The best plants for privacy to create a secluded and beautiful garden of every size and style
From fast-growing bamboos to compact shrubs, we’ve rounded up all the options for the best plants for privacy, as well as delving into some of the legal considerations you should be aware of before planting
If you’re keen to block overlooking windows, create a serene seating area, or even define the boundaries of your plot, plants are a beautiful way of forming a garden oasis. Unlike fences or walls, they are not a harsh way of creating a boundary, and they have the added benefit of absorbing noise and providing a home for wildlife.
The main considerations when choosing the best plants of privacy are the scale of your garden and how much screening you require. In some cases, a dense evergreen hedge will provide all the year-round coverage you need; in others, you might want a more elegant shrub or flowering variety for seasonal interest.
From fast-growing bamboos to compact shrubs, we’ve rounded up all the options for the best plants for privacy, as well as delving into some of the practical and legal considerations you should be aware of before planting.
The best plants for privacy
1. Bamboo screening
Bamboo is one of the speediest ways to create a living privacy screen, but choosing the right type is essential. Many gardeners worry about bamboo becoming invasive, but this problem is almost entirely confined to running bamboos, which spread via underground rhizomes.
For most gardens, choose clump-forming bamboo (Fargesia species), which will grow in tidy, expanding clumps rather than sending runners throughout the garden. This makes them safe to plant without root barriers in most situations. They also have softer, arching foliage that creates a more elegant appearance and remains evergreen throughout the year, and provides beautiful texture and dramatic height.
Fargesia robusta
Height: 300–450cm (10–15ft)
Best for: Fast evergreen screening and modern garden designs
This upright clump-forming bamboo develops dense green canes clothed in fresh foliage from top to bottom, making it one of the best choices for creating an instant privacy screen. It tolerates sun or partial shade and is remarkably hardy, too.
With its elegant upright habit and striking architectural form, Fargesia ‘Robusta Pingwu’ is one of the finest clump-forming bamboos for the garden. Glossy green leaves and sturdy green culms are accented by distinctive white sheaths at each node, creating a beautifully contrasting display throughout the year. Unlike running bamboos, it forms a tidy, non-invasive clump, making it an excellent choice for gardeners seeking the graceful beauty of bamboo without the worry of unwanted spread.
Fargesia rufa
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Height: 200–300cm (6½–10ft)
Best for: Small gardens, patios, and container growing.
A compact bamboo with gracefully arching stems that form a dense green wall without becoming overwhelming. It performs particularly well in pots, making it a fantastic choice to plant where space is limited.
With its gracefully arching yellow-green canes and abundant soft, mid-green foliage, this elegant medium-sized bamboo brings year-round movement and texture to the garden. Its naturally compact, fountain-like habit makes it one of the finest bamboos for creating an informal hedge, while also working beautifully as a striking specimen or in a large container.
Fargesia nitida
Height: 300–400cm (10–13ft)
Best for: Narrow borders and elegant screening.
Known for its slender purple-tinged canes and fine foliage, this species creates a softer, more refined screen than many larger bamboos and performs exceptionally well in partial shade.
Also known as the Hardy Fountain Bamboo, this elegant clump-forming variety is prized for its striking upright canes and graceful, cascading habit. New shoots emerge a rich, deep red before maturing to green and gradually developing rich purple tones, while the arching evergreen foliage softens its beautifully bold, architectural form.
2. The best privacy plants for large gardens
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Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
Height: 600–800cm (20–26ft)
Best for: Formal evergreen hedging.
Portuguese laurel produces glossy dark-green foliage, reddish stems, and a naturally dense habit that can be clipped. It offers wonderful year-round privacy and is a wonderful garden statement.
Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’ is a more compact and formal selection of the Portuguese laurel, prized for its narrow, glossy evergreen leaves and distinctive red-purple stems. Ideal for hedging, it creates a dense, sophisticated screen while remaining remarkably easy to maintain, often requiring little more than a light annual trim.
