Many plants are suitable for separating your own property from that of your neighbors as a privacy screen. Not only hedges and shrubs are suitable here, various plants in tubs or tall grass can also offer good protection.
Table of Contents
shrubs in hedges
Hedges of shrubs on the property line are the first alternative when it comes to plants as a privacy screen. There are also many plants on the market that are evergreen or fast-growing. Some of the shrubs are also suitable for a mixed culture in the hedge, others bear decorative flowers in summer.
B to K
Boxwood (Buxus)
- The boxwood family (Buxaceae)
- Growth height: up to six meters
- Soil: calcareous, loamy
- Location: shade as well as semi-shade
- too much sun can burn leaves
- evergreen
- small leaves
Eibe (Taxus baccata)
- Yew family (Taxaceae)
- conifers
- Growth height: up to 16 meters
- Location: shady to sunny
- kalkliebend
- poisonous
Feuerdorn (Pyracantha coccinea)
- The rose family (Rosaceae)
- Height of growth: up to four meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- evergreen
- lime tolerant
- bright yellow, red or orange fruits
Hainbuche (Carpinus betulus)
- Birch family (Betulaceae)
- popular hedge plant
- Height of growth: up to twenty meters
- Location: sunny to shady
- lime tolerant
- attractive autumn colour
Kirschlorbeer (Prunus laurocerasus)
- The rose family (Rosaceae)
- Growth height: up to four meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Flowering period: white flowers in May and June
- lime tolerant
- poisonous
L to T
Liguster (Ligustrum vulgare)
- The olive tree family (Oleaceae)
- Growth height: up to five meters
- Location: sunny
- tending to bare in the shade
- evergreen
- kalkliebend
- poisonous
Rhododendron
- Heather family (Ericaceae)
- demanding flowering shrub
- Growth height: up to 30 meters (Rhododendron arboreum)
- Location: light shade
- evergreen
- lime-free soil
- poisonous
False cypress (Chamaecyparis)
- Cypress family (Cupressaceae)
- coniferous wood
- Growth height: up to 15 meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- kalvertraglich
Thuja (tree of life)
- Cypress family (Cupressaceae)
- evergreen coniferous tree
- Growth height: up to 20 meters (free growing)
- Location: sunny
- calcareous soil preferred
- many different cultivated forms, e.g. ‘Brabant’ and ‘Smaragd’
Hedges of grass
If you don’t want to cultivate shrubs as a hedge in the garden, you have the option of using another type of plant as a privacy screen, because grasses are also suitable as privacy screens. However, those should be chosen that can reach a height of at least one meter.
Blue moor grass (Molinia caerulea)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- Growth height: up to one meter
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Flowers: green-violet spikes from August to October
- lime tolerant
- hardy
- autumn coloring
Chinaschilf (Miscanthus)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- Growth height: up to 3.5 meters
- Location: sunny
- Flowers: panicles in autumn
- sprawling growth
- dark green leaves with autumn colour
- hardy
Goldleistengras (Spartina pectinata)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- Growth height: up to one meter
- Location: partial shade
- Autumn color and shoots red
- hardy
Hänge-Segge (Carex pendula)
- Sourgrass family (Cyperaceae)
- also giant sedge
- Growth height: up to one meter
- Location: partial shade to shade
- Flowers: brown spikes in June and July
- sensitive to lime
Mäusedorn-Bambus (Phyllostachys ruscifolia)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- Growth height: up to 1.20 meters
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- forms root suckers, rhizomes
- hardy
Pampasgras (Cortaderia selloana)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- Growth height: up to 2.50 meters (including fronds)
- Location: sunny
- Flowers: spikes in August to November
- lime tolerant
- hardy
- wintergreen
Umbrella Bamboo (Fargesia murielae)
- Grass family (Poaceae)
- also Muriel bamboo
- Growth height: up to three meters
- Location: shady to semi-shady
- lime tolerant
- evergreen
- hardy
Potted plants as a privacy screen
A wall of potted plants can also offer protection against prying eyes directly on the terrace. There are many different plants that can be kept a little smaller in the bucket and thus do not completely cover a seat, but there are also climbing plants that can also be used as a natural shelter against solar radiation. The plants can also provide privacy in the bucket.
B to G
Blauregen (Wisteria)
- poisonous climbing and creeping plant
- Growth height: up to 10 meters
- Growth habit: very sprawling
- Location: sunny
- Flowers: violet, blue, pink or white, racemose
- heyday; May to June
- hardy
- Leaf removal
Clematis
- milia of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)
- also known as clematis
- Growth form: climbing plant
- Growth height: up to 12 meters on climbing aids
- Location : sunny to semi-shady
- different flower colors
- hardy
- deciduous
Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Family name Araliengewächse (Araliaceae)
- Height of growth: up to twenty meters
- Growth form: Climbing plant on a trellis
- Location: partial shade to shade
- hardy
- kalkliebend
- poisonous
Lonicera caprifolium (Lonicera caprifolium)
- Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae)
- also known as Jelongerjelieber
- Growth form: Climbing and creeping plant
- Growth height: up to six meters on trellis
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- Flowers: white, pink, yellow or multicolored
- Flowering period: May to July
- kalkliebend
- hardy
H to S
Hibiskus (Hibiscus)
- Family of Malvaceae
- also called marshmallow
- Growth height: up to 3 meters
- Location: sunny
- Flowers: many different types and flower colors
- Flowering period: June to October
- conditionally hardy
Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
- Hydrangea family (Hydrangeaceae)
- Location: partial shade
- Flowering period: May to September
- large bright flowers
- wants lime-poor soil
- very high water demand
- needs winter protection
Lavendelheide (Pieris)
- Heather family (Ericaceae)
- Height of growth: shrub up to two meters high
- Flowers: white, April and May
- Location: semi-shady to shady
- hardy
- evergreen
- sensitive to lime
Rotlaubige Glanzmispel (Photinia x fraseri)
- The rose family (Rosaceae)
- evergreen shrub
- Growth height: up to two meters
- Location: sunny
- flowers: white, from May to June
- light winter protection in winter
- lime tolerant
Säckelblume (Ceanothus)
- Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae)
- compact growth
- Growth height: up to 1.50 meters
- Location: sunny
- flowers: blue, from July to November
- kalkliebend
- wintergreen
- needs a little winter protection
frequently asked Questions
That always depends on how it is designed. If you create a privacy screen made of plants as a hedge, for example, directly on the property line, then you need the consent of the neighbor for this. However, if you place potted plants along the border on your side, this does not require approval.
Of course, the various types of grass are also suitable for pot cultivation if they are cared for properly. The advantage of a privacy screen made of potted plants is that they can be easily moved, for example if they are too close to the property line. It is important to know that the grasses in the bucket do not usually reach the same height as in the bed.
If you don’t want prying eyes on your terrace or your preferred seat in the garden, then a number of plants are suitable as privacy screens. The various grasses are ideal for planting in a semicircle around your seat in the garden. The various tall potted plants are always the right choice for a terrace.
