The Ultimate Guide to the Best Shrubs for Privacy Screens in the USA
We’ve all been there. You’re enjoying a quiet morning coffee on your patio, perhaps in your pajamas, when you suddenly lock eyes with your neighbor who is doing the exact same thing just twenty feet away. In that moment, the dream of a private sanctuary feels a long way off. While wooden fences are the traditional go-to, they can feel cold, industrial, and—let’s be honest—boring. This is where living privacy screens come in.
As an expert in landscape design and gardening, I can tell you that nothing transforms a backyard quite like a well-planned hedge or shrub border. Not only do shrubs provide that much-needed visual barrier, but they also dampen noise, act as windbreaks, and provide vital habitats for local birds and pollinators. In this comprehensive guide, we are going to explore the absolute best shrubs for privacy screens across the United States, tailored to different climates, growth speeds, and aesthetic preferences.
Why Choose a Living Fence Over a Traditional Fence?
Before we dive into the specific plants, let’s talk about why you’re making the right choice with shrubs. A wooden fence starts decaying the moment you install it. A living screen, however, gets stronger, thicker, and more beautiful with every passing year.
- Sound Absorption: Dense foliage is remarkably good at absorbing high-frequency noises, such as passing cars or lawnmowers.
- Microclimate Control: Shrubs can block harsh winds in the winter and provide cooling transpiration in the summer.
- Property Value: Professional landscaping has a significantly higher ROI (Return on Investment) than a standard chain-link or pressure-treated wood fence.
- Aesthetic Flexibility: Whether you want a formal “English Garden” look or a wild, flowering meadow vibe, there is a shrub for you.
Understanding Your USDA Hardiness Zone
The United States is a massive country with wildly different climates. A shrub that thrives in the humid heat of Florida (Zone 9-10) will likely perish in the sub-zero winters of Minnesota (Zone 3-4). Before you spend a dime at the nursery, you must know your USDA Hardiness Zone. Throughout this article, I will reference these zones to ensure you pick a plant that won’t just survive, but flourish in your specific backyard.
The Heavyweights: Best Evergreen Shrubs for Year-Round Privacy
If your primary goal is to hide the neighbor’s second-story window 365 days a year, you need evergreens. These plants keep their leaves (or needles) all winter long, ensuring your privacy never takes a “season off.”
1. Thuja ‘Green Giant’ (Arborvitae)
Zones: 5–8
If you want a wall and you want it now, the Green Giant is your best friend. This is arguably the most popular privacy shrub in the USA for a reason. It grows at a staggering rate of 3 to 5 feet per year. It features a rich, dark green color and a classic pyramidal shape. Unlike some other arborvitae, the Green Giant is remarkably resistant to deer and can handle heavy snow loads without splitting.
2. Emerald Green Arborvitae
Zones: 2–8
For those with smaller suburban lots, the Green Giant might be too much plant. The Emerald Green is the refined cousin. It stays much narrower (about 3-4 feet wide) and reaches a manageable height of 12-15 feet. It’s perfect for tight spaces between houses or along a driveway. Its foliage stays vibrant green even in the depths of a Midwestern winter.
3. Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Zones: 6–9
If you live in the Mid-Atlantic or the South, the Nellie R. Stevens Holly is a premier choice. It’s a broadleaf evergreen with deep, glossy green leaves and iconic red berries in the winter. It grows in a natural pyramid shape and creates a “prickly” barrier that discourages intruders (and the neighbor’s dog) from pushing through. It’s incredibly heat-tolerant and thrives in the humidity of the Carolinas or Georgia.
4. Skip Laurel (Schipkaensis)
Zones: 5–9
The Skip Laurel is one of the most elegant privacy options. It features large, shiny, leathery leaves that look great in formal settings. One of its best features is its ability to grow in shade. While most privacy shrubs demand full sun, the Skip Laurel will happily create a thick screen under the canopy of large oak trees. In the spring, it produces beautiful spikes of white, fragrant flowers.
The Fast-Trackers: Best Shrubs for Quick Results
Patience is a virtue, but sometimes you just want the neighbor to stop looking at your grill. If speed is your priority, these shrubs are the sprinters of the plant world.