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Height: 1,000–1,500cm (33–50ft)
Best for: Deciduous screening
Hornbeam retains much of its copper-brown foliage through winter, providing privacy for longer than many deciduous hedges, and it tolerates a wonderfully wide range of soils and clipping styles.
A really reliable choice for hedging or as a handsome specimen tree, Carpinus betulus is prized for its dense branching and excellent year-round structure. Fresh, bright green leaves emerge in spring before deepening through summer and turning rich golden yellow in autumn. The faded brown foliage is often retained through winter on clipped plants, providing welcome colour, texture, and valued privacy throughout the colder months.
Yew (Taxus baccata)
Height: 800–1,500cm (26–50ft)
Best for: Traditional evergreen hedges
One of the finest evergreen screening plants, yew creates an exceptionally dense hedge that can last for generations. Although it is slow-growing, it is really excellent for both beauty and longevity.
There is a marvellous elegance to the English yew. With its dense, dark green, needle-like foliage, which often develops warm bronze tones in winter, Taxus baccata makes an exceptional hedge or screen. It’s slow-growing yet simultaneously long-lived, providing year-round structure that creates the perfect backdrop for colourful herbaceous borders and flowering shrubs.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
Height: 1,200–2,000cm (40–65ft)
Best for: Tall evergreen screens
A truly stunning alternative to Leylandii, a western red cedar forms thick, fragrant evergreen foliage and is also easier to manage with regular trimming. Hardy and easy to grow, Western red cedar thrives in fertile, moisture-retentive soils and performs well in both full sun and partial shade. It also responds really well to regular pruning, making it easy to maintain as a dense, formal hedge, while untrimmed plants develop into impressive trees of great character, whilst being extra desirable for longevity, too!
Capable of adding up to 60cm of growth each year, Thuja plicata ‘Atrovirens’ really is a magnificent tree, reaching impressive heights if left unpruned. It responds well to regular trimming and can be maintained at a more suitable size for many gardens.
3. The best privacy plants for small gardens
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Pittosporum tenuifolium
Height: 250–400cm (8–13ft)
Best for: Compact evergreen screening
This small, glossy-leaved plant has naturally bushy growth, making it ideal for modern gardens. Thriving in a sheltered, sunny or partially shaded position with well-drained soil, it is particularly well suited to coastal gardens and responds well to regular pruning. Whether you clip it into your desired form or leave it to develop, this very stylish evergreen brings colour, texture, and architectural interest throughout across seasons.
A very stylish choice, Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ forms a neat, rounded mound of fresh mint-green evergreen foliage, bringing year-round structure and architectural interest to the garden. In late spring and early summer, the dense foliage is complemented by small brownish-purple flowers that release a delicate, honey-like fragrance, which brings a really lovely sensory touch.
Elaeagnus × ebbingei
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Height: 300–500cm (10–16ft)
Best for: Coastal gardens and year-round privacy
Silvery-backed evergreen leaves reflect light beautifully while tolerating salty winds in blustery coastal gardens.
Elaeagnus × ebbingei brings structure, texture, and a touch of silver to the garden. Its glossy, oval leaves have a distinctive silver-grey underside, creating a shimmering effect as they catch the light. At the same time, the dense, bushy growth habit makes it an excellent choice for hedging, screening, or as a reliable backdrop in mixed borders.
Griselinia littoralis
Height: 300–600cm (10–20ft)
Best for: Mild climates and coastal garden design ideas
Bright apple-green evergreen foliage quickly forms an attractive screen and is ideal for salty coastal winds.
Griselinia littoralis, also known as New Zealand broadleaf, is a dependable choice for creating a lush, year-round hedge. Its attractive oval leaves remain fresh and healthy throughout the seasons, with excellent resistance to pests, helping it maintain a naturally neat appearance. It’s easy to grow and is tolerant of full sun and a wide range of different positions around your garden.
