Best Privacy Plants For Small Yards: Compare 9 Options

#1 · Best Overall

1. CitronellaKing Emerald Green Arborvitae

• Weight: 16 oz

Best for: Narrow evergreen screen tree.

Why it ranks #1: Its upright columnar form matures at 10–15 feet tall but just 3–4 feet wide, making it the most explicitly space-conscious live screen here.

A naturally columnar form reaching 3–4 feet wide at maturity gives Emerald Green Arborvitae a vertical privacy role where a yard has limited lateral room. This listing provides two well-rooted starter plants in 3.5-inch nursery cubes, with rich green foliage that holds its shape year-round.

The dense evergreen conifer grows upright to a stated mature size of 10–15 feet tall and 3–4 feet wide, a useful shape for adding screening without the broad footprint of a wide shrub. Its year-round foliage holds a consistent green presence, while the two rooted starters are ready to plant. The listed hardiness range is USDA Zones 3–8. As young plants, they need time to reach mature screening height; this pack contains only two plants for establishing a row.

Skip it if you need many plants for a long property line; PERFECT PLANTS Leyland Cypress Tree, 18-Cell Liner, supplies 18 rooted young liners.

Choose these arborvitae for a narrow, evergreen screen in a yard within USDA Zones 3–8, especially where mature width matters. The two starters will not immediately provide a tall, continuous hedge.

Listed on Amazon as: 2 Emerald Green Arborvitae Saplings in 3.5” Cubes | Live Evergreen Privacy Hedge Tree | Upright Compact Form, Fast-Growing, Cold-Hardy Plant for Screens & Landscaping (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd')

#2 · Best Established Privet

2. Florida Foliage Waxleaf Privet Quart

• Weight: 5 lb

Best for: Five larger-pot privets.

Why it ranks #2: The five quart-size plants offer dense, bushy screening and grow 8–10 feet tall, a practical hedge option when young starter plugs are too small.

Quart-size pots distinguish this five-plant Waxleaf Privet pack, offering larger-container starters for a glossy, bushy privacy hedge. The shrubs can reach 8–10 feet and produce fragrant creamy-white flowers followed by blue-black fruit, giving the screen seasonal interest as it grows.

The upright privets have dark and bright green glossy foliage, with leaves larger than those of Sinense, and their dense, bushy growth supports a privacy or wind screen. Five quart-size plants provide a smaller group than a mass planting, useful for a shorter hedge run or filling gaps. They can also be grown as small trees. The listing describes the shrubs as deciduous, occasionally semi-evergreen, so they do not promise continuous evergreen coverage; watering is the listed care instruction.

Skip it if you require dependable evergreen foliage in every season; CitronellaKing Emerald Green Arborvitae is listed as a dense evergreen.

Choose this five-plant pack for a shorter hedge run or planting gaps where glossy foliage, flowers, and fruit are welcome. Allow for an 8–10-foot mature height and seasonal foliage changes.

Listed on Amazon as: Ligustrum Waxleaf Privet – 5 Live Quart Size Plants – Blooming Evergreen Privacy Hedge

#3 · Largest Privet Pack

3. Florida Foliage Waxleaf Privet

• Weight: 5 lb

Best for: Glossy foliage hedge starter.

Why it ranks #3: Ten live plants can form a dense hedge or wind screen, and the listed 8–10-foot height supports substantial screening where planting room allows.

Larger, glossy leaves distinguish these Waxleaf Privets from Sinense, giving a small yard a leafy screen with conspicuous foliage. The pack supplies 10 live plants in 2-inch pots; with a mature height of 8–10 feet and dense, bushy growth, they can form a hedge or wind screen as they establish.

The upright shrubs combine dark and bright green foliage with a dense, bushy habit, supporting use as a privacy hedge, wind screen, or small tree. Their stated 8–10-foot height gives a clear sense of the eventual scale, while the 10-plant pack provides multiple starters for a row. Creamy-white fragrant flowers are followed by round blue-black fruit, adding seasonal detail. They need watering, and the listing describes them as deciduous, occasionally semi-evergreen, so foliage may not remain year-round.

Skip it if you need guaranteed year-round foliage; the listing says this privet is deciduous, occasionally semi-evergreen, while CitronellaKing Emerald Green Arborvitae is evergreen.

Choose this pack if you want multiple glossy-leaved shrubs for a hedge, wind screen, or small tree and can accommodate plants reaching 8–10 feet. Its foliage is not guaranteed to stay evergreen year-round.

Listed on Amazon as: Ligustrum Waxleaf Privet – 10 Live Plants 2" Pot Size – Evergreen Privacy Hedge

#4 · Best Shaded Shrub

4. Perfect Plants Ocala Anise

Best for: Low-trim conical shrub.

Why it ranks #4: This evergreen shrub has a naturally conical shape and needs minimal pruning, but its 6–10-foot width suits yards with more room to spare.

A natural conical form lets Ocala Anise provide dense hedge growth with less pruning, making it appealing where routine shaping is unwelcome. This live, one-gallon shrub can reach 10–15 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide, so its substantial mature footprint suits yards with room to spread.

The evergreen shrub’s conical shape supports a lower-trimming approach, while its stated mature dimensions—10–15 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide—help determine whether it fits a small yard. It thrives in sandy, acidic soil but adapts to various soil types, and its listed hardiness is Zones 8–10. Crushed elliptical leaves release an anise scent; subtle olive-green flowers appear in spring. It also spreads by suckering to form colonies, a growth habit to consider when planning its placement.

Skip it if you need a compact shrub that stays within a narrow footprint; its mature width is 6–10 feet and it spreads by suckering.

Pick Ocala Anise if your yard can accommodate a broad, 10–15-foot shrub and you want dense screening with less shaping. Its Zones 8–10 hardiness and suckering habit are important placement considerations.

