Privacy Bushes for Backyard

In addition to creating a private oasis, these privacy bushes for backyard are also excellent for creating a shelter and structure and adding stunning colors to your garden.

 

Choosing the fast growing privacy bushes strategically for your garden makes your backyard beautiful and gives you some much-needed privacy. If you can’t or don’t want to install a fence in your backyard for privacy, there are plenty of shrubs that you can choose from.

 

You don’t need to install a fence to maintain your privacy when you have the option to block your noisy neighborhood from peering into your garden by adding privacy bushes for backyard. There’s a vast selection of shrubs, plants, trees, and vines to choose from that can help you turn your backyard into a secluded retreat.

 

Additionally, while installing a fence or any other structure in your backyard for privacy can cost a lot, these privacy plants’ backyards are way cheaper. Moreover, growing backyard shrubs along fences are also a great way to attract and provide shelter and food to various colorful birds, animals, and pollinators.

 

Benefits of Planting Privacy Bushes for Backyard

Landscaping your home’s exterior can be a challenging task. Though there are a variety of plants to choose from, planting backyard shrubs along fence is probably the most intelligent gardening decision you make. In addition to nicely filling the space, they also offer many other benefits.

 

·         They Increase Privacy

 

While many of us enjoy using our backyard or garden space to relax or socialize, one of the most concerning factors is a reduced level of privacy. It is hard to enjoy your time when you are concerned about being the center of attention or being watched by your neighbors.

 

However, planting backyard shrubs along fence is an effective and beautiful way to stop others from looking into your garden or yard. It is also a natural way to make your yard green and beautiful all year round. These privacy plants’ backyard acts as a wall or fence, allowing outdoor rooms for you to kick back in. Moreover, having these plants or shrubs will make you feel genuinely secluded since you will be surrounded by greenery.

 

·         They Reduce Noise Pollution

 

In addition to making a secluded place, plating fast-growing privacy bushes is also an excellent way to soundproof and reduce noise pollution in your outdoor area. While these dense green plants will not create the deathly silence you might want, they can certainly make your backyard or patio a quieter place to relax.

 

On top of that, privacy bushes for backyard also help you reduce the volume of outgoing sound, which could equal increased privacy for those chats you don’t want prying ears to intrude on. It also means less disruption to your neighborhood when enjoying a party late at night.

 

·         They Provide Shade

Tall shrubberies are an excellent choice as they can block or absorb rays of sunlight and reduce the amount of filtering onto your garden. The extra shade of these privacy bushes also makes you enjoy a more relaxed backyard. Whether you have an outdoor dining area or a swimming pool, it is always great to have extra motivation.

 

Depending on the position of your privacy bushes in the backyard, they can also help you block UV rays from shining through glass windows into your indoors. With less heat breaking inside, you don’t need to use your air conditioner as much, which means you will also save on energy costs.

 

·         They Create Wind Resistance

 

Strong winds can make conversations a chore, which may mean you have to hold down items to keep them in place. Since there is plenty of tall fast-growing privacy bushes that you can plant, they are excellent for absorbing gusts of winds. Especially in those areas where wind speeds are relentless, planting backyard shrubs along the fence can make a significant difference.

 

Since these tall plants in your garden or yard can reduce wind interference, spending time outdoors means a much more pleasurable experience for you and your family and friends. In addition to lowering disruptive wind gusts, you will also worry less about household items in your garden being blown around.

 

·         They Help Disguise Property Problems

 

One of the most underrated advantages of having backyard shrubs along a fence is that they can cover your backyard’s problematic parts or hide secure areas. Additionally, planting thorny varieties is excellent for incorporating that external security you want, especially near HVACs, windows, etc.

 

Moreover, privacy plants or shrubs are also cost efficient and an aesthetically pleasing alternative to those pricey, unappealing burglar bars.

 

·         They are Low Maintenance

 

Another benefit of privacy shrubs is that they can be low maintenance. A wide variety of these plants are easy to grow and maintain with just a little pruning or trimming throughout the year. Since there are various shrubs and plants, you can choose the one that suits your preferences, such as growth patterns, leaf size, flowering, etc.

 

Moreover, you can also choose from a variety of evergreen shrubs to enjoy spending time in your lush green garden all year round.