Viburnum tinus
Height: 200–350cm (6½–11½ft)
Best for: Privacy with winter flowers.
Clusters of white flowers complement evergreen leaves from winter into spring on this beautiful laurustinus.
Viburnum tinus brings colour and structure to the garden when many other plants are dormant. From December through to April, flattened clusters of delicate white flowers emerge above the deep green foliage, later giving way to dark blue-black berries that provide a valuable food source for wildlife and are a great way to attract wildlife to your garden.
Practical considerations before planting
It’s important to consider, before planting a privacy screen, how large it will become in the next decade and beyond. Many screening plants require regular pruning to keep them within their allotted space, while trees may eventually cast significant shade over neighbouring gardens, so be mindful of this, and match the mature size of the plant to the available space rather than relying on pruning alone.
When planting hedges, allow enough room for maintenance access and avoid positioning trunks directly against fences or walls, which can restrict airflow and make trimming rather difficult.
When plants are newly planted, make sure you water them regularly during their first two growing seasons, applying a generous amount of good-quality mulch or homemade compost to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
If you are growing evergreen hedges, then they will benefit from annual feeding in spring with a balanced fertiliser to maintain abundant growth, which should help you to achieve results more quickly.
Legal considerations before planting
You are generally free to plant trees and hedges within your own property; there are important legal responsibilities to bear in mind.
Large hedges should not significantly interfere with neighbouring properties by blocking excessive light. In the UK, disputes involving excessively tall evergreen hedges can fall under anti-social behaviour legislation, which allows local authorities to investigate complaints where hedges negatively affect neighbouring homes, and you should avoid planting vigorous trees directly beside boundary walls, drains, or building foundations, as roots may cause future issues depending on the species.
Before planting near shared boundaries, it is advisable to discuss your planting plans with neighbours to avoid misunderstandings as plants mature and get a sense of any issues you may not have anticipated from their side.
Always check whether your property lies within a conservation area or is subject to planning restrictions before removing or substantially pruning established trees so that you do not accidentally violate any rules!
Frequently asked questions about the best plants for privacy
1. What is the fastest-growing privacy plant?
Cherry laurel, clump-forming bamboo (Fargesia species), western red cedar, and Leyland cypress are among the fastest-growing options, although Leylandii does require frequent maintenance, so keep that in mind before planting.
2. Which privacy plant is best for year-round screening?
Evergreens such as Portuguese laurel, yew, bamboo, Elaeagnus, and Griselinia provide consistent privacy throughout every season, so are the best choice if you are looking for privacy all year-round.
3. What is the best privacy plant for a small garden?
Fargesia rufa, Pittosporum tenuifolium, Japanese holly, and Viburnum tinus all offer effective screening and are relatively compact without becoming too large or dominating your garden.
4. Can bamboo become invasive?
Only running bamboo species spread aggressively. Clump-forming Fargesia varieties are the safest choice for most gardens.
5. How close can I plant a hedge to my boundary?
This is typically a question of preference and wisdom rather than a legal minimum distance, but allowing at least 60–90cm (2–3ft) from the boundary makes future maintenance much easier and should help to avoid neighbourly disputes.
6. Which plants provide privacy and attract wildlife?
Portuguese laurel, yew, holly, Viburnum tinus, Amelanchier, and Elaeagnus all provide much-needed shelter, flowers or berries for birds and pollinating insects, and are some of the best plants for attracting bees and butterflies to your garden.
7. How long does it take to create a privacy screen?
This depends on the species and the size of the plants that you have chosen. Fast-growing bamboos and laurels can create useful screening within two to three years, while slower-growing plants such as yew may take longer but provide a long-lasting result if you can be patient.
Garden canopies can also provide useful screening when attached to walls and pergolas. This VidaXL canopy, crafted from fabric and steel, can be placed over your patio, which will provide shade but also privacy from neighbours’ windows on higher stories that have a direct view.
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