Looking for a natural and beautiful alternative to a standard fence? Privacy screens made from plants can transform your yard while adding valuable greenery to your landscape. Fast-growing plants create living barriers that offer seclusion, reduce noise, and enhance your outdoor space with vibrant colors and textures.
Natural fencing solves multiple problems at once. It provides the privacy you need while avoiding the costs and limitations of traditional fencing materials. And many of these plants work their magic quickly, establishing themselves in just one growing season.
Bamboo: The Ultra-Fast Privacy Solution
Bamboo tops the list of fast-growing privacy plants with growth rates of up to 3 feet per year. This versatile plant creates a dense, tall screen that can reach heights of 10-20 feet depending on the variety. Running bamboo spreads through underground rhizomes, while clumping bamboo stays more contained.
When planting bamboo, consider installing a rhizome barrier that extends about 30 inches deep to prevent unwanted spreading. Most varieties thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer well-draining soil. For best results, space plants 3-5 feet apart to allow proper air circulation while still creating a solid visual barrier.
Arborvitae: The Classic Living Wall
Arborvitae offers year-round privacy with its dense evergreen foliage. These coniferous trees grow 1-3 feet annually until reaching their mature height of 20-40 feet, depending on the variety. The 'Green Giant' cultivar is particularly popular for privacy screens due to its rapid growth and disease resistance.
Plant arborvitae 3-4 feet apart in a row to create a seamless natural fence. They thrive in full sun to partial shade and adapt to most soil types as long as drainage is adequate. The lush green foliage provides a classic, formal look that complements many landscape styles while effectively blocking unwanted views.
Privet: The Versatile Hedge Option
Privet creates a dense, leafy barrier that can be formally shaped or left more natural. This adaptable shrub grows quickly, adding 1-2 feet per year until reaching heights of 4-15 feet depending on the variety. The small white flowers that appear in summer add seasonal interest.
For a complete privacy screen in one season, plant privet hedges 12-18 inches apart. These hardy plants tolerate poor soil conditions and various light exposures, though they perform best in full sun. Regular trimming encourages denser growth, but even with minimal maintenance, privet forms an effective living fence.
Ornamental Grasses: The Textural Boundary
Ornamental grasses create a softer, more textural boundary than traditional fences. Varieties like maiden grass, switchgrass, and feather reed grass reach full size in just one growing season, with heights ranging from 3-8 feet. Their graceful movement adds dynamic interest to your landscape.
These grasses need minimal care once established and resist most pests and diseases. Plant them 2-3 feet apart for a continuous screen, allowing their arching forms to overlap slightly. The seasonal color changes, from spring greens to autumn golds and russets, provide year-round visual interest while maintaining privacy.
Sunflowers: The Seasonal Showstopper
Sunflowers offer a dramatic but temporary privacy solution that blooms within a single season. These iconic plants grow rapidly from seed, reaching heights of 6-12 feet in just 3-4 months. Their massive blooms create a cheerful barrier that doubles as a wildlife attractor for birds and beneficial insects.
Plant sunflower seeds about 6 inches apart in a staggered double row for maximum density. Choose varieties like 'American Giant' or 'Mammoth' for the tallest screens. While this solution lasts only one season, the spectacular display and low cost make sunflowers an excellent option for temporary privacy needs.
Climbing Roses: The Romantic Barrier
Climbing roses transform simple trellises or supports into lush flowering walls within a single growing season. Fast-growing varieties like 'New Dawn' or 'Cecile Brunner' can extend 8-12 feet in their first year when properly trained. Their cascading blooms create a romantic, cottage-garden feel.
Install a sturdy support system before planting, as mature climbing roses become quite heavy. Space plants about 8 feet apart to allow for spreading, and regularly tie new canes horizontally to encourage more flowering shoots. This living fence option combines privacy with spectacular floral displays throughout the growing season.
Clematis: The Flowering Fence Companion
Clematis vines quickly cover existing structures with their vigorous growth and showy blooms. These adaptable climbers can grow 8-12 feet in a single season, with flowers ranging from delicate star shapes to dinner-plate sized blooms in various colors. Some varieties even offer multiple flowering periods.
Plant clematis near a trellis, pergola, or chain-link fence to transform it into a living wall. Their roots prefer cool, moist conditions while their tops need sunshine. Mulch the base and allow the vines to climb into sunlight. For continuous coverage, space plants 3-4 feet apart and provide regular water during establishment.
Morning Glories: The Budget-Friendly Screen
Morning glories create temporary privacy screens from simple seeds in just weeks. These vigorous annual vines can climb 10-15 feet in a single season, covering trellises or supports with heart-shaped leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers that open each morning. Their rapid growth makes them perfect for immediate privacy needs.
Sow seeds directly in the ground after all danger of frost has passed, spacing them about 6 inches apart along a support structure. The blue, purple, pink, or white blooms appear throughout summer until frost. Their self-seeding nature means they often return year after year with minimal effort.
Hops: The Unexpected Privacy Vine
Hops vines offer a unique and fast-growing option for privacy screens. These perennial climbers grow at an astonishing rate of 12 inches per week during peak season, ultimately reaching 15-25 feet in a single summer. Their large, distinctive leaves create dense coverage, while the papery seed cones add architectural interest.
