Plants for Screening & Privacy

Q: What are the best plants for screening and privacy?

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Q: What is the fastest-growing screening plant?

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Q: Can I screen a balcony or terrace with plants in pots?

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Q: Will screening plants give privacy in winter?

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Q: How do I stop screening bamboo spreading?

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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.

£62.99

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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

What are the best plants for screening and privacy?

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.

What is the fastest-growing screening plant?

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.

Can I screen a balcony or terrace with plants in pots?

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.

Will screening plants give privacy in winter?

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.

How do I stop screening bamboo spreading?

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.

Plants for Screening & Privacy

Fargesia angustissima

Sarcococca ruscifolia (Fragrant Sweet Box)

Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'

Frangula alnus 'Fine Line'

Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

Abutilon megapotamicum

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

Actinidia kolomikta

Actinidia arguta Issai

Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana'