Bushes and Plants That Provide Privacy

USDA Zones 2 and 3

• The ornamental value of arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) is not particularly high, notes the University of Connecticut Plant Database, but this is a cold-hardy species, growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 and 3. Arrowwood viburnum matures about 9 feet tall, generating white flowers and blue-black fruits. Its leaves are potentially colorful in autumn. Thuja occidentalis "Sunkist" yellow foliage turns shades of orange-yellow in winter. Growing to 10 feet high, this American arborvitae shrub works as a hedge or a screen in cold zones.

USDA Zone 4 and 5

• Yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) grows to 30 feet in its native China, but between 12 and 18 feet in USDA zones 4 and 5. It is easily tall enough for privacy, and it helps buffer noises from neighboring properties. Yellow groove bamboo's foliage is evergreen until the temperature goes below zero degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Ilex x meserveae "Blue Princess" is a holly that grows to 15 feet, making it screen worthy. The blue-green evergreen foliage provides year-round privacy. The female plants produce red berries, as long as a male plant is nearby.

USDA Zone 6 and 7

• The 1- to 3-inch long thorns adorning the stems of a Washington hawthorn tree (Crataegus phaenopyrum) make anyone considering invading your yard to think twice. This tree, fit for USDA zone 6 and 7, grows to 30 feet, but you can trim it into a hedge or grow to maturity as a screen along borders. Citation (Taxus x media) is a yew hybrid growing in a columnar form to 10 feet. Dark-green, evergreen needles give it color. Female plants generate red fruits resembling berries.

USDA Zone 8, 9 and 10

• USDA zones 8 through 10 support the common jasmine (Jasminum officinale), a deciduous bush featuring aromatic flowers. Jasmine grows to 30 feet, but you may keep it much smaller and still allow it to serve as a privacy plant. The Japanese nutmeg yew (Torreya nucifera) is a needled evergreen for warm climates. An added benefit is that the seeds are edible. It grows to 30 feet, or less than half what it attains in the wild.