Plant hops rhizomes in early spring near a very sturdy support system. Their weight becomes substantial as they mature. The vines die back in winter but return even stronger the following year. For beer enthusiasts, the bonus of harvesting your own hops adds functional appeal to this privacy solution.
Trumpet Vine: The Hummingbird Magnet
Trumpet vine creates privacy while attracting wildlife with its tubular orange-red flowers. This vigorous climber can grow 30-40 feet in length with proper support, adding 5-10 feet annually once established. The showy blooms appear throughout summer, drawing hummingbirds and creating visual interest.
This adaptable vine grows in various soil types and requires minimal care. Plant it near a sturdy trellis or fence post, as its weight increases substantially over time. While trumpet vine can become aggressive in some regions, regular pruning keeps it contained while encouraging more flowering.
Italian Cypress: The Vertical Accent
Italian cypress trees create elegant living columns that serve as natural privacy screens. These narrow evergreens grow 2-3 feet per year, ultimately reaching heights of 40-60 feet while staying just 3-5 feet wide. Their compact vertical form makes them ideal for narrow spaces where other privacy plants wouldn't fit.
Plant Italian cypress trees 3-4 feet apart to create a continuous screen without overwhelming the space. They thrive in full sun and prefer well-draining soil. Their drought tolerance once established makes them relatively low-maintenance, while their formal appearance adds architectural structure to any landscape.
Laurel: The Broad-Leaved Evergreen
Laurel shrubs form dense privacy hedges with glossy, broad leaves that create effective visual barriers. Varieties like cherry laurel or Portuguese laurel grow quickly, adding 1-2 feet annually until reaching mature heights of 10-18 feet. Their lush foliage remains green year-round in most climates.
Space laurel plants 3-5 feet apart for a continuous hedge that fills in within a single growing season. These adaptable shrubs tolerate various light conditions from full sun to partial shade, though they grow fastest with at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. Their resistance to urban pollution makes them excellent choices for city gardens.
Russian Sage: The Drought-Tolerant Screen
Russian sage creates a beautiful, drought-resistant privacy screen with its silvery foliage and lavender-blue flower spikes. This perennial reaches 3-5 feet tall and wide in a single season, forming a substantial visual barrier when planted in groups. The aromatic foliage deters deer and other browsing animals.
Plant Russian sage 2-3 feet apart in a sunny location with well-draining soil. Once established, it requires minimal watering, making it ideal for low-maintenance landscapes. The delicate appearance belies its toughness. This plant handles poor soil, heat, and drought with ease while providing both privacy and pollinator habitat.
Forsythia: The Early-Season Privacy Solution
Forsythia shrubs burst into brilliant yellow blooms in early spring before quickly developing dense foliage for season-long privacy. These deciduous shrubs grow rapidly, adding 1-2 feet per year until reaching their mature height of 8-10 feet with a similar spread. Their arching branches create a naturalistic screen.
For a continuous privacy hedge, plant forsythia 4-6 feet apart in full sun to light shade. Their adaptability to various soil conditions makes establishment easy, while their resistance to urban conditions ensures success in most settings. The spectacular spring display serves as a bonus to their effective screening capabilities.
Hollyhocks: The Cottage Garden Screen
Hollyhocks create vertical interest and privacy with their tall flower stalks that reach 5-8 feet in a single season. These biennial or short-lived perennial plants produce rosettes of leaves their first year, followed by dramatic flowering spikes in their second season. Their cottage garden charm adds character to natural boundaries.
Sow hollyhock seeds directly in the garden in late spring for flowering the following year, or start with nursery plants for same-season impact. Space plants 18-24 inches apart along the desired screening area. Their self-seeding nature means they'll continue to return year after year, creating an evolving living fence.
Plume Poppy: The Bold Statement Screen
Plume poppy makes a dramatic privacy statement with its massive, silver-blue leaves and 8-foot height that develops in just one season. This perennial spreads through underground rhizomes to create a substantial visual barrier. The creamy white flower plumes that appear in midsummer add additional height and interest.
Plant plume poppy with caution, as its vigorous nature means it spreads readily. Containing it with barriers or planting in large containers prevents unwanted colonization. For those with large spaces to fill quickly, however, this plant offers unmatched speed and visual impact as a living fence.
Bougainvillea: The Tropical Privacy Solution
Bougainvillea creates spectacular flowering screens in warm climates, growing up to 20 feet in a single season with proper support. These vigorous climbers produce waves of vibrant pink, purple, red, or orange bracts that create dense coverage. Their thorny stems provide additional security benefits.
In frost-free areas, bougainvillea functions as a perennial privacy screen that becomes increasingly impressive each year. For cooler regions, it can be grown in large containers and overwintered indoors. Plant bougainvillea in full sun with well-draining soil, spacing plants 5-6 feet apart along supports for maximum coverage.
Creating Your Perfect Living Fence
Living fences offer beauty, habitat value, and privacy all in one package. By selecting plants that match your climate, soil conditions, and aesthetic preferences, you can create a natural boundary that enhances your property. The options presented here demonstrate that privacy solutions don't have to involve lumber, concrete, or vinyl.
For best results, prepare your planting area thoroughly by removing weeds and amending soil as needed. Most fast-growing plants benefit from regular watering during their establishment phase. And combining different plant types creates layered, dynamic screens that provide multiple seasons of interest. With these living fence options, your outdoor space can be both private and naturally beautiful in just one growing season.