Are your neighbours watching you?
Privacy is one of the most common reasons our customers plant advanced trees. Whether you're lining a fence, creating a windbreak, or softening the boundary between your home and the world beyond it, these are our most recommended screening trees. Each offers something slightly different—formality, softness, scale, or speed—so it’s about finding the one that suits your space and style.
1. Ficus Hillii Flash
Lush, upright, and incredibly effective for privacy, Ficus Flash is a standout performer. With dense lime-green foliage and fast, even growth, it provides immediate structure and screening in gardens of all sizes.
Mature Height: 3–6m (depending on size purchased)
Mature Width: 2–3m
Growth Rate: Fast
Best For: Driveways, fencelines, pleaching (bare trunks), formal gardens
Consider This If:
You want a clean, structured look and fast results. Ficus Flash is excellent if you want uniformity, minimal maintenance, and the ability to shape or pleach for a refined finish.
Might Not Be Ideal If:
Your area is prone to heavy frost. Ficus is not frost-tolerant and thrives best in warmer, temperate climates.
2. Waterhousia floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)
A fast-growing Australian native with soft, weeping foliage and a more relaxed, informal feel. Waterhousia floribunda is ideal if you're after a natural look—offering height, softness, and a sense of movement. It’s one of the tallest options available, maturing up to 10m, and works beautifully for acreage, longer boundary lines or large garden spaces. Low-maintenance, lush, and easy to shape if needed.
Mature Height: Up to 10m
Mature Width: 4–6m
Growth Rate: Fast
Best For: Larger urban homes, Acreage, long fencelines, natural screens, attracts birds and bees.
Consider This If:
You want something tall and soft that doesn’t feel too formal. It’s great if you prefer a native look or need to cover a large space quickly.
Might Not Be Ideal If:
You’re in a region with extreme frost or inconsistent water. It prefers consistent watering and a temperate climate.
Root System:
Moderately deep and non-invasive. Suitable near fences with standard planting distances.
3. Backyard Bliss Lilly Pilly
A top choice for suburban gardens, Backyard Bliss offers dense coverage in a compact form. Its slim profile and bright lime green foliage make it ideal for tight spaces where privacy is key. This psyllid-resistant variety is exceptionally low maintenance and remains lush year-round — one of our consistent best sellers at Evergreen Trees Direct.
Mature Height: 3–4m
Mature Width: 1.5–2m
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Best For: Suburban hedging & privacy, tight spaces, low-maintenance gardens
Consider This If:
You need a neat screen in a smaller garden. Backyard Bliss is a no-fuss option that delivers full coverage without taking over.
Might Not Be Ideal If:
You’re looking for a more natural, informal shape or something taller for acreage-scale screening.
4. Laurus nobilis ‘Miles Choice’
Timeless and versatile, this Bay Tree cultivar offers rich green foliage and exceptional hardiness. Whether clipped into a tight hedge or left to grow naturally, it holds shape beautifully and suits both classic and contemporary landscapes.
Mature Height: 4–6m
Mature Width: 2–3m
Growth Rate: Moderate
Best For: Formal gardens, clipped hedges, pleaching, drought-prone areas
Consider This If:
You want a classic look with minimal upkeep. It’s especially good if you like symmetry, structure, and deep green colour.
Might Not Be Ideal If:
You need very fast growth or softness in your planting style. This tree is more about elegance than informality.
5. Cupressus Leighton Green
If you need height, scale, and fast coverage, Leighton Green is hard to beat. This tall, upright conifer is perfect for rural sites, driveways, or exposed areas where wind protection is just as important as privacy.
Mature Height: 8–15m
Mature Width: 3–4m
Growth Rate: Very Fast (up to 1m/year)
Best For: Windbreaks, rural boundaries, large-scale screening
Consider This If:
You want something tall, dense, and fast. Ideal for paddocks, large blocks, and perimeter screening where presence and protection are key.
Might Not Be Ideal If:
You’re in a small urban space or want something more ornamental or compact.
Final Thought
The right privacy tree depends on your space, climate, and the type of look you’re going for—structured and formal, soft and natural, compact or grand. If you’re still unsure which to choose, our team can help guide you based on your location and planting goals.
