The Best Plants for Hedges and Privacy Walls

Hedges are replacing traditional wooden fences as a more natural alternative that still creates a sense of privacy in the backyard. But if you’re a new homeowner, you’ll likely need a bit of guidance before deciding on good bushes to use as hedges. Here are some of the best hedges for landscaping in Los Angeles, CA.

Yew bush

When most people imagine hedges, they’re probably picturing a yard lined with yew bushes. The yew bush is a classic hedge for landscaping due to its low maintenance and versatile look. Yew bushes are great for creating privacy because they grow taller than fences and feature dense, tightly-packed branches. Homeowners have their choice of fast- or slow-growing yew bushes, all of which produce red berries among needle-like evergreen leaves.

Boxwood

A much shorter alternative to yew bushes is the boxwood. They make good bushes to use as hedges because you can trim a boxwood into any shape you like. Similar to yew bushes, boxwoods are not flower-bearing plants, yet have a leafy green aesthetic that fits in with any landscape design. While boxwood bushes don’t make the best privacy wall, they’re the perfect touch of nature to replace the typical white picket fence you see in front of some Los Angeles, CA homes.

Azalea

Homeowners who want to create a bright, colorful garden should line their yards with azaleas. The shrub features your choice of pink, red, white, yellow and even orange blooms. You can achieve the perfect azalea by giving it well-drained soil rich with nutrients. Unlike other plant varieties, azalea bushes prefer soil with a pH balance that leans to the more acidic side. Placement of azalea bushes matters, too—they grow best on whichever side of your house receives partial shade.

Forsythia

Transform your garden into a bold conversation starter with a row of forsythia bushes. Forsythias bloom at the very beginning of spring, which makes them the perfect shrub to welcome in the warm weather of Los Angeles, CA. Every year, forsythia bushes explode with cheerful yellow flowers that are hard to miss. They’re a good bush to use as hedges if you’re looking to boost your home’s curb appeal. The yellow blooms prefer full sun exposure, so lining them along the sidewalk for everyone to see is the perfect spot.

Mountain laurel

Mountain laurels are a type of evergreen with a bit more color than your average pine tree. In the late spring and early summer, mountain laurels show off light pink blooms that look best when the branches are left to grow in their natural shape. Homeowners who want a splash of color in their hedges for landscaping can’t go wrong with mountain laurels—just remember to provide fertile, acidic soil.

These different types of shrubs are simply a starting point. Homeowners can discover many more hedge and privacy wall designs when they collaborate with the experts at RainforestLA, Inc. Send us your ideas and we’ll recommend shrubs that would fit perfectly into the surrounding landscape.