Privacy Plants
Enclose your garden from the outside world!
Privacy screens can be very helpful to create a sense of solitude, peace, and relief from the stress of the outside world. There are many ways to achieve this, from man-made screens and fence, to living trees and vines. When choosing plants for a privacy screen consider:
- first the Soil Type
- then the mature Height/Size
- and finally the Required Maintenance
It is best to choose a plant that, when mature, is close to the desired height and width. This way the maintenance will be greatly reduced as pruning will be minimal.
Plant a variety of species to prevent the spread of disease and potential loss of the entire screen.
It is much easier to fill a single hole than to replace the entire screen.
Evergreen vs. semi-evergreen
The plants listed below are all evergreen except: the roses, Thryallis, butterfly vine, coral honeysuckle, crossvine, and evergreen wisteria. We refer to these as ‘semi-evergreen’ as they will keep their leaves in a mild winter but will defoliate in a hard freeze. Virginia Creeper is deciduous.
Plants marked with an *asterisk can tolerate thin soils if the soil is amended with compost. Yaupons can grow just about anywhere but do better where the soil is amended and there is supplemental water.
| Trees | Height x Width (Ft) | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona Cypress | 30-50 x 20 | Sun | Blue/Grey Foliage | Med/Slow |
*Loquat | 20 x 20 | Sun/Part Shade | Flower/Fruit | Fast/Med |
Olive (not reliably cold hardy) | 12-15 x 10 | Sun | Fruit | Slow |
Texas Mountain Laurel | 15-20 x 8-10 | Sun/Shade | Purple fragrant flowers | Slow |
| Shrubs | Height x Width (ft) | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cenizo/Texas Sage "Green Cloud" | 8-10 x 6 | Sun | Grey leaf/Pink Flower | Medium |
*Eleagnus/Silverberry | 12 x 6-8 | Sun/Part Shade | Silvery scaled foliage | Medium |
Evergreen Sumac | 6-10 x 6-8 | Sun/Part Shade | Very tough | Slow |
*Primrose Jasmine | 6-7 x 6-8 | Sun/Shade | Yellow flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Prickly Pear | 5-8 x 5-8 | Sun | Flowers/Fruit | Fast/Med |
*Rosa 'Mutabilis' | 6-8 x 3-6 | Sun | Showy flowers | Med |
| Vines | Height | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
*Crossvine | 15-20 | Sun/Part Shade | Orange flowers | Med |
*Rosa 'Lady Banks' | 15-20 | Sun/Part Shade | Yellow/White Flower | Med |
| Trees | Height x Width (Ft) | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Carolina Cherry Laurel 'Center Court' | 30 x 15 | Sun/Part Shade | Shiny dark green leaves | Med |
Japanese Yew | 20-40 x 15 | Sun/Shade | Thin Foliage | Fast/Med |
| Shrubs | Height x Width (ft) | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Burford Holly | 10-15 x 4-8 | Sun/Shade | Shiny dark green leaves | Med |
*Golden Thryallis | 4-6 x 4-6 | Sun/Part Shade | Yellow flowers all summer | Med |
Greek Myrtle | 6-10 x 5 | Sun/Part Shade | Dark green leaves | Slow |
Pineapple Guava | 8-15 x 8-15 | Sun/Part Shade | Flower/fruit | Med |
Pittosporum | 8-10 x 8-10 | Sun/Part Shade | Dense foliage | Med |
*Rosa 'Knock Out' | 3-4 x 3-4 | Sun | Prolific flowers all summer | Med |
Southern Wax Myrtle | 10-15 x 6-8 | Sun/Part Shade | Thin Foliage | Fast/Med |
Viburnum 'Awabuki' | 10-15 x 4-8 | Sun/Part Shade | White flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Viburnum 'Chindo' | 10-15 x 6-8 | Sun/Part Shade | White flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Viburnum Sandankwa | 6-12 x 6-10 | Sun/Part Shade | White flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Viburnum, Sweet | 10-15 x 10 | Sun/Part Shade | White flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Viburnum 'Whorled Class' | 4-5 x 4-5 | Sun/Part Shade | White flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Xylosma | 10-15 x 10 | Sun/Shade | Glossy leaves | Fast/Med |
*Yaupon 'Pride of Houston' | 10-15 x 4-6 | Sun/Shade | Red berries | Med |
*Yaupon 'Scarlet's Peak' | 15-20 x 4 | Sun/Shade | Upright form | Med |
*Yaupon 'Will Fleming' | 15-20 x 5 | Sun/Shade | No berries | Med |
| Vines | Height | Light | Feature | Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Butterfly Vine | 10-12 | Sun | Seedpods look like butterflies | Fast |
Carolina Jessamine | 10-15 | Sun/Shade | Yellow flowers in spring | Med |
Coral Honeysuckle | 10 | Sun/Part Shade | Coral flowers | Med |
Evergreen Wisteria | 12-15 | Sun/Part Shade | Dark purple flowers | Med |
Star Jasmine | 20+ | Sun/Shade | Fragrant white flowers in spring | Fast/Med |
Virginia Creeper | 30+ | Sun/Part Shade | Leaves turn red in fall | Fast |
Trees, medium/large shrubs, and some woody vines need time to develop roots before they focus much growth above ground, which is why plants take about three years before they become “established.”
For optimal coverage and minimal maintenance, space the plants so the distance between them is just shorter than their full grown width. At first, the spacing may appear too wide, but as the plants grow, it will accommodate their mature sizes.
OR, for better short term results, plant them twice as densely, then remove every other plant after a few years. This will allow them the space to achieve their mature size. If the plants are not thinned, they will eventually be too overgrown and more susceptible to insects and disease.
Water deeply and thoroughly
A deep thorough watering over the entire root zone, with a chance to dry in between the next watering, is the ideal way to water. On average, soak deeply once or twice a week to start. As the plants mature watering can be reduced to once every few weeks depending on species and maturity.
The best overall shape to maintain is a slight cone narrower on the top. This shape allows sunlight to reach all the waydown to the lower branches. This light will make the branches fill out with more dense foliage. Plants that shade their lower branches will have fewer leaves or be completely devoid of foliage on the lower portions of the plant.
Pruning is best done in regular small prunings rather than big major cuts. These frequent prunings slow down wood formation. This is preferable because cut woody growth does not readily sprout new shoots. On evergreens, always leave some foliage beneath the cut. Cut the stems just above the spot where a leaf attaches to the stem. This point is called a node. New growth will arise from the upper-most nodes left on the stems. This encourages more branching and denser foliage.
Vines have a faster growth rate and offer faster coverage and establishment than most shrubs and trees. There is more in upfront cost for vines due to the trellis, but for many, the faster growth rate makes up for it. When planting the vine, remove the stake from the plant and entwine the stems horizontally through the trellis as shown in the first diagram below. Once the stems begin to sprout they will grow up vertically, covering the trellis more evenly.
