Plants for Screening & Privacy


Screening and privacy plants for UK gardens. Fast-growing, evergreen and semi-evergreen species that hide a fence, block a view or soften a boundary, from clumping bamboo to tall ornamental grasses.

26 products

    26 products
    Passiflora caerulea 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Blue Passion Flower

    Passiflora caerulea

    £14.99
    1
    Actinidia kolomikta Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Variegated Kiwi Vine

    Actinidia kolomikta

    £18.99
    1
    Miscanthus x giganteus Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Giant Miscanthus, Elephant Grass

    Miscanthus x giganteus

    £13.99
    1
    Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Golden Kiwi

    Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

    £19.99
    1
    Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Purple Passion Fruit

    Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit)

    £18.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Red Dragon' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Red Dragon'

    £18.99
    1
    Fargesia rufa Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Clumping Bamboo

    Fargesia rufa

    £28.99
    1
    Actinidia arguta Issai Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Hardy Kiwi, Kiwiberry (self-fertile)

    Actinidia arguta Issai

    £16.99
    1
    Aristolochia macrophylla 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Dutchman's Pipe

    Aristolochia macrophylla

    £28.99
    1
    Campsis radicans 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Trumpet Vine

    Campsis radicans

    £19.99
    1
    Fargesia 'Jiuzhaigou' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Red Panda Bamboo

    Fargesia 'Jiuzhaigou'

    £54.99
    1
    Acacia longifolia 19cm / 3L (Collection Only) Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Sydney Golden Wattle (Long-leaved Wattle)

    Acacia longifolia

    £19.99
    1
    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

    Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

    £30.99
    1
    Abutilon megapotamicum Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Trailing Abutilon (Brazilian Bell-flower)

    Abutilon megapotamicum

    £8.99
    1
    Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby' 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Climbing Hardy Fuchsia

    Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby'

    £7.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Pink Japanese Wisteria ('Hon-beni')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'

    £30.99
    1
    Miscanthus sinensis Strictus 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Porcupine Grass

    Miscanthus sinensis Strictus

    £12.99
    1
    Magnolia laevifolia 'Honey Velvet' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Fairy Magnolia 'Honey Velvet'

    Magnolia laevifolia 'Honey Velvet'

    £24.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon' 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

    Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

    £31.99
    1
    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    White Japanese Wisteria

    Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'

    £31.99
    1
    Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris 15cm / 1.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Climbing Hydrangea

    Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

    £31.99
    1
    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano' 17cm / 2L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Star Jasmine (Variegated)

    Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano'

    £30.99
    1
    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Native Lilac (Purple Coral Pea)

    Hardenbergia violacea Rosea

    £9.99
    1
    Olearia traversii Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Chatham Island Daisy Bush (Akeake)

    Olearia traversii

    £14.99
    1
    Griselinia littoralis 9cm / 0.5L Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
    Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

    Griselinia littoralis

    £6.99
    1

    The GrowTropicals Guide to Screening Plants

    What are the best screening plants?

    For most UK gardens, clumping bamboo is the single best screening plant. Fargesia species reach 2 to 3 metres with dense, evergreen foliage that moves gently in wind, and unlike running bamboos they never invade the rest of the garden. Tall ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus give summer-only screening with autumn interest. Evergreen shrubs and hardy palms fill out the year-round mix. For the fastest results, plant screening in a staggered line 60 to 100 cm apart. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

    Care essentials for screening plants

    • Position: Full sun to partial shade. Match the species to the aspect of the boundary you are screening.
    • Spacing: Plant clumping bamboo 80 to 100 cm apart in a single line, or 60 to 80 cm apart in a staggered double row for faster density.
    • Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained. Enrich the planting trench with compost and water in generously.
    • Hardiness: Screening bamboos stocked here are RHS H6. Individual product pages carry the specific rating.
    • Establishment: Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers. Screening reaches useful density in years three to four; final height typically in years five to seven.

    Explore the screening range

    Combine screening with hardy bamboo, hardy climbers for vertical coverage, and architectural foliage for accent specimens. See the wider Hardy Exotics range for pairings.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Bamboo is one of the best, growing tall and evergreen for fast, year-round screening, alongside tall ornamental grasses and dense evergreen plants. This collection brings together hardy plants that all screen well in UK gardens.

    Bamboo is among the fastest, putting up tall canes quickly to screen a view or fence. For a row of pots on a balcony or terrace it is hard to beat, giving height and evergreen cover in a season or two.

    Yes, a row of screening plants in large containers makes an excellent privacy screen for a balcony, roof terrace or patio. Bamboo and tall grasses work especially well, and pots also keep vigorous plants neatly contained.

    Choose evergreen screening plants, such as many bamboos, and they keep their leaves and screening power right through winter. Deciduous plants thin out in the cold months, so mix in evergreens where year-round privacy matters.

    Pick a clump-forming variety, grow it in a large pot, or install a root barrier around running types. Removing any stray shoots as they appear keeps a screening bamboo exactly where you want it.

    Plants for screening and privacy

    The quickest, greenest way to gain privacy is to grow it. Screening plants put up a living wall of foliage that blocks an unwanted view, softens a hard fence and filters wind and noise, all far more beautifully than a panel of timber. This collection gathers hardy plants that screen well, led by bamboo and backed up by tall grasses and dense evergreens.

    Screening for balconies, terraces and small gardens

    You do not need a boundary border to gain privacy. A row of screening plants in pots makes an instant green divider on a balcony, roof terrace or patio, shielding a seating area or blocking an overlooking window. Bamboo in particular grows tall in a container and stays evergreen all year.

    Screening a fence or boundary

    Along a fence or boundary, screening plants give height and cover that a fence alone cannot. Evergreen types screen all year, while a mix of heights and textures looks more natural than a single clipped hedge. Most establish quickly and need little once settled.

    Planting and care

    Plant in spring in improved soil, water well for the first year or two, and mulch in spring. Choose clump-forming bamboos or contain vigorous ones in pots or with a root barrier. A little thinning of older stems each year keeps a screen looking fresh.