5. Privet (Ligustrum)
Zones: 4–9 (depending on variety)
Privet has been the backbone of American hedging for over a century. Varieties like the ‘California Privet’ or ‘Amur Privet’ can grow several feet in a single season. They are incredibly tough and can be sheared into a very tight, formal “box” shape. Note: Privet is deciduous in the North and evergreen in the South, so check your local climate expectations.
6. Leyland Cypress
Zones: 6–10
In the warmer half of the USA, the Leyland Cypress is the king of speed. It creates a soft, feathery wall of blue-green foliage. However, a word of caution from an expert: Leylands grow fast but can become massive (up to 50 feet tall). Only plant these if you have the space or are committed to annual pruning. They are also prone to certain fungi in very humid areas, so ensure they have good air circulation.
7. Red Tip Photinia
Zones: 7–9
Once the darling of the 1980s landscape, the Red Tip Photinia is making a comeback in areas where it thrives. Its claim to fame is the brilliant red color of its new growth in the spring. It grows quickly and creates a very dense screen. Just be sure to look for disease-resistant cultivars, as some older varieties are susceptible to leaf spot.
The Showstoppers: Flowering Shrubs for Privacy
Who says a privacy screen has to be just a green wall? If you want to add a splash of color and fragrance to your perimeter, these flowering shrubs are top-tier choices.
8. Panicle Hydrangea (e.g., ‘Limelight’)
Zones: 3–9
The ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea is a game-changer. While most hydrangeas are small, these can easily reach 8-10 feet tall and wide. In the summer, they are covered in massive, cone-shaped lime green to white flowers that eventually turn pink and burgundy in the fall. While they do lose their leaves in the winter, their dense branch structure still provides a decent “visual break.”
9. Rose of Sharon (Althea)
Zones: 5–9
For a tropical look in a temperate climate, Rose of Sharon is unbeatable. It blooms in mid-to-late summer when most other shrubs have finished. With flowers in shades of white, pink, blue, and purple, it creates a stunning vertical screen. It has a naturally upright, vase-shaped habit, making it great for narrow side yards.
10. Lilac (Syringa)
Zones: 3–7
If you live in the North, a lilac hedge is a sensory dream. Common Purple Lilac or the ‘Miss Kim’ variety can be planted in a row to create a 10-12 foot screen. The fragrance in May is legendary. Like the hydrangea, it is deciduous, but the sheer beauty of the spring bloom makes it a favorite for many homeowners.
Native Shrubs: The Eco-Friendly Privacy Choice
As an advocate for sustainable gardening, I always encourage homeowners to look at native species. Natives are already adapted to your local soil and weather, requiring less water and fewer chemicals. Plus, they support local wildlife.
11. American Arborvitae (Eastern White Cedar)
Zones: 3–7
This is the parent plant of many popular cultivars. It is incredibly hardy and provides essential winter cover for birds. It handles wet soil better than almost any other evergreen, making it perfect for those low spots in the yard that stay soggy after a rain.
12. Wax Myrtle
Zones: 7–11
A superstar for the Southern USA and coastal regions. The Wax Myrtle is salt-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and fast-growing. Its foliage has a spicy, pleasant scent when crushed (historically used to make bayberry candles). It creates a wispy, naturalistic screen that looks beautiful in coastal or cottage-style landscapes.
13. Arrowwood Viburnum
Zones: 3–8
Named because Native Americans used its straight stems for arrows, this viburnum is a powerhouse. It offers white flowers in spring, blue berries for birds in summer, and stunning red-yellow foliage in the fall. It’s incredibly “plastic,” meaning it can grow in sun, shade, sand, or clay.
Expert Tips: How to Plan and Plant Your Privacy Screen
Buying the plants is only half the battle. To ensure your living wall thrives, you need to follow a professional planting strategy. Here is my step-by-step approach to a successful installation.
1. Space for Success
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is planting shrubs too close together. It’s tempting to want immediate privacy, but if you overcrowd them, they will compete for light and nutrients, leading to “bare bottoms” (where the lower branches die off).
Pro Tip: Use a “Staggered Row” (Zig-Zag) pattern. Instead of one straight line, plant two rows. This provides instant coverage while giving each plant more breathing room and air circulation.
2. Soil Preparation is Non-Negotiable
Don’t just dig a hole in the grass and drop the plant in. Dig a trench or individual holes that are twice as wide as the root ball. Mix your native soil with high-quality compost or aged manure. This gives the roots the “easy” nutrients they need to establish quickly.
3. The “First Year” Water Rule
A newly planted privacy screen is vulnerable. For the first full growing season, you must ensure they get deep watering. A drip irrigation hose snaked through the base of the shrubs is the most efficient way to do this. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week.
4. Mulching
Apply a 3-inch layer of organic mulch (like shredded hardwood) around the base of your shrubs. This regulates soil temperature, suppresses weeds that would compete for water, and as it breaks down, it improves the soil quality.
Common Challenges and How to Solve Them
“My shrubs are growing, but they are thin and leggy.”
This is usually caused by a lack of sunlight or a lack of pruning. Most evergreen shrubs actually benefit from “heading back” (pruning the tips) in the early years. This encourages the plant to push out more lateral growth, making the screen much thicker and more “private.”
“Deer are eating my privacy fence!”
If you live in an area with high deer pressure, stay away from ‘Arborvitae occidentalis’ (like Emerald Green). Deer treat these like a salad bar. Instead, opt for Nellie R. Stevens Holly, Boxwood, or Japanese Yew, which are much more deer-resistant.
“The bottom of my hedge is dying.”
This often happens when the top of the hedge is pruned wider than the bottom. This shades out the lower branches. Always prune your hedge in a “trapezoid” shape—slightly narrower at the top than at the bottom—so sunlight can reach the ground-level foliage.
Regional Recommendations for the USA
To make this guide truly practical, let’s look at the best choices by region:
The Northeast & Midwest (Cold Winters, Humid Summers)
- Top Choice: American Arborvitae or Canadian Hemlock.
- Flowering: Lilacs and Ninebark.
- Hardy Native: Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar).
The Southeast (Heat, Humidity, Clay Soil)
- Top Choice: Nellie R. Stevens Holly or Tea Olive (Osmanthus).
- Fast Grower: Cryptomeria ‘Yoshino’.
- Aesthetic: Camellia Sasanqua (beautiful winter blooms).
The Pacific Northwest (Mild, Wet)
- Top Choice: Western Red Cedar or English Laurel.
- Unique Look: Pacific Wax Myrtle.
- Understory: Rhododendrons.
The Southwest & California (Arid, Sunny)
- Top Choice: Arizona Cypress or Italian Cypress.
- Drought Tolerant: Oleander (Warning: Toxic if eaten) or Texas Ranger (Leucophyllum).
- Native Option: Toyon (Christmas Berry).
Maintenance: Keeping Your Living Wall Pristine
Once your privacy screen is established, it doesn’t need much, but a little TLC goes a long way.
Fertilization: Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring just as new growth begins. For evergreens, a fertilizer specifically formulated for “acid-loving” plants (like Holly-tone) works wonders.
Pruning Timeline:
- Evergreens: Best pruned in late winter or early spring before the new growth starts.
- Spring Bloomers (Lilacs): Prune immediately after they finish flowering.
- Summer Bloomers (Rose of Sharon): Prune in late winter.
The Final Word on Living Privacy
Creating a privacy screen is an investment in your home’s comfort and your own peace of mind. Whether you choose the lightning-fast Green Giant Arborvitae, the elegant Skip Laurel, or the vibrant ‘Limelight’ Hydrangea, you are adding life and character to your landscape.
Remember, the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the second best time is today. Don’t spend another summer feeling exposed in your own backyard. Choose the shrub that fits your zone, dig those holes, and watch as nature builds a beautiful, rustling wall between you and the rest of the world.
Happy planting!
Quick Summary Table for Privacy Shrubs
| Shrub Name | Growth Rate | Max Height | Best For… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thuja Green Giant | Fast | 30-50 ft | Large properties |
| Emerald Green Arb. | Slow/Medium | 12-15 ft | Tight spaces |
| Nellie R. Stevens | Medium | 15-25 ft | The South/Security |
| Limelight Hydrangea | Fast | 8-10 ft | Summer Color |
| Privet | Very Fast | 10-15 ft | Formal Hedging |
Disclaimer: Always check for local invasive species lists before planting. Some shrubs, like certain varieties of Privet or Barberry, may be restricted in specific states.