 

In summary, your backyard or garden should represent your imagination. We at Backyard Patio Life can help you in choosing fast-growing privacy bushes while also assisting you in adding any other touches you’d love to see in your backyard.

 

10 Best Privacy Bushes for Backyard

 

Below I have bucketed a list of the best privacy plants backyard that you can grow.

 

1.      Schip Laurel (Schipkaensis)

Hardiness Zone: 6-9

 

Ship Laurel is among the most elegant privacy bushes for backyard. The compact, evergreen shrub can grow up to 15 feet tall and 7 feet wide. It is a goblet-shaped shrub and strikes dense, glossy green leaves bearing several teeth near the apex. Schip Laurel is a flowering plant and blooms in spring, producing denser flowering.

 

For those who want to attract colorful birds to their backyard, Schip Laurel is an excellent choice as its dense canopy provides shelter and nesting sites for songbirds. In addition to that, the plant would make an astonishing specimen in small groups, mass plants, or screen and privacy hedges.

 

Since the plant grows toward the top, planting it at the back of the border along with other small evergreen plants will cover the open bottom branches to provide a wide screen.

Requirements

• It can flourish in full sunlight and partial shade.
• While it needs frequent water during the initial stages, you can water it once a week after the plant is established.
• The shrub is drought tolerant and can thrive in various soil conditions. However, make sure the soil is well-drained.
• Once the blooms have fallen off, you can prune the plant in late spring or early summer.
• Fertilizing your plant once a year can help maintain dense, green foliage and prolific, white fragrant flowers.

 

2.      Burgundy Queen (Leptospermum Scoparium)

Hardiness Zones: 10-11

Striking, stunning flowers and gorgeous foliage, Burgundy Queen is one of the most beautiful privacy bushes for backyard. The drought-hardy and frost-tolerant plant can maintain its foliage year-round and heaps of stunning double magenta blooms during winter and spring.

 

Burgundy Queen can grow up to 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It is an evergreen, upright, and dense growing privacy plant that appears in a strong flush during its bloom season. The tiny needle-like leaves are tinged with burgundy, especially during the colder temperatures.

 

Moreover, the plant is among the fast-growing privacy bushes and can be an ideal choice for creating privacy, screen, or attracting colorful birds. Additionally, it is also a perfect option for accent plants in patio pots, weaving through trellises, and fences.

 

Requirements

• The shrub is drought resistant and can tolerate frost.
• Burgundy Queen thrives in sunny, light shade conditions.
• A well-drained and moderately moist soil is perfect for healthy growth.
• Ensure to mulch and water regularly until the shrub is established.
• Regular pruning can help promote new growth.
• It would be beneficial to use a slow-release native fertilizer once a year.
• Pruning after blooming can also help encourage denser growth.

 

3.      Boxwood (Buxus)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

 

Boxwood is another evergreen shrub that you can grow in your backyard. Sometimes called the “aristocrat of hedging plant,” it is an incredibly famous shrub for growing in formal gardens and backyards. The shrub is also one of the most versatile plants that can bring year-round colors to your garden.

 

Striking evergreen foliage, the plant brightens the dreary winter landscape and provides an incredible structure to informal and formal backyards. As one of the most versatile and fast-growing privacy bushes, boxwood shape, size, and growth rate can vary between many species.

While some have a rounded shape with low growing and spreading, others grow upright in a conical shape. One of the reasons why these shrubs are the most popular hedge plant is their ability to bounce back quickly and endure regular clipping and shearing.

 

Requirements

• Trimming or shearing your boxwood plant in late spring or summer helps encourage new growth.
• It would be great to use decorative protection or burlap wraps to protect your plant from winds and colder temperatures.
• While the shrub is incredibly flexible and can thrive in various conditions, make sure the soil is well-drained.
• You can also feed your bush with a well-balanced, all-purpose fertilizer during spring to encourage denser foliage.
• Use insecticidal spray or organic neem oil to keep scale insects, caterpillars, lesion nematodes, etc., at bay.

 

4.      Inkberry (Ilex Glabra)

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

 

Inkberry is another elegant shrub that you will love to have in your backyard, producing a beautiful rounded broadleaf evergreen crown. These privacy bushes for backyard are perfect for any yard, especially if you want tall shrubs for privacy.

