Privacy Fencing With Shrubs

• If you'd like to create privacy for your yard, you don't have to rely on a traditional fence that may detract from the beauty of your landscape; instead, opt for a living privacy fence made of shrubs. Several types of shrubs are efficient for blocking out noise and unwanted views while helping to beautify your yard.

Privet

• Privet provides a formal alternative to traditional stockade privacy fencing and is more inviting, according to Thisoldhouse.com. Ligustrum Vulgare "Cheyenne," or Cheyenne privet, is one of the hardiest of the privet species. This deciduous shrub can grow to heights of 5 feet and spread out 6 feet wide. It has upright branches that are densely packed with small green leaves that enable the shrub to provide privacy for your yard. In the summer, white flowers bloom and its black berries attract birds, adding another living feature of interest to your yard. These bushes do well in an area that receives full sun exposure.

Nellie R Stevens Holly

• According to Livingfences.com, this holly plant is the most common for use as a privacy fence. With a fast growth rate and a mature height of 20 to 25 feet, these holly plants will certainly block out unwanted views. They grow in a pyramidal shape and provide year-round interest color with their dark green, glossy leaves and red berries that appear in winter if the bush is pollinated.

Lilac Bushes

• Not only do these shrubs provide privacy, but they also add attractive color and fragrance to your landscape. Lilac bushes are deciduous shrubs that reach an average height of 8 feet. They have dark green foliage that appears in the early spring and showy flowers that bloom in the late spring. The blooms are made up of several small flowers that form into a conical shape. Lilac flowers are most commonly a light purple, but some species also produce red or white flowers. Lilacs may be best noted for the distinct fragrance they produce, which is more aromatic when the plant receives high amounts of sunlight. The lilac bush thrives when planted in areas that receive direct sunlight and have moist, well-drained soil.

Leyland Cypress

• Leyland cypress is perhaps the most common shrub used for privacy fencing due to its growth rate of 3 or more feet per year, says Livingfences.com. These evergreen shrubs can grow 50 feet or more when they reach maturity. They grow in a pyramidal shape and have medium to dark green needles year-round. They not only provide privacy but also help to reduce unwanted noise.