Popularity, clearly labeled

The Most Popular Privacy Shrubs and Screening Plants

Among taller shrubs and trees cataloged for screening, these are the genera Sow gardeners save most. Mature width, growth rate, and local suitability still need variety-level review.

Ranked by gardener saves
  1. Hydrangea

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 108 varieties. Generous flower heads and long-lasting structure carry a border from summer onward.

  2. Butterfly Bush

    Butterfly Bush

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 80 varieties. Long, fragrant flower panicles become busy landing strips for butterflies.

  3. Rose

    Rose

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 292 varieties. No other shrub matches roses for range of habit, fragrance, color, and repeat bloom.

  4. Pawpaw

    Pawpaw

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  5. Arborvitae

    Arborvitae

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 49 varieties. Dense evergreen fans make one of the most adaptable living screens.

  6. Maple

    Maple

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 87 varieties. Layered branching and memorable fall color make maples year-round anchors.

  7. Redbud

    Redbud

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 25 varieties. Redbud flowers open directly on bare branches before heart-shaped leaves emerge.

  8. Quercus

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 33 varieties. Oaks combine monumental structure with exceptional food and habitat value for wildlife.

  9. Sassafras

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.

  10. Cherry / Plum

    Cherry / Plum

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 78 varieties. This broad genus pairs spring blossom with stone fruit and handsome woody structure.

  11. Honeysuckle

    Honeysuckle

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 19 varieties. Tubular, often fragrant flowers turn fences into nectar-rich habitat.

  12. Willow

    Willow

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 17 varieties. Rapid growth and flexible stems bring movement and fast screening to moist ground.

  13. Birch

    Birch

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 14 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  14. Juniper

    Juniper

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 80 varieties. Needled evergreen texture, ground-hugging to upright, solves exposed sites year-round.

  15. Celtis

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 3 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.

  16. Lindera

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 1 variety. Its representative is notable for being North American native and usually passed over by deer.

  17. Serviceberry

    Serviceberry

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 11 varieties. Spring blossom, summer fruit, and fall color earn serviceberry three seasons of interest.

  18. Magnolia

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 36 varieties. Sculptural branching and large, luminous flowers create a true specimen tree.

    Zones 5, 7, 8, 9All 36 varieties
  19. Spruce

    Spruce

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 11 varieties. Dense needled tiers provide year-round screening and a strong winter silhouette.

  20. Dogwood

    Dogwood

    Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 58 varieties. Dogwoods layer flowers or bracts, berries, fall color, and elegant branching.

About this list

How was this the most popular privacy shrubs and screening plants list ranked?

A plant must first match the catalog filters named in the title. Each genus is represented and ranked by its most-saved matching variety, so genera with many cultivars do not receive an automatic advantage.

What’s the fastest way to a living privacy screen?

Plant larger stock of fast growers (arborvitae, viburnum, ornamental grasses as a stopgap) at proper spacing — cramming plants closer buys a year now and costs the screen later when they crowd out.

Track these in your garden

Save the ones you plant and get care reminders timed to your zone.

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