I always wanted to create a unique list of hedge plants for South Florida gardeners. But it took me almost a year to arrange all the pictures that attracted me the most. In this article, I will share the list of best plants for hedges that you can grow in South Florida.
First of all, I am not a landscaper but I love gardening. I have my orchard where I have grown a lot of fruit trees and a separate space for vegetables and flowering plants.
I use plants to create barriers and hedges to make my garden eye-catchy. Some of those are used to create privacy screens. (The pictures are in this article)
Whenever I have to create a list of plants, I prefer to showcase it as charts. A chart is way easier to read the data. You don't have to scroll down a lot to grasp what you need.
All the privacy hedge plants on my list will perform great in USDA Zone 10 and 11.
Privacy Hedge Plants for South Florida - Chart
The most important factor is the max height. Depending upon the size of your property and your specific requirements, you can choose the plants.
You should also consider the environment of the area. Is the area getting enough sunlight? If yes then go for sunloving hedges.
Do not worry, I will separate the charts so that you can make your decision wisely.
- Sun Loving Privacy Hedges
- Shade Loving Hedges
- Flowering Privacy Hedges
- Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges
Note: To help the local wildlife consider growing native plants. You can check easy-to-grow Florida Native Plants. ( At the end of that article there is a chart "Florida Native Plants for Privacy Hedges", don't worry USDA zones are mentioned )
Let's start one by one!
Sun Loving Privacy Hedge Plants
| Plant Name | Maximum Height | Flowering | Maintenance Difficulty | Drought Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podocarpus | 40-50 ft | No | Low | Moderate |
| Clusia | 25 ft | No | Low | High |
| Hibiscus | 8-15 ft | Yes | High | Low |
| Japanese Privet | 10-12 ft | Yes | Moderate | Moderate |
| Areca Palm | 20-30 ft | No | Moderate | Low |
| Orange Jasmine | 10-12 ft | Yes | Moderate | Moderate |
| Sea Grape | 30-50 ft | No | Low | High |
| Silver Buttonwood | 15-20 ft | No | Low | High |
| Firebush | 8-12 ft | Yes | Moderate | Moderate |
| Simpson’s Stopper | 15-20 ft | Yes | Low | High |
| Fiddlewood | 15-25 ft | Yes | Low | Moderate |
| Carolina Cherry Laurel | 20-30 ft | No | Low | Moderate |
| Indian Laurel | 20-30 ft | No | Low | High |
On a first look at my charts, you may be wondering: a few of the plants are not suitable for privacy screens. But believe me, if you know how to prune, all of them can be good choices for your South Florida property as privacy screens.
I have not added Panama Rose to the above chart as I have created a dedicated article on that. You can have a look at this: Panama Rose as Hedge
- Panama Rose can be a great choice for a privacy hedge and grows well in full sun to partial shade.
- Indian laurel:
The above image is of Indian laurel. If you prune it properly it can be a beautiful privacy screen for your South Florida garden.
- Hawaiian hibiscus:
I will not highly suggest this as the branches are not as tightly packed as other hedges. They are prone to mealybugs' attack.
- Orange Jasmine:
Shade Loving Privacy Hedges for South Florida
| Plant Name | Maximum Height | Flowering | Maintenance Difficulty | Drought Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awabuki Viburnum | 15-20 ft | No | Low | Moderate |
| Camellia | 6-12 ft | Yes | Moderate | Low |
| Fern Tree | 15-25 ft | No | Low | Low |
| Jasmine minima | 3-4 ft | Yes | Low | Moderate |
| Ardisia | 5-6 ft | Yes | Low | Moderate |
| Green Island Ficus | 3-5 ft | No | Low | High |
| Wild Coffee | 6-8 ft | No | Low | Moderate |
| Spicewood | 8-12 ft | No | Moderate | Low |
| Sweet Viburnum | 20-30 ft | No | Low | Moderate |
| Thryallis | 4-6 ft | Yes | Moderate | Low |
If you do not want to invest time in caring for your privacy hedge, ignore the "moderate difficulty level" plants.
I have tried camellia, they can grow well but they don't bloom nicely here in Zone 10.
- Golden Dewdrops:
Golden dewdrops can be grown in the shade easily with almost no care except pruning.
- "Green island ficus" can not grow fast here. If you want fast-growing hedges, check the last section of this article.
Flowering Hedges
| Plant Name | Maximum Height | Sunlight Requirement | Flower Color | Blooming Season | Maintenance Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hibiscus | 8-10 ft | Full Sun | Red, pink, yellow, or orange | Year-round | Moderate |
| Ixora | 4-6 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Red, orange, or yellow | Spring to Fall | Low |
| Thryallis | 4-6 ft | Full Sun | Yellow | Year-round | Low |
| Orange Jasmine | 8-10 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | White | Year-round | Moderate |
| Jatropha | 8-10 ft | Full Sun | Red | Year-round | Low |
| Plumbago | 6-10 ft | Full Sun | Light Blue | Year-round | Low |
| Golden Dewdrop | 15-20 ft | Full Sun | Purple | Spring to Fall | Moderate |
| Bottlebrush | 10-15 ft | Full Sun | Red | Spring to Summer | Moderate |
| Clerodendrum | 8-12 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Red or pink | Year-round | Moderate |
| Oleander | 8-12 ft | Full Sun | White, pink, or red | Spring to Fall | Low |
Bottlebrush can be a good choice but if you do not prune it in the early stages, it will not grow bushy. And it can't be used as a privacy screen at all.
In this list, Panama Rose and Ixora will be my first two preferences.
This is from my garden. I have a small hedge of pink Ixora plants. They attract a lot of butterflies. You can read my article on the best plants to attract butterflies in South Florida.
Night-blooming jasmine:
If I consider fragrance privacy hedge plant, the winner must be "night-blooming jasmine". In daytime, you barely get any smell from the blooms. As the name says, you will get dense awesome smell in the night.
And they are evergreen here in South Fl.
Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges
| Plant Name | Maximum Height | Sunlight Requirement | Maintenance Difficulty | Growth Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clumping Bamboo | 20-30 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Moderate | Fast |
| Podocarpus | 10-15 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Low | Fast |
| Areca Palm | 20-30 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Moderate | Fast |
| Ficus | 15-25 ft | Full Sun | High | Very Fast |
| Sweet Viburnum | 15-20 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Low | Fast |
| Cherry Hedge (Surinam Cherry) | 8-10 ft | Full Sun | Low | Fast |
| Wax Myrtle | 10-15 ft | Full Sun | Low | Fast |
| Ligustrum | 10-12 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Moderate | Fast |
| Carolina Cherry Laurel | 20-30 ft | Full Sun | Moderate | Fast |
| Japanese Privet | 10-15 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Low | Fast |
| Croton | 3-6 ft | Full Sun to Partial Shade | Moderate | Fast |
If you want to make the bottom part dense, avoid growing trees and palms. It's best to go for the other plants.
Wax Myrtle is a salt-tolerant plant. You can grow this in coastal areas. You can go through best salt tolerant plants for South Fl.
You might be tired of seeing Croton as hedges here in South Florida. Believe me, this one is a real winner.
There are a huge number of croton varieties. You can have a look at the local nurseries and choose the best one for you.
Some of the fruit trees can also be grown as privacy screens. You can check: best fruit trees to grow in Florida
I tried to make the charts organized. If you find it helpful subscribe to the site. This is the only thing that motivates me to write more.
