Enhancing privacy in your outdoor space is essential for creating a peaceful and secluded environment. One effective and visually pleasing way to achieve this is by using shrubs to create private fences.
These living barriers not only provide a sense of seclusion but also add beauty and charm to your landscape. Whether you have a small backyard or a sprawling garden, selecting the right shrubs can make a significant difference in creating a private oasis.
In this guide, we present the 12 best shrubs renowned for their ability to form natural fences, ensuring you find the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal. Get ready to explore a range of options, from evergreen shrubs that offer year-round privacy to flowering varieties that add bursts of color and fragrance to your outdoor haven.
With our handpicked selection, you’ll discover the ideal shrubs to transform your open space into a private sanctuary that you’ll love to relax and unwind in.
#1. Arborvitae
Source: Fast Growing Trees
Arborvitae is highly favored for establishing a living privacy fence due to numerous compelling factors. Its dense evergreen leaves form a lush hedge when adequately spaced, making it a preferred choice. Additionally, arborvitae thrives in various soil conditions, requires minimal upkeep, and exhibits resilience against cold temperatures.
When selecting the appropriate arborvitae for your area, consider the plant’s mature dimensions as there are different varieties available, ranging from compact to towering in height and width.
#2. Spartan Juniper
Source: Westchester Tree Life
Juniper shrubs are an excellent choice for creating a privacy fence. With various cultivars available, they offer versatility in height, with some reaching over 10 feet tall.
Junipers, such as the Spartan juniper, can be planted closely together, maximizing their ability to form a dense barrier. Their foliage provides effective privacy while also serving as a natural windbreak.
#3. Hydrangea
Source: Pinterest
Hydrangeas can be a delightful choice for creating a privacy fence in your outdoor space. These flowering shrubs offer a lush and full appearance, with their abundant blooms adding a touch of beauty to your landscape. While they may not form a dense barrier like evergreen shrubs, hydrangeas can still provide some privacy with their voluminous foliage.
They are best suited for milder climates and prefer partial shade to thrive. With their attractive flowers and vibrant colors, hydrangeas can transform your privacy fence into a stunning focal point in your garden.
#4. Butterfly Bush
Source: Wilson Bros Gardens
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja) is a popular shrub known for its ability to attract butterflies and create a beautiful privacy fence. With its dense growth and arching branches, Butterfly Bush can reach heights of 6 to 10 feet, providing effective screening and privacy.
This deciduous shrub produces abundant clusters of fragrant flowers in various colors, adding visual interest to your outdoor space. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it a versatile and low-maintenance option for creating a vibrant and private fence in your garden.
#5. Lilac
Source: Gurney’s
Lilac shrubs can be a wonderful choice for creating a privacy fence in your outdoor space. Known for their beautiful and fragrant flowers, lilacs can also provide a dense and visually appealing barrier. With their tall and bushy growth habit, they can effectively block unwanted views and create a sense of seclusion.
Lilacs are available in a variety of cultivars, offering options for different colors and bloom times. Consider planting them in a row or cluster to form a charming and fragrant privacy fence that will enhance the beauty of your garden.
#6. Euonymus
Source: Pinterest
Euonymus shrubs are a popular choice for creating privacy fences due to their dense foliage and versatility. With their fast growth rate and ability to be pruned into a compact form, Euonymus shrubs quickly form a dense barrier that shields your outdoor space from prying eyes.
They come in various species and cultivars, offering options for both evergreen and deciduous varieties. Whether you prefer solid green leaves or variegated foliage, Euonymus shrubs can add both privacy and visual interest to your landscape.
#7. Chocolate Vine
Source: Pinterest
Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata) is a popular choice for creating a privacy fence due to its fast-growing and vigorous nature. This deciduous vine features attractive heart-shaped leaves and produces clusters of fragrant purple flowers in spring. As the vine grows, it forms a dense cover, making it an excellent option for adding privacy to your outdoor space.
Its ability to climb trellises, fences, and arbors allows it to create a natural and visually appealing barrier. However, it’s important to note that Chocolate Vine can be invasive in some regions, so proper care and maintenance are necessary to prevent it from spreading uncontrollably.
#8. Hicks Yew
Source: Fast Growing Trees
Hicks Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’) is a popular choice for creating a privacy fence. This evergreen shrub features dense, dark green foliage that remains vibrant year-round, making it an excellent option for maintaining privacy throughout the seasons.
Hicks Yew has a compact and upright growth habit, reaching heights of 10 to 12 feet, and can be easily pruned to maintain desired dimensions. Its tolerance to various soil conditions and ability to withstand heavy pruning make it a versatile and low-maintenance choice for a privacy fence.
#9. Boxwood
Source: AliExpress
Boxwood is a popular choice for creating privacy fences due to its dense foliage and versatility. With its compact growth habit and evergreen leaves, Boxwood shrubs provide year-round privacy and remain lush even during winter.
They can be easily shaped and trimmed into hedges or formal topiaries, allowing you to customize the height and thickness of your privacy fence. Boxwood is a low-maintenance shrub that thrives in various climates and soil conditions, making it a reliable option for privacy in gardens of all sizes.
#10. Skip Laurel
Source: Wilson Bros Gardens
Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’) is a popular choice for creating a privacy fence. This evergreen shrub features dense, glossy foliage that forms a thick barrier, effectively screening out unwanted views and noise. Skip Laurel can grow up to 10-15 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide, making it an excellent option for privacy in both residential and commercial landscapes.
It thrives in full sun to partial shade and is adaptable to various soil conditions. With its attractive appearance, low maintenance requirements, and year-round privacy, Skip Laurel is a reliable choice for creating a private fence.
#11. Bamboo
Source: Bamboo Plants HQ
Bamboo is a popular choice for creating privacy fences due to its rapid growth and dense foliage. With its tall and slender culms, bamboo can quickly form a dense barrier, providing privacy and blocking unwanted views. It is important to select clumping bamboo varieties rather than the running types to avoid invasive spreading.
Bamboo offers a natural and sustainable option for privacy fencing, with many species being evergreen and low-maintenance. Its unique aesthetic appeal and versatility make bamboo an excellent choice for creating a private and tranquil outdoor space.
#12. Holly
Source: Harwood’s Garden Supplies
Holly shrubs are a popular choice for creating privacy fences due to their dense foliage and ability to grow into a thick, evergreen barrier. With their glossy leaves and vibrant red berries (in certain varieties), holly shrubs offer both privacy and visual appeal.
They can be pruned to the desired height and shape, making them versatile for various landscape designs. Additionally, holly shrubs are relatively low-maintenance and can thrive in different soil conditions.
