If you’re looking for a privacy plant to add beauty and a touch of tropical charm to your yard, consider some of the many species of arborvitae. This evergreen plant is best grown in the northern U.S. but is also well adapted to southern regions. Despite its name, arborvitae can tolerate extreme temperatures and can be purchased at local nurseries for well under $150. Bamboo is also one of the best plants for privacy, though it requires full sun and regular heavy watering.
Ornamental grasses
If you’re in need of privacy and don’t want to enclose your yard with walls, consider growing tall ornamental grass. They’ll give your yard a sense of enclosure while also providing privacy. Just make sure to allow sufficient space for the grass to grow to its final size before planting. Some varieties of ornamental grasses need to be staked if they’re to be grown in windy areas.
Ornamental grasses are easy to care for and can make your lawn more attractive. They’ll typically display beautiful fall colors during the winter months. To help them grow to their full potential, make sure to prune them in early spring before new growth starts. This will help the plants establish new growth and prevent the old ones from spreading. If you’re looking for a privacy hedge in Florida, be sure to choose one of these.
Bamboo Muhly is an excellent ornamental grass for shady areas in Florida. This species is easy to care for and grows slowly. Bamboo Muhly requires constant moisture and good drainage to thrive. Mulch around the plant helps it retain moisture and will prevent the grass from drying out. If you want to plant an ornamental grass in Florida, consult a cooperative extension office for advice. Otherwise, consider planting native species instead.
Fakahatchee Grass grows in areas with a moist climate and is an excellent choice for privacy. The plant grows to six feet or more and can attract beneficial pollinators in late spring. It also looks great in a garden setting. Make sure to prepare a seedbed free of weeds before planting. It can tolerate wet soil and is easy to grow in Florida. It can also help stabilize soil and resist erosion.
Weeping trees
There are many varieties of weeping trees. Sitka cypress, also known as yellow cypress, is a popular choice because of its spiral, twisting branches and leaves. Approximately 20 feet tall, this tree can spread out to ten feet in width. Its aggressive pruning in early spring will keep it smaller. This makes it perfect for areas where privacy is a concern.
Loblolly bay trees are native to Florida and have long, green leaves that change color in the fall. Their foliage is dense and rounded, and their small, translucent berries are delicious to birds. In the winter, they produce red and yellow berries. These trees are also perfect for providing privacy because of their low-maintenance nature. But be careful not to plant them too close to your home, as they can be invasive.
Bottlebrush is another weeping tree that provides privacy. Its flowers are five petals long and serve as an early food source for pollinators. Most weeping cherry trees belong to the Prunus genus. ‘Pendula’ cultivar is grafted and grows between twenty and thirty feet tall. It produces pea-sized cherries. ‘Pendula’ is another cultivar of weeping cherry.
A weeping tree will provide privacy from neighboring properties without sacrificing a beautiful garden design. They can serve as a garden specimen and are staked to create a tree shape. Once staked, they grow vertically to a height of six to fifteen feet. The weeping white pine has a similar shape. If you’re planning to plant a weeping tree, make sure to check out a dwarf variety for a dramatic look.
Weeping hydrangea
There are several types of hydrangeas, and a weeping type is the best choice for a private Florida garden. Oakleaf hydrangeas produce large cone-shaped flowers in early summer, which fade to a soft pink in the fall. These plants do best in full sun or partial shade, and tolerate wet soil. They are very showy and require pruning in late winter or early spring.
Weeping hydrangeas need good drainage to thrive in Florida. They should be planted at least eight to ten feet away from a house, as their branches grow too long to pass under. Planting them close to your home can help prevent privacy problems from cropping up in the summer. For best results, plant these trees 6-8 feet apart and make sure they are planted 8 to 10 feet apart.
Muhly Grass is another excellent choice for a privacy screen. Its glossy dark green leaves attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. This low-maintenance plant is great for privacy screens, with clumps three feet wide and up to 20 feet tall. While this plant may not be suitable for South Florida gardens, it is still a great choice for a private landscape.
If you want immediate privacy from your neighbors, you can plant a fast-growing shrub or a fast-growing tree. These plants are inexpensive, but aren’t a wise investment, as their roots are weak and can be damaged during a storm. Instead, choose a densely growing plant that offers solid coverage. This is the best choice for privacy in Florida. Its foliage is attractive and will hide ugly fences and other unsightly features.
Bay laurel
Growing bay laurel in your yard is a great way to create additional privacy in your backyard. This beautiful plant can grow up to six feet tall. It can be propagated by cuttings or air layering. Bay laurels are hardy and grow well in containers. The cuttings should be soaked in water before planting. Occasionally, pests or diseases can affect your bay laurel. If this happens, you can treat your bay laurel plant with neem oil or another non-toxic insecticide. Another common disease is anthracnose, which causes the leaves to become brown or black in color and eventually die. If you notice this disease on your bay laurel, you should prune the leaves.
Growing bay laurel in pots requires minimal maintenance. Once you’ve established it, you can use pruning shears to remove dead or diseased branches. Also, you can prune off suckers (sprouts) that sprout from the plant’s roots. For best results, soak pruning shears in a bleach solution for five minutes before pruning. Bleach-treated pruning shears prevent the spread of plant diseases and pests.
For outdoor use, bay laurel is an excellent choice. The plant will grow into a full-size tree if properly maintained. However, if you’d like to enjoy the bay leaf while limiting its size, you can plant it in a container. When planting a bay laurel in the ground, be sure to leave a few feet of space around it. Ideally, you should plant it far from sewage lines and power lines.
This evergreen shrub grows to an average height of twelve feet. It can be trained to grow into a small tree if you prune its lower branches. Its aromatic leaves are edible. It also has yellow-green flowers that change to blackberries in the spring. Bay laurel does well in full sun environments, and it will tolerate heavy pruning if you want to prune it. Bay laurel is also hardy in Florida.
Euonymus
While euonymus is a popular choice for the landscape of a pool or patio, it’s important to consider the plant’s pitfalls. It is susceptible to disease and pests, and you may want to consider replacing it with a native plant. If you’d rather have a privacy fence, you can grow a fern instead. But if you want to create privacy without the use of fencing, euonymus is not the best choice.
Euonymus is a fast-growing plant that fills in neatly and grows up to about four feet tall. In late summer, it sprouts tiny flower buds and is a great option for privacy. This plant can grow in zones five to eight, and requires regular water. You can purchase this plant from a home improvement store or Amazon for about $86. Once established, it should receive weekly watering.
‘Green Spire’ is a fast-growing, evergreen euonymus that looks amazing in a rock garden or cascaded over a wall. This plant is also deer-resistant, making it a good choice for small spaces and slopes. Golden Euonymus makes a great addition to a privacy hedge and features bold variegated foliage. It can be purchased at home improvement stores such as The Home Depot.
Scale is a common problem with euonymus. Infestations can affect the entire plant, and you may have to prune or remove entire branches if the scale gets too heavy. The fungus spores are protected by waxy coatings, which makes them resistant to pesticides. To prevent crown gall, make sure to sterilize any tools used to prune the plant. A fungicide treatment for scale may help, but you must follow the label to be sure that you’re not causing any harm to the plant.