My grandpa (85) has been gardening in North Texas since his teenage years. Over the decades, he’s cultivated a beautiful landscape while also maintaining sturdy privacy hedges. Along the way, he’s connected with many fellow gardeners, exchanging stories and insights. Whatever he learns passes to me. In this article, I will be sharing the handpicked list of best shrubs and trees for creating privacy hedges in North Texas.
If you search the list on the internet, you may find a lot of articles but the plants they mentioned in their articles are of different sizes. I could not find a single article that organized the plants into categories so that the reader could choose the plants or trees according to their needs. Here I have organized the list into the below categories:
- Fast-growing shrubs for privacy hedges
- Flowering plants for privacy hedges
- Best trees for privacy hedges
To make it easier for you to choose the trees or plants for creating privacy screens, I will create data tables with the growth rate per year and max-height.
Fast Growing Shrubs for Privacy Hedges in North Texas
North Texas climate is harsh and colder in the winter so it's difficult for most of the plants to grow faster. In this list, I will only mention the shrubs that have a good growth rate in North Texas.
| Shrub Name | Growth Rate (per year) | Maximum Height | Maintenance Difficulty | Sunlight Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wax Myrtle | 3-5 feet | 20 feet | Low | Full sun to partial shade |
| Ligustrum | 2-3 feet | 8-12 feet | Low | Full sun to partial shade |
| Cherry Laurel | 3-4 feet | 25-30 feet | Low | Full sun to partial shade |
| Texas Sage | 1-2 feet | 5-8 feet | Low | Full sun |
| Southern Wax Myrtle | 3-5 feet | 15-20 feet | Low | Full sun to partial shade |
| Elaeagnus (Silverberry) | 2-3 feet | 10-15 feet | Low | Full sun to partial shade |
To make dense hedges properly, you need to maintain proper spacing while planting them.
| Shrub Name | Recommended Spacing |
|---|---|
| Wax Myrtle | 6-10 feet |
| Ligustrum | 4-6 feet |
| Cherry Laurel | 4-6 feet |
| Texas Sage | 3-5 feet |
| Southern Wax Myrtle | 6-10 feet |
| Elaeagnus (Silverberry) | 4-6 feet |
Cherry Laurel is the largest shrub here on my list. It's a shrub or a mini tree. Still, you can prune it to keep it shorter in size.
If you are going for Ligustrum, then here is a quick tip for you.
Go for the "wax leaf ligustrum" variant otherwise, you can end up with more like a vine tree. Check the below picture.
Flowering Plants as Privacy Hedges in North Texas
| Plant Name | Growth Rate (per year) | Maximum Height | Flowering Season | Sunlight Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Sage | 1-2 feet | 5-8 feet | Late summer to early fall | Full sun |
| Texas Mountain Laurel | 1-2 feet | 10-15 feet | Early spring | Full sun to partial shade |
| Abelia | 1-2 feet | 6-10 feet | Spring to fall | Full sun to partial shade |
| Oleander | 2-3 feet | 6-12 feet | Late spring to fall | Full sun |
| Indian Hawthorn | 1 foot | 4-6 feet | Spring | Full sun to partial shade |
| Butterfly Bush | 2-3 feet | 5-8 feet | Summer to early fall | Full sun |
If you are considering Texas Sage, plant them 3 to 5 feet apart to create a dense privacy hedge.
If you want to grow flowering plants indoors check my article: list of flowering plants to grow indoors in North Texas
Here's the spacing guide for all the plants mentioned above:
| Plant Name | Recommended Spacing |
|---|---|
| Texas Sage | 3-5 feet |
| Texas Mountain Laurel | 6-10 feet |
| Abelia | 4-6 feet |
| Oleander | 4-6 feet |
| Indian Hawthorn | 3-5 feet |
| Butterfly Bush | 3-5 feet |
Best Trees for Privacy Hedges in North Texas
For larger properties, it's better to choose trees at the boundaries. Here's a list of trees that you can plant to get privacy screens in North Texas.
| Tree Name | Growth Rate (per year) | Maximum Height | Sunlight Requirement | Recommended Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Redcedar | 2-3 feet | 30-50 feet | Full sun | 10-15 feet |
| American Holly | 1-2 feet | 15-30 feet | Full sun to partial shade | 10-15 feet |
| Texas Ash | 1-2 feet | 30-40 feet | Full sun | 20-30 feet |
| Live Oak | 1-2 feet | 40-80 feet | Full sun | 20-30 feet |
| Chinese Pistache | 1-2 feet | 30-35 feet | Full sun | 20-25 feet |
| Crape Myrtle | 2-3 feet | 15-25 feet | Full sun | 10-15 feet |
Spacing guide for these trees:
| Tree Name | Recommended Spacing |
|---|---|
| Eastern Redcedar | 10-15 feet |
| American Holly | 10-15 feet |
| Texas Ash | 20-30 feet |
| Live Oak | 20-30 feet |
| Chinese Pistache | 20-25 feet |
| Crape Myrtle | 10-15 feet |
If you are a gardener from North Texas then it might help you a lot: North Texas Planting Calendar / Planting Schedule
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