When planting bushes or trees for privacy, there are several things to take into consideration when selecting plants. When choosing plants for privacy, first make sure they are evergreen and will not lose foliage during fall/winter, then choose plants based on light requirements, watering, and your budget. The plants below offer wonderful options for screening and privacy hedges.

Bushes: Anise

Anise does well in full sun or shade. Anise is deer resistant and has fragrant flowers.

Bushes: Acuba

Aucuba is a great plant for screening in the shade. Gold Dust or Picturata are two varieties of Aucuba we love to plant.

Bushes: Camellias

There are many varieties of Camellias. Some do well in sun while others do well in shade. They also provide some great color when flowering.

Bushes: Ligustrum (Privet)

Also known as Privet, Ligustrums have a fast growth rate. They create tall, dense screening in full sun. Their dense foliage makes them an excellent candidate for a screening shrub.

Bushes: Lorapetalum

Loropetalums are available in several different varieties with various sizes at maturity as well as foliage and flower color. They add color to the landscape with their red foliage and bright pink fringe flower in the spring. Some varieties will reach 10' to 15' tall or more.

Bushes: Tea Olive

Tea Olives are some of the most fragrant shrubs in landscapes in the south. They can grow 4" to 12" per year. Their dense foliage makes them an excellent candidate for a screening shrub.

Trees: Green Giant Arborvitae

Green Giants are fast-growing trees, growing as much as 3' in height per year. They can reach about 50' to 60' in height and 12' to 20' in width at maturity.

Trees: Yoshino Cryptomeria

These fast-growing specimens can reach 30' to 40' tall and 20' to 30' wide. Its texture provides some great interest in the landscape.

Trees: Emerald Green Arborvitae

When you need screening in tight space, these are a perfect choice. They have a moderate growth rate, reaching 15' tall and only 4' in diameter. We use these often. Due to their slender width, they need to be spaced close together for screening, about 3' - 4' apart.

Trees: Little Gem Magnolia

Little Gems provide all the charm of a southern Magnolia, but in a smaller size. They are a slow grower with a growth rate of less than 12" per year and achieve 15' to 20' in height and 7' to 10' in width at maturity.

Trees: Oak Leaf Holly

Oak Leaf Hollies are fast growing and dense, achieving 14' in height and 8' in width at maturity. Pyramidal in shape. They also have a neat looking leaf, making them a great choice for a Holly for variety in your tree screening planting.