Tall Bushes for Privacy Above Fence

To Minus 20 Degrees Fahrenheit

• Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) grows from 15 to 20 feet tall. This evergreen has a rounded form and dense, glossy, dark-green foliage. It blooms with aromatic yellow blossoms in spring and tolerates drought. Plant common boxwoods in sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained, neutral-pH soil. Pathfinder juniper (Juniperus scopulorum “Pathfinder”) grows to 20 feet tall with an 8-foot spread. This sun-loving evergreen has dense, blue-gray foliage and prefers well-draining soil. Pathfinders are hardy in zones 5 through 9.

To Minus 10 Degrees Fahrenheit

• The cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolus) is hardy to USDA zone 6. This evergreen grows to 15 feet tall with a similar width and has arching branches covered with dark-green, slightly hairy foliage. It produces long-lasting, bright-red fruits and thrives in sunny to partially shaded, well-drained sites. Chinese photinia (Photinia serrulata), which is hardy in zones 6 to 9, grows to 25 feet tall with a 20-foot spread. It has lustrous evergreen foliage and produces red fruits from summer through autumn. Chinese photinias grow well in sun to partial shade and well-draining soil.

Hardy to Zero Degrees Fahrenheit

• Chinese podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus var. maki) is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 11 and grows to 35 feet tall. This columnar shrub has a narrow spread and glossy, waxy, dark needles. Female plants produce edible reddish-purple fruits. Chinese podocarpus grows best in well-drained soil and tolerates sunny or shady sites. Nellie Stevens holly (Ilex “Nellie R. Stevens”) grows to 35 feet tall with a 15-foot spread. This fast-growing evergreen has glossy, dark foliage and produces red berries. It does well in sun to partial shade and tolerates a variety of soils. Nellie Stevens holly is hardy in zones 6 through 9.

Hardy to 10 Degrees Fahrenheit

• Southern waxmyrtle (Myrica cerifera) is hardy in USDA zones 7b through 11 and grows quickly to 15 feet. A broadleaved evergreen, this shrub has fragrant, glossy foliage. It grows well in soils ranging from sandy to clay and in sun and partial shade. Chindo viburnum (Viburnum awabuki “Chindo”), which also is hardy in zones 7b through 11, grows to 15 feet tall. This dense, upright evergreen blooms with white flowers that are followed by red fruits. It grows well in sunny or partially shaded sites and tolerates a range of soils.