 

Sometimes also called Gallberry, Appalachian tea tree, and winterberry, the shrub is native to eco-regions in the eastern and southeastern US coast, as well as southern maritime Canada. Like any other shrub, make sure you know how to grow to keep them thriving.

 

These plants are dioecious, which means there are separate male and female inkberries. It also means if you want your inkberries to produce fruits, you will need a female pollinator.

 

Requirements

• Inkberries love to thrive in moist soil and full light.
• Grouped or massed planting is ideal for creating a shrub border.
• Since bees are fond of inkberry flowers, the honey you will get will be highly prized, having a unique flavor.
• Remember that these plants need quite a bit of water.
• If you are planting these plants in alkaline soil, it is best to enrich them with peat moss.

 

5.      Darkstar Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (Prunus x Cistena)

Hardiness Zones: 3-9

 

This incredibly compact, improved plant with an upright growing and spreading habit is another excellent option. While its maroon to red-purple foliage that doesn’t feed during the summer looks so incredible, the white-pink blossoms in spring will attract many hummingbirds and other colorful birds.

 

Best known for its no to minimal maintenance and moderate growth rate, Darkstar purple leaf sand cherry is one of the best privacy plants backyard. Since it has an average growth rate, the plant is a perfect option for any plant enthusiast.

 

Moreover, it is also worth mentioning that its excellent and rounded shape is worthwhile to liven up your outdoors.

 

Requirements

• As a rule, keep your plant in moist soil with well-draining characteristics.
• Water only when the soil is dry.
• Ideally, a potting mix of soil made out of sand, clay, chalk, or loam is excellent to keep your leafy friend happy.
• The houseplant thrives in full sun to partial shade.
• Its blooming season is around the spring months (April to June).
• Expect your plant to shed its leaves once a year during autumn.

 

6.      Evergreen Azalea (Genus Rhododendron)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

 

Evergreen Azalea is one of the most beautiful, colorful, and fast-growing privacy bushes. These privacy plants backyard strike rose flowers and dark, glossy-green leaves, turning darker red in the fall. Evergreen azalea is also an excellent screening plant due to its upright growing, which provides a higher screen. Additionally, these plants are also one of the most durable ones in the suitable zones.

 

Moreover, these privacy bushes for the backyard don’t drop their leaves even in the colder months, meaning they maintain their incredible color all year long. These shrubs are native to China, Korea, and Japan and do not grow natively in the US. However, quite a few of their species are now being imported to the United States.

 

Some of the most popular varieties of evergreen azalea include Encore, Girard, Hino-Crimson, Snow, and Kyushu azaleas.

 

Requirements

• When planting these plants, ensure that your pot has a sound drainage system.
• Pruning after blooming is excellent for maintaining your plant’s shape. The best time to prune your plant is in the late spring after their bloom.
• These shrubs are susceptible to pests like spider mites, lace bugs, whiteflies, etc. So, ensure to remove dead material and affected parts and replace the existing mulch.
• Evergreen azalea grows well in acidic soil and partial shade.
• Since these plants are toxic, keep your pets away.

 

7.      Holly (IIex)

Hardiness Zones: 5-9

 

Holly is another popular shrub that you can grow in your backyard for screening. Several species of these plants are cultivated as ornamentals because of their distinctive foliage and beautiful red or black fruits, persisting into winter. The fruit of holly also makes for popular Christmas decorations.

 

The plant strikes simple leaves with wavy margins tipped with spines. An interesting fact about holly plants is that they can be evergreen or deciduous. While growing holly plants in your outdoor space can add a splash of color in winter, they are incredible for creating a lush green backdrop for other blooms in the summer. Since these plants are prevalent among gardening enthusiasts, here are a few care tips to keep your plant thriving.

Requirements

• Ideally, the best time to grow holly plants is either in the fall or spring.
• Low temperatures and higher rainfall are great for a stress-free settling into a new location.
• Holly plants do well in slightly acidic, well-drained, but not too dry soil.
• They love to thrive in full sun while also being tolerant to partial shade and dry or swampy soil.
• These plants need daily watering during the initial stages and then twice a week once established.
• Prune your plants regularly to avoid choking.

