If you live in Central Texas and want to make your yard more private, consider some of these popular choices. Anacacho Orchid Trees, Juniper ‘Sky Rocket,’ Holly ‘Nellie R Stevens,’ Japanese Privet, American Smoke Tree, and more! All of these plants grow slowly and need little water. If you have full sun, you can plant these lovely privacy shrubs in the center of your yard.
Juniper ‘Sky Rocket’
If you’re looking for the best privacy shrub in central Texas, Juniper ‘Sky Rocket’ is an excellent choice. Its high-quality foliage is an excellent way to screen out prying eyes. Its hardiness zone is 8a/b and it tolerates full sunlight. A variety of other trees will also do well in this climate, but Juniper ‘Sky Rocket’ is the best privacy shrub in central Texas.
This juniper can grow to be thirty feet tall and eight feet wide, making it the narrowest juniper botanists have ever seen. This juniper grows well in USDA hardiness zones three to nine. It bears bluish cones that look like berries, but are not edible. Moreover, it is harmful to children and pets.
Another great privacy shrub for central Texas is Juniper ‘Spartan’, which features striking pyramidal foliage. It grows to fifteen feet and is two to five feet wide, making it the ideal privacy screen. This shrub is tolerant of drought and is very drought-tolerant once established. It can be pruned into a formal hedge, which makes it an excellent choice for the landscape.
Holly ‘Nellie R Stevens’
The Nellie R Stevens Holly is an excellent choice for creating privacy in the backyard or around a patio. This medium-sized tree grows about one to two feet per year and is best planted at five to six foot intervals. If planted alone, it will form a pyramidal shape. It can be used as a specimen tree as well. Nellie R Stevens also tolerates dry, sandy soil and can be planted in double or single rows.
Nellie R Stevens holly is one of the fastest-growing hollies available. It can grow to about 15 feet tall and fifteen feet wide when planted in rows five to six feet apart. This fast-growing evergreen is hardy in Zone 6 and will thrive in any climate. The holly is a reliable berry producer and will produce a small cluster of berries on each plant.
Nellie R Stevens is a hybrid of Chinese and English holly. Its glossy, dark green leaves are distinctly shaped and can grow as large as 20 feet tall. Its small, red berries attract a flock of cedar waxwings. Holly ‘Nellie R Stevens’ has an excellent level of drought and shade tolerance. It is great for those who want privacy, but don’t want to worry about a large tree blocking their view.
American Smoke Tree
The American Smoke Tree is a funky shrub that adds privacy without being overbearing. This shrub grows to about 20 feet tall and reaches a height of 3 feet wide. Redbud, Texas, and Mexican redbud are showy but are great for privacy under canopy trees and are hardy in zones 8a and b. The foliage of these shrubs is glossy dark green and blue-gray. They thrive in both sun and shade.
The American Smoketree is a beautiful deciduous tree with a dense, pink cluster of flowers in spring. Its bluish-green foliage turns orange and red in the fall. Its warty bark makes it a popular choice for privacy hedges and accent trees. While the plant is relatively hardy, it is not particularly tolerant of cold temperatures and is vulnerable to mildew and leaf spot.
American Smoke Tree is native to the southern U.S., where it grows on limestone bluffs and hills. The flowering stems are a striking feature of the tree’s canopy, which gradually transforms to pink or orange flames. The tree can tolerate both full sunlight and part shade and is deer-resistant. It also requires occasional watering during drought seasons.
Japanese Privet
Although native to Japan, Japanese Privet is one of the best choices for privacy in central Texas. Japanese Privet grows in moist, fertile soil, and it produces black, glaucous fruit in spring. The plant’s leaves are soft and finely variegated. Plant it at least two feet apart to provide privacy. This shrub thrives in central Texas and can tolerate a wide range of soil types.
Juniper ‘Sky Rocket’ is the easiest plant to grow. It is very fast growing, reaching 20 feet high and remaining 3 feet wide. The foliage is blue-gray and glossy. This evergreen is also resistant to drought and disease. Juniper ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ has a pyramidal shape and grows to about 20 feet tall and ten feet wide.
The Waxleaf Privet can be grown in large pots for privacy. Its pure-white flowers make it a nice patio plant. Curved-leaf Privet is another variety of Japanese Privet. This one has twisted leaves and can be grown as a hedge. Its flowers are fragrant, but it is not high enough to block out traffic.
Mountain Laurel
The Mt. Laurel is a low maintenance privacy shrub that blooms in spring. It is drought tolerant and is resistant to suffocating cotton root rot, which kills 90 percent of Texas landscape plants. The foliage is glossy and evergreen, making it an excellent privacy hedge. The foliage is susceptible to leaf-peeling worms, but you can treat them with Bt worm killer. The Mt. Laurel grows up to 30 feet tall and can be potted.
Its dark green leaves and pink-purple flowers attract hummingbirds and are highly ornamental. This plant grows best in partial shade with limited direct sunlight and will tolerate drought conditions. In central Texas, it thrives in heat, and is drought-tolerant. It is also resistant to deer and rabbits. If you’d like to enjoy its privacy benefits, you should plant a Mountain Laurel in your yard.
A mature Mountain Laurel tree is 30 to 50 feet tall. This evergreen shrub has deep purple flowers that bloom in the spring and last for several weeks. The flowers are toxic if ingested, but deer and other wildlife stay away from them. If you want privacy and a beautiful hedge, consider planting a Mountain Laurel in your yard. Mountain Laurels grow slowly and will create a beautiful screen for your property.
Vitex
The easiest way to enjoy privacy from neighbors is to plant a Vitex. This shrub grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It is also tolerant of a wide range of soil types, from acid to alkaline, and is a great choice for hot and dry climates. Because of its toughness, this shrub has been recognized by the Texas Department of Transportation. The plant is highly attractive to butterflies, but you should be aware of deer, which can damage it if it grows too large.
The Vitex is a deciduous large shrub or small tree with palmate leaves. It produces profuse spikes of lavender flowers in early summer and sporadic blooms throughout the summer. It is drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant, and pest-resistant, and is highly ornamental. Some recommended cultivars are commonly referred to as ‘Texas Lilac’. These plants can grow to 15 feet tall and wide.
Beach vitex is an excellent choice for a landscape with limited space. This plant requires little maintenance and grows slowly up to three feet a year. Its glossy green foliage makes it a great choice for privacy screening. This shrub tolerates shearing, which is beneficial for establishing thick layers of branches. If you’re not comfortable pruning the plant, you can treat it with a clear varnish and water regularly to maintain its healthy appearance.
Southern Wax Myrtle
If you’re in the market for a new privacy hedge, then you’re going to want to consider the southern wax myrtle. This shrub will reach a height of about 10 feet and a width of eight to ten feet, and it will naturally spread through the ground through root suckers. Its foliage is a dense, glossy, dark green and contains glands on both sides. It has both male and female flowers on separate plants, and both are necessary for good berry production.
It is native to Texas and will grow to be up to 25 feet tall. However, you can maintain the plant at a lower height to create a smaller privacy hedge. There are also dwarf varieties of this plant, as well. The Southern Waxmyrtle has glossy, olive-green foliage with a pleasant aroma. The leaves are open, and the plant produces berries. This shrub is salt and pollution tolerant, and once established, doesn’t require irrigation.
The Southern Wax Myrtle is an evergreen shrub native to eastern North America. It grows in swamps and marshes and is often found near streams. Once established, this shrub grows in a variety of soil types, and it is deer-resistant. If you want privacy without adding a lot of work, this shrub makes a great choice for your backyard.
