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There are a lot of ways to create privacy for your home, patio, or garden space, but there are few as green and bold as a well-chosen hedge. Hedges add depth, texture, color, and other fancy features to what would otherwise be a drab and sterile fence or wall. Here are some of our favorites for your yard and garden spaces.
Dappled Willow (USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9)
Growing 8 to 10 feet in height, in full sun to partial shade, dappled willows are shrubs that not only look good, but also create a lot of privacy as they grow. They have a rounded shape, and many sport pink and white coloration throughout the year. In the fall, leaves turn a dramatic yellow against their natural coral-red stems.
Forsythia (USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 8)
Forsythias provide a three-season show for anyone willing to give these old-fashioned favorites a shot. In the spring, bright yellow flowers burst forth before the foliage has even started, bringing big color to the landscape before most plants have even woken up from dormancy. This deep green bush grows aggressively, to 8 to 10 feet at maturity. They’re tidy and easy to keep, too!
Nandina (USDA Hardiness Zones 6 through 9)
Nandina is a member of the Barberry family, with a distinctly bamboo-like appearance. There are many cultivars available, so you can choose almost any size, from about 3 feet tall to over 8 feet in height. Their light and airy foliage makes a beautiful backdrop to the large flower clusters that eventually turn into shiny berries by the end of the growing season. These bushes are extremely difficult to kill once established, making perfect hedges for the brownest of thumbs.
Quince (USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9)
Quince is both a flowering shrub and one that, when the correct variety is chosen, will produce fruit. The plant, which often reaches up to 10 feet, generally sports dramatic flowers in colors ranging from orange to pink and red. The long thorns add to the safety and privacy aspect, as no one wants to mess with a bush full of sharp bristles.
Rose of Sharon (USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 9)
Rose of Sharon, a variety of Hibiscus, is perhaps one of the most forgiving of the large bushes, tolerating most conditions you can throw at it, as well as poor soils. It will grow up to 12 feet tall, a great height for privacy, and does it while sporting huge crepe-like flowers in a range of colors. These bushes can have a very wild and unkempt appearan ce, so if you’re into a more formal look, best to keep shopping.
Spirea (USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8)
Spirea are an old-fashioned favorite with long graceful limbs sporting clusters of flowers year after year. There are many varieties to choose between, including dwarfs that are only a few feet tall to much larger varieties reaching 8 feet or higher. They have a mounding form and don’t need a lot of care, making them great if you’re looking for low-maintenance, visually dramatic bushes.
Viburnum (USDA Hardiness Zones 2 through 9)
Viburnums are native to North America, so can help support efforts to create a landscape that’s made up of local types. There are a huge range of variety within these bushes, including evergreen, semi-evergreen plants, but they all sport huge dramatic flower clusters that mature into small fruits that animals often eat in the summer and fall. Fall colors vary, but they always put on a show.
