Crafting a privacy hedge in your Florida garden can turn your outdoor area into a private retreat. Choosing the right plants and shrubs not only ensures privacy but also enhances the beauty of your space, making it a more delightful and secluded area.

Whether you are going for a certain aesthetic or trying to block out the neighbors there are some go to plants and shrubs you should never ignore

1. Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera)

Florida Native Sea Grapes

Growth Rate: Fast
Max Height: Up to 50 feet
Features: Native to Florida, the sea grape can quickly form a dense and broad hedge with its large, round leaves, offering privacy and a touch of the tropics.

2. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Florida Native Wax Myrtle

Growth Rate: Fast
Max Height: 15-20 feet
Features: This Florida native is known for its aromatic foliage and dense growth, making it an excellent choice for a natural privacy screen.

3. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)

Areca Palms at Rockledge Gardens

Growth Rate: Fast
Max Height: 20 feet
Features: With its feathery, arching fronds, this palm provides a dense screen, perfect for a tropical privacy barrier.

4. Clusia (Clusia rosea)

Clusias make great privacy hedges!

Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Max Height: 25 feet
Features: Known as “Pitch Apple,” clusia features thick, leathery leaves for a dense barrier. It’s drought-tolerant and versatile.

Widest Coverage for Maximum Privacy


1. Bamboo

Wamin Bamboo

Varieties: Opt for clumping varieties for controlled growth.
Features: Bamboo grows rapidly, offering wide coverage quickly. Choose the right variety to prevent invasive spreading.

2. Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus)

Podocarpus

Growth Rate: Moderate
Max Height: 40-50 feet
Features: This plant, also known as “Japanese Yew,” can be shaped into a dense hedge and is ideal for tight, tall privacy screens.

3. Florida Privet (Forestiera segregata)

  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Max Height: 10-15 feet (can be trained taller in hedge form)
  • Features: Florida Privet is a native shrub that thrives in Florida’s climate, offering a dense foliage barrier. It’s highly adaptable to different soil types and conditions, making it a versatile choice for privacy hedges. Its ability to be pruned into various shapes allows for customizable privacy screens that can meet any garden’s needs.

4. Simpson’s Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans)

  • Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
  • Max Height: 20 feet
  • Features: A Florida native, Simpson’s Stopper offers dense foliage and small, fragrant white flowers that attract butterflies. It can be pruned into a formal hedge or allowed to grow naturally for a more informal look.

Considerations for Privacy Hedges 

Climate Tolerance: Select plants suited to the climate zones, capable of withstanding heat, humidity, and occasional cold snaps.

Maintenance: Fast growers might need regular trimming to keep a neat appearance.

Wildlife: Choose plants that support local wildlife, providing not just privacy but also a habitat for birds and beneficial insects.

Planting Tips

Spacing: Adhere to recommended spacing guidelines to ensure plants grow into a dense barrier without overcrowding.

Soil Preparation: Enhance soil with organic matter for the best plant health.

Watering: Maintain a consistent watering schedule until plants are established.

Flowering Hedges for Privacy and Color

Adding flowering hedges to your Florida garden can elevate the privacy and visual appeal of your space, blending the functional need for seclusion with the delightful presence of blooms. Here are four flowering hedges perfect for Florida landscapes, offering both beauty and privacy.

1. Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Beautiful Hibiscus flower
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Max Height: 6-10 feet
  • Features: Hibiscus bushes produce large, colorful flowers that can bloom year-round in Florida’s warm climate. These plants can create a dense and vibrant hedge, offering privacy with a tropical flair.
2. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Oleander flowers
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Max Height: 8-12 feet
  • Features: Despite its toxicity if ingested, oleander is a popular choice for privacy hedges due to its lush foliage and profusion of flowers in shades of pink, red, white, and yellow. It’s drought-tolerant and provides a thick barrier.
3. Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)
Bougainvillea 
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Max Height: 15-40 feet (when supported)
  • Features: Bougainvillea is known for its spectacular display of flowers in vibrant colors. Although technically a vine, it can be trained along fences or trellises to form a dense, flowering screen.
4. Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Gardenia
  • Growth Rate: Slow to Moderate
  • Max Height: 2-8 feet
  • Features: Gardenias offer not only beautiful white flowers but also an intoxicating fragrance. A hedge of gardenias can provide privacy at a lower height, perfect for bordering patios or walkways where you want to enjoy their scent up close.