-3 rows, planting bushes in a checkerboard pattern. The distance between the rows is about 0.5 m. The size of the hole under the bush should be about 20-50 cm larger than the roots. You can plant in a trench 60 cm wide for a single-row hedge, plus 40-50 cm for each subsequent row.
When planting bushes, humus and fertilizers are added to the hole in accordance with the type of plant. In this case, young plants do not fertilize for the first 1-2 years. During this period, shrubs are systematically watered, some plants need spraying in hot weather. The formation of the fence is carried out in the second or third year after planting, when the plants grow.
Some shrubs need width control, such as hops and raspberries.
Such species are not planted on the boundary with someone else's site.
Climbing varieties are intertwined as they grow. Sanitary cutting of bushes is carried out either in the spring before the growing season, or in the fall, cutting out shoots older than 4-5 years for rejuvenation. When forming the shape of the hedge, it is taken into account on which shoots and in what place the flower buds are laid. In some plants, they are formed on the apical shoots, in others - only on annual branches. Incorrect pruning will lead to a lack of flowering and fruiting. Some varieties, such as hydrangea, need to be removed as they dry. Some bushes need shelter for the winter, for example, boxwood and clematis.
Photo gallery of live fences made of shrubs
The photo below shows various bushes that form living fences in summer cottages and suburban areas: . You can plant a small green fence several tens of centimeters high to divide the garden into different zones. Or grow an impenetrable green fence of thorny bushes up to 3 meters high on the site, which will become an ecological alternative to traditional fencing.
Depending on the task at hand, you will need different fast-growing hedge shrubs. In this article, we will tell you about which plants are best to choose for planting a green fence.
Purpose of fence
Before choosing plants, answer yourself the question - why do you need a fast-growing perennial hedge?
- For dividing the site into zones of different purpose or design;
- For planting a low decorative border along garden paths;
- Fence off part of the garden from prying eyes, create a place for privacy;
- Create a play maze for children;
- Separate the inside of the yard from the outside;
- Create a green alternative to the fence, isolate the site from street noise, flying dust and curious glances of people passing by.
How should she look like?
- Geometrically flat green wall with right angles;
- Trees and shrubs with natural crowns;
- Rough fence with height differences along the perimeter;
- Constantly blooming from early spring to late autumn.
In each case, the choice of shrubs or trees for planting will be different. A hedge to protect the site from strangers, as well as a fence that should bloom all season, are planted in several rows.
Shade-tolerant plants
For planting hedges, and especially multi-row hedges, landscape designers recommend choosing unpretentious and shade-tolerant shrubs that tolerate regular shearing well. We will tell you about the most popular plants for hedges in this section.
Honeysuckle
This is a hardy plant that flowers and bears fruit. The shrub reaches a height of 2.5 m. Honeysuckle is resistant to diseases and pests.
Mexican Jasmine
Everyone knows this flowering shrub with a pleasant citrus aroma. Jasmine blooms several times a season and will fill your garden with fragrance. The shrub is ideal for fencing a romantic zone, a place for solitude. Can grow up to 3 meters in height. But it is worth remembering that jasmine does not tolerate a haircut very well, so you should let its crown grow naturally.
The shrub is able to grow in full shade, but does not like frost.
Hazel
Otherwise known as hazel. You can not only collect fruits from a shrub, but also grow a hedge from it, the first 4-8 branches will be enough for this. Hazel needs regular pruning, as well as fertilization.
Low-growing plants
Botanists call a shrub low-growing if its height does not exceed 1 meter. Such plants are well suited for the formation of a green border and zoning of the site.
Potentilla
The plant blooms with small yellow, white or light orange flowers for 100 days. This plant is drought tolerant, however in hot weather the appearance of the hedge is best maintained by spraying. Potentilla well tolerates winter cold.
Japanese quince
Low growing shrub with long spiny branches. Such a fence will not protect from neighbors, but will close the road to your site with their annoying animals. Japanese quince tolerates both shearing and Russian frosts well.
Ornamental shrubs
Hedge plants in this category have beautiful leaves or flowers. When choosing one of these shrubs, your hedge will not only be a fence, but also a decoration of the site.
