Tall Plants to Create a Privacy Balcony

Zones 2 to 8

• In USDA zone 2, average annual low temperatures reach -50 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold-hardy plants include the little mugo pine, Pinus mugo var. pumilio, a slow-growing, 6-foot-tall evergreen hardy in zones 2 to 8. This coniferous shrub has short needles and dense branches. The red osier dogwood, Cornus sericea, grows to 9 feet tall and provides color throughout the year, with green leaves and small white flowers in summer and red stems in the winter. Hardy in zones 2 to 7, this deciduous shrub tolerates drought and urban air pollution.

Zones 4 to 9

• USDA zone 4 temperatures dip to -30 degrees Fahrenheit. Tall plants for this zone include the 5-foot-tall foxglove, Digitalis purpurea, which is hardy in zones 4 to 9. This perennial blooms in spring with spikes of purple and white flowers and grows best in partial shade. Also hardy in zones 4 to 9, ribbon grass, Phalaris arundinaera, grows to 5 feet and prefers light shade. It has white and green foliage and produces small light pink and white flower clusters in summer.

Zones 6 to 9

• In USDA zone 6, lows reach -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Perennial sunflowers, Helianthus spp., grow to 84 inches tall and bloom from summer through fall. Hardy in zones 6 to 9, there are several cultivars from which to choose and they thrive in sun or light shade. Crimson Queen Japanese maples, Acer palmatum "Crimson Queen," are also hardy in zones 6 to 9. These deciduous trees grow from 8 to 10 feet tall and have colorful, dissected foliage in shades of red and scarlet. They grow best in light shade.

Zones 8 to 11

• Lows in USDA zone 8 dip to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The Chinese hibiscus, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, is hardy in zones 8 to 11 and grows to 8 feet tall. This deciduous shrub thrives in sunny areas and has waxy foliage. It has white, pink, red or yellow blossoms. Sunningdale Silver pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, grows to 10 feet tall and is hardy in zones 8 to 10. It produces large, silvery plumes and prefers sunny to lightly shaded exposures. It has thin, arching foliage.