A living fence is a wonderful, natural way to mark the perimeter around your property. As well as looking lovely, the best plants for a living fence absorb CO2, cool the atmosphere and provide a home for birds and wildlife. Here you can peruse the options, which each offer different looks, styles and benefits.
There are plenty of wonderful living fence ideas, from flowering and fruiting shrubs to fast-growing evergreens, so the final decision will rest on a number of factors, pertinent to you and your space.
We've asked landscape gardeners and horticulturalists their favorite plants for living fences, to offer up some options you may not have considered and to help narrow down the choices. Armed with this information, it will be easier to make a decision that's best for you and your yard.
7 of the best plants for living fences
Firstly, think about the aesthetics. Would you like your living fence to have summer blooms, winter berries or to be an elegant leafy evergreen screen? Would you like it to have some practical benefits, for example, additional security with thorns or needles? How tall would you like it to grow? Then consider any maintenance, such as how often will the plant require pruning and whether it will need supplemental watering in your region.
Ideally, a living fence will look attractive and provide privacy. Yet, with a little thought, it can do so much more. Ecological landscape designer, Kim Eierman loves to include more than one plant species in a living fence to boost biodiversity.
'Traditionally, living fences, hedgerows, and planted privacy screenings have been monoculture plantings,' says Kim Eierman, founder EcoBeneficial and author, The Pollinator Victory Garden.
'We need to take a new approach to improve the ecological health of our managed landscapes; planting diversely with appropriate regional native plants. This approach increases biodiversity; a critical tool for stemming species loss and enhancing ecological functioning.'
Although popular for flower bed ideas, hydrangeas are great for living fences around property borders too. With their height and huge blooms, these plants create privacy and look beautiful around the garden perimeter.
'Tall hydrangeas make great living fences because they are breathtaking in the summer but also have fall and winter interest,' says Caitlin Boyle, founder, Dirt Diva Designs. 'I also like Limelights and other “panicle’ hydrangeas because they are very hardy, if not downright rugged. I have 7’ foot Limelights that I moved from a different house and hard-pruned last year and they look perfectly happy.'
Limelight hydrangeas start blooming in mid to late summer, coming in – no surprise – lime green. In the fall the large conical flowers turn pink and ruby tones.
The flowers eventually turn brown but I leave those spent blooms up all winter because they look beautiful in the snow. Limelights are hardy from zones 3-8 and prefer full-sun to part-shade.
'What really makes this a great living fence is the height and the three-season interest. Although, in winter, there is still enough woody structure that it feels like a definition of space even if there are no leaves.'
For something non-traditional and a little more modern, ornamental grasses are a wonderful alternative to clipped hedges, flowering shrubs, climbers or evergreens. Yet tall grasses can still provide privacy and a natural fence line around your property.
With the wide variety of grasses available, there is something to suit most zones. However, Miscanthus 'Morning Light' is one of Caitlin's favorites for a living fence in the northeast.
'Large grasses are the most affordable way to make a living fence, and one of the most attractive,' says Caitlin. 'I love the sense of enclosure and privacy that that a hedge or fence brings, and Miscanthus 'Morning Light' brings the size - 5-6’ tall and 4’ wide – while also staying airy.
'There are other Miscanthus varieties that are taller, they grow up to 10’ tall. But I think Morning Light’s size makes it more manageable. I love its rounded form and variegated leaves which glow when backlit (hence the name). To make a boundary, I lay them out in a staggered grouping for the most natural feel.
'They look very coastal and instantly, like the beach, make me feel calm. Provide them with full sun to part shade and they won't disappoint.'