Best Shrubs for Privacy in NJ Gardens

Shrubs are an excellent choice for creating privacy in your garden. They are generally more cost-effective than building a fence, offer year-round interest, and can be easily maintained at the height you prefer. Additionally, privacy shrubs provide habitat for local wildlife, contribute to air purification, and can be a beautiful addition to your landscape design.

Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

• Benefits: Arborvitae is one of the most popular choices for privacy hedges in New Jersey. Its dense, evergreen foliage creates a solid barrier year-round, and it can be easily shaped to fit your space.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy screens, windbreaks, noise barriers.
• Care Tips: Thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. Regular pruning helps maintain its shape and density.

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

• Benefits: Boxwood is a versatile evergreen shrub that can be shaped into formal hedges or left to grow naturally. It provides year-round privacy and adds a touch of elegance to any garden.
• Ideal Uses: Formal gardens, low hedges, privacy borders.
• Care Tips: Prefers well-drained soil and partial to full sun. Prune regularly to maintain its shape.

Holly (Ilex spp.)

• Benefits: Holly shrubs are known for their glossy, spiny leaves and bright red berries, which add color and interest to your garden. They create a dense, impenetrable barrier that’s perfect for privacy.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy screens, hedges, wildlife gardens.
• Care Tips: Thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers acidic, well-drained soil. Minimal pruning is needed to maintain its natural shape.

Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

• Benefits: Privet is a fast-growing shrub that’s ideal for creating a quick privacy screen. It can be easily shaped into a dense hedge and offers fragrant white flowers in the spring.
• Ideal Uses: Formal hedges, privacy screens, windbreaks.
• Care Tips: Prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. Regular trimming encourages dense growth and maintains the desired height.

Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)

• Benefits: Forsythia is a deciduous shrub that offers brilliant yellow blooms in early spring, signaling the arrival of warmer weather. Its dense growth habit makes it an effective privacy screen.
• Ideal Uses: Seasonal privacy screens, mixed borders, flowering hedges.
• Care Tips: Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Prune after flowering to maintain its shape and encourage new growth.

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

• Benefits: Lilacs are beloved for their fragrant, showy flowers that bloom in late spring. They form a dense, leafy barrier that provides privacy and adds a burst of color to your garden.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy hedges, flowering screens, fragrance gardens.
• Care Tips: Prefers full sun and well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. Prune after blooming to maintain its shape and encourage flowering.

Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)

• Benefits: Viburnums are versatile shrubs that offer year-round interest with their white spring flowers, summer berries, and vibrant fall foliage. They form a dense barrier that’s perfect for privacy.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy hedges, mixed borders, seasonal screens.
• Care Tips: Prefers well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. Prune after flowering to maintain shape and encourage new growth.

Juniper (Juniperus spp.)

• Benefits: Junipers are tough, adaptable evergreens that come in a variety of shapes and sizes, making them excellent for privacy hedges. They are drought-tolerant and can withstand a range of soil conditions.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy screens, windbreaks, low-maintenance gardens.
• Care Tips: Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Minimal pruning is required to maintain their natural shape.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

• Benefits: The Butterfly Bush is not only excellent for privacy but also attracts pollinators like butterflies and bees. It features large, colorful flower spikes that bloom throughout the summer.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy hedges, pollinator gardens, mixed borders.
• Care Tips: Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Prune back hard in late winter to encourage vigorous growth and abundant flowering.

Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense)

• Benefits: Loropetalum offers dark purple foliage and vibrant pink flowers, making it a stunning choice for a privacy hedge. Its dense growth habit provides excellent coverage year-round.
• Ideal Uses: Privacy screens, colorful hedges, ornamental borders.
• Care Tips: Prefers well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. Minimal pruning is needed to maintain its natural form.

Spacing: When planting privacy shrubs, be sure to space them properly to allow for growth and ensure they fill in to create a dense barrier. Follow the specific spacing recommendations for each shrub variety.

Watering: Newly planted shrubs require regular watering to establish strong roots. Once established, most of these shrubs are relatively low-maintenance and drought-tolerant.

Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch around the base of the shrubs to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.

Fertilizing: Fertilize your shrubs in early spring with a balanced fertilizer to promote healthy growth and vibrant foliage.

Pruning: Regular pruning helps maintain the shape and density of your privacy hedge. It’s also important for removing any dead or diseased branches.