Screens and buffers

Privacy Shrubs, Vines, and Screening Plants

This collection favors plants tagged for privacy or screening, then surfaces mature-size and spacing data where the database has them.

A privacy plant has to become structure, not just look good in a nursery pot. Mature height, mature width, evergreen behavior, pruning tolerance, and establishment water matter more than a quick label claim.

This page ranks screens and buffers by practical planning signals so a gardener can compare long-term size and maintenance before planting a property-line row.

Match privacy plants Open plant screener
Screening candidates
159
Visible shortlist
24
Timing data
159

Useful setup tools

Useful supplies

Tools / Planting day

Digging spade or shovel

Open planting holes, loosen compacted soil, and shape beds for larger transplants.

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Soil / After planting

Organic mulch

Hold soil moisture, suppress weeds, moderate soil temperature, and protect shallow roots.

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Watering / Install at planting

Drip irrigation kit

Deliver steady root-zone moisture with less leaf wetness and less water loss.

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Protection / After planting

Rabbit or deer protection

Guard young edible, native, and ornamental plants until they can tolerate browsing.

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How this page is built

Selection notes

Screening scale

Favors records with privacy goals, mature-size context, and spacing cues for hedges or living screens.

Maintenance fit

Water, soil, and growth habit matter as much as height when a screen must survive with routine care.

Edible overlap

Fruit and wildlife value are surfaced when a screen can do more than block a view.

Browse profiles

Fruit shrub

Coolidge pineapple guava

aromatic green fruit in fall

Mature size
4-15 ft H x 4-12 ft W
Spacing
6-12 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Low water
Zones
8a-10b
FruitCurb appeal & coloredible flowersevergreen silver foliage
Ornamental shrub

Japanese plum yew

evergreen needles

Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
6a-9b
Curb appeal & colorPrivacy & screeningshade-tolerant evergreenyew-like foliage
Berry shrub

York elderberry

white spring flowers; large berry clusters in late summer

Mature size
6-12 ft H x 6-10 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 10-12 ft rows
Water
High water
Zones
3a-8b
Privacy & screeningFruitproductive American elderberrypairs with Adams
Berry shrub

Viking aronia

berries ripen in late summer

Mature size
3-8 ft H x 3-6 ft W
Spacing
3-6 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
3a-8a
FruitPollinators & wildlifeblack chokeberryexcellent fall color
Berry shrub

Red Gem goumi berry

red berries ripen in late spring

Mature size
8-18 ft H x 8-18 ft W
Spacing
15-20 ft in-row x 18-25 ft rows
Water
Low water
Zones
4b-8b
FruitPollinators & wildlifenitrogen-fixing shrubtart cherry-like berries
Ornamental shrub

Wax myrtle

aromatic evergreen foliage year-round

Mature size
3-12 ft H x 3-10 ft W
Spacing
3-8 ft apart
Water
Medium water
Zones
7a-11a
Privacy & screeningPollinators & wildlifenative nitrogen-fixing shrubsongbird food
Berry shrub

Sunshine Blue blueberry

ripens in late spring to summer

Mature size
3-8 ft H x 3-6 ft W
Spacing
4-6 ft in-row x 8-12 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
6b-10a
FruitCurb appeal & colorcompact evergreen habitlow-chill blueberry
Fruit shrub

Chilean guava

small fragrant berries in fall

Mature size
0.5-1 ft H x 1-2 ft W
Spacing
1-1.5 ft in-row x 3-4 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
8a-10a
FruitCurb appeal & colorevergreen edible shrubstrawberry-spice flavor
Fruit shrub

Nikita pineapple guava

sweet aromatic fruit in fall

Mature size
4-15 ft H x 4-12 ft W
Spacing
6-12 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Low water
Zones
8a-10b
FruitCurb appeal & colorcompact feijoa selectionevergreen shrub
Ornamental shrub

Simpson's stopper

evergreen foliage, flowers, and red berries

Mature size
6-20 ft H x 6-15 ft W
Spacing
6-12 ft apart
Water
Medium water
Zones
8b-11a
Privacy & screeningPollinators & wildlifeFlorida native shrubscreening plant
Fruit shrub

Strawberry guava

red guava fruit in summer to fall

Mature size
0.5-1 ft H x 1-2 ft W
Spacing
1-1.5 ft in-row x 3-4 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
9b-11a
FruitCurb appeal & colortropical evergreen fruitcontainer candidate
Berry shrub

Pixwell gooseberry

green-pink berries in early summer

Mature size
3-8 ft H x 3-8 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
3a-8a
FruitPrivacy & screeningnearly thornless habitreliable pie berry
Ornamental shrub

Hicks yew

dark evergreen needles year-round

Mature size
8-15 ft H x 3-6 ft W
Spacing
3-6 ft in-row x 3-8 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
4a-7a
Privacy & screeningCurb appeal & colornarrow upright yewshade-tolerant
Ornamental tree

Green Giant arborvitae

fast-growing evergreen foliage year-round

Mature size
30-50 ft H x 10-18 ft W
Spacing
6-12 ft apart
Water
Medium water
Zones
5a-8a
Privacy & screeningCurb appeal & colorrapid-growth screening evergreendeer-resistant
Ornamental shrub

Fortune tea olive

fragrant white flowers in fall and spring; evergreen foliage

Mature size
3-12 ft H x 3-10 ft W
Spacing
3-8 ft apart
Water
Medium water
Zones
7a-9a
Privacy & screeningCurb appeal & colorfragrant evergreen hedge plant
Fruit shrub

Regent serviceberry

berries ripen in early summer

Mature size
3-8 ft H x 3-8 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
2b-7b
FruitPollinators & wildlifenative edible berriesspring flowers
Fruit shrub

Carmine Jewel bush cherry

dark tart cherries in midsummer

Mature size
4-8 ft H x 4-8 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
3a-8a
FruitCurb appeal & colordwarf sour cherrycold-hardy prairie breeding
Berry shrub

Adams elderberry

berries ripen in late summer

Mature size
6-12 ft H x 6-10 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 10-12 ft rows
Water
High water
Zones
3b-8b
FruitPollinators & wildlifenative shrubpollinator flowers
Berry shrub

Wyldewood elderberry

large berry clusters in late summer

Mature size
6-12 ft H x 6-10 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 10-12 ft rows
Water
High water
Zones
3b-8b
FruitPollinators & wildlifeproductive American elderberrybeneficial flowers
Nut shrub

American hazelnut

nuts mature in late summer

Mature size
6-12 ft H x 6-12 ft W
Spacing
6-10 ft in-row x 8-12 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
4a-8b
FruitPollinators & wildlifenative thicket shrubwildlife cover
Fruit shrub

Chickasaw plum

ripens in early summer

Mature size
12-20 ft H x 12-20 ft W
Spacing
14-20 ft in-row x 20-25 ft rows
Water
Low water
Zones
5a-9b
FruitPollinators & wildlifenative thicket-formerearly pollinator flowers
Fruit vine

Maypop passionfruit

fruit ripens in late summer

Mature size
6-12 ft H x 6-12 ft W
Spacing
6-10 ft in-row x 8-12 ft rows
Water
Medium water
Zones
6a-10a
FruitPollinators & wildlifenative passionflowerhost plant for butterflies
Fruit shrub

Nanking cherry

red cherries in early summer

Mature size
4-8 ft H x 4-8 ft W
Spacing
4-8 ft in-row x 6-10 ft rows
Water
Low water
Zones
2b-7b
FruitPollinators & wildlifecold-hardy shrub cherryearly spring bloom
Ornamental shrub

Arrowwood viburnum

white spring flowers; blue fall fruit

Mature size
3-10 ft H x 3-10 ft W
Spacing
3-8 ft apart
Water
Medium water
Zones
3a-8a
Curb appeal & colorPollinators & wildlifenative shrubreliable wildlife value

Showing 24 of 159 matches. Open the plant screener for the full list.

Source trail

References used by this shortlist

These are the most common planning references behind the visible records on this page.

359 matching records NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox Reference basis for ornamental plant size, function, and right-plant-right-place screening. 250 matching records Penn State Extension - Landscaping and Gardening Around Walnuts and Other Juglone Producing Plants Black walnut and juglone sensitivity/tolerance cue for garden placement screening. 159 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Types of Containers for Growing Vegetables Container volume guidance, including large vegetables and 25-30 gallon dwarf fruit tree containers. 157 matching records Rutgers NJAES - Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance Deer browsing categories used as planning cues; no plant is deer proof under heavy pressure. 144 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Starting a Home Fruit Garden Fruit tree graft union, root flare, and small fruit crown placement guidance. 144 matching records University of Maryland Extension - Planting a Tree or Shrub Tree and shrub planting depth guidance, especially keeping the root flare at soil level.

Individual plant profiles show their own source links and caveats; this page shows the common references behind the current collection.

More planning paths

Planting calendar Use ZIP-based hardiness and frost context to plan seed-starting, direct-sow, transplanting, and nursery planting windows. Native plants Browse native-flagged plants that can support habitat, pollinators, edible landscapes, and lower-maintenance planting plans. Fruit trees Compare fruit trees and tree-like edible plants by hardiness range, water needs, spacing, first output, and sourced yield data. Low-water plants Browse drought-tolerant and lower-water plant options for edible, native, ornamental, and screening goals. Vegetables & herbs Browse vegetable and herb profiles by hardiness range, light, soil, water, timing, spacing, container fit, and output data. Zone 7 vegetables Browse vegetable and herb profiles whose hardiness ranges fit USDA zone 7, with timing, spacing, container, and yield data. 4x8 raised bed crops Compare compact vegetables, herbs, and small-space crops that can make sense in a 4x8 raised bed. Deer-resistant plants Browse plants with better deer-resistance cues, based on the Plant by ZIP screening data and extension-style browsing categories. Black walnut tolerant plants Find plants with black walnut or juglone tolerance cues in the Plant by ZIP database. Full sun clay soil plants Browse plants marked for both full sun and clay soil, including vegetables, perennials, shrubs, and practical landscape plants. Pollinator plants Compare flowers, herbs, shrubs, natives, and habitat plants that support pollinators and wildlife while fitting real garden conditions. Container plants Find edible, ornamental, and habitat plants that can work in containers, patio beds, raised beds, and smaller spaces. Shade plants Browse plants that tolerate shade or part sun, including edible, native, ornamental, and ground-layer options for lower-light gardens. Clay soil plants Compare plants marked suitable for clay soils, including native perennials, shrubs, fruiting plants, and practical garden crops. Sandy soil plants Find plants that can work in sandy, fast-draining, or lower-moisture sites when water and mulch are managed well. Edible hedges Compare fruiting shrubs, cane fruit, vines, small trees, and screening plants that can add harvest value and structure. Deer-resistant shade plants Browse shade and part-sun plants with better deer-resistance cues for yards where browse pressure and lower light overlap. Deer-resistant pollinators Find pollinator and wildlife plants with better deer-resistance cues for sunny or mixed-light habitat beds. Walnut-tolerant shade plants Browse plants with black-walnut tolerance cues that also tolerate shade or part sun. Container vegetables Compare vegetables and herbs with good or workable container cues, including pot size, timing, spacing, and output data. Zone 7 sun clay plants Browse Zone 7 plant profiles that combine full-sun tolerance with clay-soil fit. Low-water pollinators Find pollinator-friendly plants marked for lower water needs, with site fit, spacing, and deer/walnut cues visible. Clay-soil privacy plants Compare screening shrubs, trees, vines, and hedging plants that are marked as suitable for clay soil. Sandy-soil vegetables Browse vegetables and herbs marked for sandy or fast-draining soil, with water and spacing data in view.
Zone 7a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7a gardens. Zone 7b calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 7b gardens. Zone 8a calendar Browse database-backed planting windows, frost-aware timing notes, and useful plants for USDA zone 8a gardens. Plant now in 7a See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7a based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Plant now in 7b See practical, database-backed planting ideas for zone 7b based on the current season, hardiness fit, and Plant by ZIP profile data. Fruit trees 7b Compare fruit trees, berries, nut trees, and woody edibles for USDA zone 7b using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, spacing, and output data. Fruit trees 8a Compare fruit trees, nut trees, citrus-adjacent plants, and woody edibles for USDA zone 8a using Plant by ZIP data. Native plants 7 Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7 gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data. Native plants 7b Browse native-flagged and habitat-friendly plants for USDA zone 7b gardens using Plant by ZIP hardiness, water, and profile data.