Barberry Thunberg
This is a frost-resistant variety of barberry. The shrub is notable for its unusual blue-gray leaves, in addition, it blooms for 3 weeks. From the barberry most often form spherical hedges up to 70 cm high.
Hydrangea
There are many varieties of this flowering shrub with a lush crown, with a rich palette of colors. Hydrangea grows up to 1.5 meters tall. It tolerates the neighborhood of taller trees well and can grow in the shade.
Weigela
An ornamental garden shrub with dark green foliage that blooms in early summer. In autumn, its branches will grow berries that will decorate your garden for most of the winter. The plant tolerates frost well and is resistant to garden pests.
Fast growing species
Forming a reliable hedge, in which plants are closely intertwined, is a matter of many years.
However, there are shrubs with a high growth rate that can form a living fence in as little as 2-3 years.
Aubert's knotweed
One of the fastest growing shrubs that needs to be cut very often. It has lush foliage and white flowers that bloom in July.
Hops
A shrub with decorative cones that can grow up to 7 m in height. It does not need a haircut, but it is picky about watering.
Clematis
Sun-loving shrub with beautiful flowers. There are many varieties of clematis in various shades.
Willow
The water beauty grows very fast and will soon become a charming fence. Be prepared to constantly trim its flexible branches to keep your willow fence in shape.
Thorny plants
If you want to create an impenetrable hedge around the perimeter of the site, choose plants from this category. They grow well in height and have prickly branches with thorns. To make the fence as dangerous as possible for intruders, do not cut the bushes, allowing them to grow.
Rose
This beautiful flower can also become a reliable guardian of your home. The rose grows well in height, and its thorny shoots can curl, forming a solid wall. When planting this hedge, your garden will be filled with a wonderful rose scent.
Blackthorn
The most famous of all thorn bushes. The branches of the thorn are well intertwined with each other, protecting the yard from ill-wishers. The bush blooms with small white flowers, and later forms non-poisonous berries. Blackthorn can reach meters in height.
Sea buckthorn
Known to everyone since childhood, a shrub with tart orange berries can defend the boundaries of your plot. To create a reliable hedge, you need to plant sea buckthorn in two rows and twist them together. From pruning, the yield decreases, but all the same, all your relatives, friends and neighbors will be provided with sea buckthorn jam for a long time.
Norway spruce
A green beauty fence will not only protect your site from uninvited guests, but will also saturate the air with useful phytoncides and antiseptics.
And closer to the new year, the entire hedge of spruce can be decorated for the holiday.
Tall Plants
If you want a 3-5 meter high hedge, plant shrubs that will reach that height in 2-3 years. But get a ladder in advance to cut the hedge from above, many shrubs will tend to outgrow the specified height.
Thuja
This plant belongs to the cypress family. A thuja hedge can grow up to 20 m tall. The plant tolerates a haircut well, garden figures can be cut out of it. In addition, thuja fills the air with useful phytoncides.
Privet
Cone-shaped shrub growing up to 3 meters in height. In July, it blooms with light cream flowers, after which black berries form on the branches, which do not fall all winter. The shrub tolerates a haircut well and is suitable for the formation of various figures.
Aronia chokeberry
Shrub grows up to 3 meters high. Has white or pink flowers. Aronia berries are edible and very useful, they contain a lot of ascorbic acid.
The plant does not need frequent cutting
Lilac tall
Shrub can grow up to 5 m in height. It is not recommended to plant on the border of the site, neighbors and passers-by will harm the plant, breaking off branches with flowers in May. And if he plants a lilac hedge inside the territory, this purple flower will become
Elderberry
The undoubted advantages of elderberry are fragrant flowers and healthy berries. There are two subspecies that grow well in height - red and black elder. This plant does not require care.
Hardy plants
There are shrubs suitable for hedges that will take root in any soil, will not suffer from frequent shearing, shade, frost and drought. Choose one of these plants if you don't have enough time to tend the garden and the opportunity to invite a gardener.
Mock orange
A plant with white flowers that are very fragrant. Reaches a height of 2 meters.
Schmidt currant
Just remember that the berries of this currant are small and inedible.