 

8.      North Privet (Ligustrum x Ibolium)

Hardiness Zones: 5-8

 

North privet hedges running along the fence of your backyard give a classic look. The shrub’s common name even seems to shout “privacy,” These bushes can create a beautiful, natural fence for those who want a secluded setting in their outdoors.

 

However, plenty of privet species aren’t especially ornamental bushes when planted in isolation. These plants are evergreen or deciduous, with striking dense, oval, or lance-shaped leaves. North privet produces small, tubular flowers on panicles during summer with a strong fragrance with round, black fruits following the blooms. These shrubs are among the fast-growing privacy bushes with a quick growth rate.

 

Requirements

• These shrubs are easy to grow and tolerant of many growing environments.
• Plant these shrubs in sharp, well-drained soil.
• Since they have a quick growth rate and big size, these bushes aren’t suitable for container growing.
• These plants love full sun to bring out the best possible color in the foliage. However, they can thrive in partial shade as well.
• If your area doesn’t have frequent rainfall, deep weekly watering is required to keep these plants thriving.
• A 15-5-10 fertilizer in the early spring and another round in the fall can help healthy growth and blooms.

 

9.      Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus Sericea)

Hardiness Zones: 3-8

 

Striking bright red branches, red twig dogwood is one of the most incredible backyard privacy plants to liven up your landscape. In addition to that, these shrubs are also popular because they can provide four-season interest, with variegated leave in summer and stunning spring blossoms. They also produce berries from summer to fall, which can help attract many colorful birds to your backyard.

 

While wide twig varieties are relatively slow-growing houseplants, red twig dogwood is among the fast-growing privacy bushes species. It means you can expect up to 2 feet of growth each year. Depending on the variety of your twig plant, they can have variegated or dark green leaves and small white blooms, forming in flat clusters.

 

Requirements

• Red twig dogwood is tolerant to most soil and light conditions. These shrubs are also among the ones that can thrive even in boggy conditions.
• To bring the best color out of their stems, removing any old branches is recommended.
• You can use a spade to trim the roots if it spreads too much.
• Make sure to plant these shrubs where they can easily view, such as against a wall.
• Red twig dogwood can tolerate partial shade, but exposing your plants to full sun will bring the signature red bark.
• Consistently moist soil is excellent for these shrubs.
• You don’t necessarily need to feed any fertilizer, but if you fertilize, do so in the early spring.

 

10. Sparkler Arrowwood (Viburnum Dentatum)

Hardiness Zones: 4-9

 

Sparkler Arrowwood Viburnum belongs to the honeysuckle family and is a reasonably small shrub that grows in a rounded, upright direction. The plant produces glossy green stems and oval foliage striking toothed edges. Arrowwood leaves can be as long as 4 inches, and the shrub can bear showy white flowers stretching 2 to 4 inches in the late spring.

 

Moreover, blue-black fruits that appear after the blooms are great for attracting colorful birds and other wildlife. During fall, the foliage can strike yellow, red, or orange shades. Sparkler Arrowwood Viburnum’s moderate growth rate makes it a perfect option for gardeners of any level.

 

These shrubs are especially popular for border planting, as well as for creating hedges and screens. The hedge can grow up to 15 feet tall in the right conditions and with proper care. Furthermore, these shrubs are also great for planting in yard areas that are too wet for other plants as they are tolerant to wet soil.

 

Requirements

• Ideally, these plants like to grow in full sunlight while also being tolerant to partial shade.
• The shrub prefers well-drained, loamy soil though it can tolerate many soil types, including clay.
• Arrowwood needs moderate soil moisture but can handle occasional flooding as well. However, young shrubs need to be watered regularly.
• A balanced, slow-released fertilizer will help encourage healthy growth and profuse flowering.
• These shrubs are easy to maintain and don’t need extensive pruning.

 

Wrapping Up

 

While others also exist, most believe these are 10 of the best privacy bushes for backyard enjoyment. In addition to these fast-growing privacy bushes, there is a plethora of other plants that you can grow for screening. So, it is best to research and consider what you want before buying. Choosing suitable privacy plants backyard will help you make your outdoors a secluded retreat.

 

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