Creating Your Living Fence
A Guide to Natural Privacy and Proper Planting
A living fence is a beautiful, eco‑friendly way to define your property, block noise, and create a private sanctuary. Our Privacy & Living Fences collection features fast‑growing evergreens, structural shrubs, and flowering vines chosen for their ability to create dense, long‑lasting natural screens.
Whether you’re lining a property boundary, shielding a patio, or building a full green wall, these plants offer dependable growth, year‑round coverage, and strong visual impact. With the right placement and spacing, your living fence will grow fuller, thicker, and more effective every season.
American Pillar Arborvitae
A narrow, fast‑growing evergreen ideal for tight spaces. Forms a tall, dense column perfect for privacy hedges.
Placement: Full sun; space 2.5–3 ft apart for a solid screen.
Murray Cypress Tree
A vigorous, adaptable evergreen with excellent drought tolerance once established.
Placement: Full sun; space 5–8 ft apart.
Skip Cherry Laurel
A refined evergreen with glossy foliage and a naturally upright habit. Excellent for creating lush, polished privacy walls.
Placement: Full sun to part shade; adaptable and low‑maintenance.
Caragana Siberian Peashrub
A hardy, drought‑tolerant shrub with fine texture and bright yellow spring blooms. Adds height and structure to privacy plantings.
Placement: Full sun; thrives in tough conditions.
Ligustrum Ibolium (North Privet)
A classic, fast‑growing hedge shrub with dense branching and deep green foliage.
Placement: Full sun to part shade; space 4 ft apart for a solid wall.
Willow Hybrid Trees
One of the fastest‑growing privacy trees in the world, reaching 50–75 ft with rapid screening ability.
Placement: Full sun to part shade; space 6–10 ft apart.
Green Giant Arborvitae
A powerhouse evergreen reaching 30–50 ft tall. Excellent for large‑scale privacy screens.
Placement: Full sun to light shade; space 5–8 ft apart.
Nellie Stevens Holly Tree
A dense, pyramidal evergreen with glossy foliage and red berries. Provides year‑round privacy and structure.
Placement: Full sun or part shade; space 7–12 ft apart.
Amethyst Falls Wisteria
A compact, well‑behaved wisteria ideal for trellises, pergolas, and fence lines. Produces cascading lavender blooms.
Placement: Full sun; space 5–8 ft apart along a sturdy structure.
Thin Man Arborvitae
A slender, columnar evergreen perfect for narrow spaces or modern privacy designs.
Placement: Full sun; excellent vertical structure.
Bignonia ‘Tangerine Beauty’ (Crossvine)
A vigorous climbing vine with stunning orange blooms. Ideal for fences, arbors, and walls.
Placement: Full sun to part shade; space 5–10 ft apart.
Burning Bush
A tidy shrub with deep green summer foliage that turns brilliant red in fall. Adds seasonal color to privacy plantings.
Placement: Full sun to part shade; dependable and adaptable.
General Planting Instructions for Privacy Trees, Shrubs & Vines
Dig wide, not deep.
Dig holes 2–3 times wider than the root ball but no deeper than the root ball itself.
Elevate slightly.
Plant so the top of the root ball sits 1–2 inches above the surrounding soil to prevent waterlogging.
Prepare the soil.
Mix native soil with compost or aged manure to improve drainage and nutrient availability.
Water in thoroughly.
After planting, soak the area deeply to settle soil and remove air pockets. Continue watering twice weekly during the first growing season.
Mulch generously.
Apply a 2–3 inch layer around the base (keeping mulch a few inches away from the trunk) to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature.
Space for mature size.
Follow recommended spacing to ensure plants grow into a dense, healthy screen without overcrowding.
Support climbing vines.
Provide trellises, fences, or pergolas for wisteria and crossvine to climb and establish quickly.
Check your growing zone.
Ensure your chosen plants match your climate for long‑term success and vigorous growth.