Listed on Amazon as: Perfect Plants Ocala Anise, 1 Gallon, Live Privacy Shrub

#5 · Single Tree Option

5. American Plant Exchange Leyland Cypress

• Weight: 4 lb

Best for: One-gallon cypress starter.

Why it ranks #5: The one-gallon tree arrives 1–1.5 feet tall and has dense evergreen growth, but the listing gives no mature width for tight-site planning.

A stated starting height of 1–1.5 feet gives this one-gallon Leyland Cypress a clear size advantage over tiny liners when beginning a privacy planting. Its dense, evergreen foliage and upright growth suit an outdoor screen, while a single plant works as a starter rather than a complete hedge row.

The one-gallon pot and 1–1.5-foot starting height provide a defined baseline for planning its placement outdoors. Dense evergreen foliage maintains green color through the seasons, and the naturally upright, fast-growing habit supports use as a privacy screen, whether planted individually or in a row. Its disease-resistant feature is also listed. The listing supplies no mature dimensions or spacing guidance, so buyers planning a continuous hedge will need to determine the layout for their site rather than relying on provided measurements.

Skip it if you need a large quantity of starters for a long screen; PERFECT PLANTS Leyland Cypress Tree, 18-Cell Liner, supplies 18 rooted young plants.

This starter suits buyers who want one Leyland Cypress for an outdoor accent or the beginning of a row. Its evergreen, upright growth fits screening, but one plant cannot create continuous coverage.

Listed on Amazon as: American Plant Exchange Leyland Cypress Tree, Evergreen, 1 Gallon Pot, 1-1.5ft Tall, Outdoor Landscape Garden Privacy Hedge, Fast-Growing Live Plant, Privacy Screen, Easy Care Hedge

#6

6. Perfect Plants Leyland Cypress

• Weight: 5 lb

Best for: Bulk liner planting tray.

Why it ranks #6: Its 18-cell liner tray provides many plants for a property line, though Leyland cypress is a vigorous screen that may outgrow a compact yard.

An 18-cell tray supplies a large group of rooted Leyland Cypress liners for buyers establishing a property-line screen or windbreak in stages. The young plants offer a practical starting quantity for a row, while their liner format means they still need time and space to grow into substantial privacy coverage.

Each cell holds a rooted young liner, and the 18-plant tray provides a coordinated batch for a longer planting project. The product description identifies Leyland Cypress as a commonly planted privacy tree and mentions property lines and windbreaks as uses. Listed traits include deer resistance, drought tolerance, low maintenance, and shade resistance, giving buyers several stated characteristics to weigh for the site. The listing supplies no plant height, mature dimensions, or spacing figures, so it cannot establish how much immediate coverage the tray provides.

Skip it if you need stated size and height information before buying; American Plant Exchange Leyland Cypress is listed at 1–1.5 feet tall in a one-gallon pot.

This tray suits buyers who need many rooted Leyland Cypress liners for a property line or windbreak and can grow them on. Check the planting plan carefully, since the listing gives no height or spacing figures.

Listed on Amazon as: Perfect Plants Leyland Cypress Tree, 18-Cell Liner, Live Plant

#7

7. Generic Leyland Cypress

Best for: Fast-growing bulk planting.

Why it ranks #7: The 20 young trees are advertised to grow 3–4 feet annually, useful for quick screening, but that vigor can be difficult to contain in a small yard.

A stated annual growth rate of 3–4 feet gives these 20 Leyland Cypress trees a rapid route toward a privacy screen after planting. They arrive as 6–12-inch live plants in pots, so the quantity supports a broad planting plan, but the small starting size means they are not an instant barrier.

The pack of 20 potted trees can supply many positions along a property line, while their evergreen foliage is described as keeping its green color through all seasons. The listing claims 3–4 feet of annual growth, offering a stated path toward screening over successive seasons. Each plant is only about 6–12 inches tall when shipped, so buyers must establish young trees before they provide substantial coverage. The trees are also described as low-maintenance, but the listing gives no mature dimensions or spacing guidance.

Skip it if you need an established-looking screen right away; American Plant Exchange Leyland Cypress arrives 1–1.5 feet tall rather than 6–12 inches.

This bulk pack suits buyers planting a longer screen who can wait for young trees to establish. Its stated fast growth is appealing, but the 6–12-inch starting height will not block views immediately.

Listed on Amazon as: 20 Leyland Cypress Trees – 6-12'' Tall Live Plants

#8

8. Generic Chinese Privet

• Weight: 3 lb

Best for: Clipped-hedge shaping option.

Why it ranks #8: It forms a sheared or loose screen and can reach 10–15 feet tall and wide; the listing also advises checking local guidance because it spreads by seed.

Shear-tolerant branches let this Chinese Privet shift between a formal clipped hedge and a looser green screen, giving small-yard gardeners control over its outline. The six-plant pack grows quickly, but its potential 10–15-foot height and width mean regular pruning and advance spacing matter.

Small, glossy leaves cover dense, twiggy branches, and the shrub takes shearing well, so trimming can maintain a formal hedge rather than leaving a loose screen. For a continuous row, the listing recommends spacing plants 2–3 feet apart. Left unpruned, each can reach 10–15 feet tall and wide, making regular cuts important where yard space is limited. It is semi-evergreen to evergreen depending on winter temperatures, and the listing advises checking local guidance because it spreads by seed.

Skip it if you cannot prune a fast-growing shrub or manage seed spread; PERFECT PLANTS Ocala Anise has a conical form that needs less trimming.

This suits gardeners who want a clipped hedge or adaptable screen and can prune regularly. Plan 2–3 feet between plants for a row, check local guidance, and allow for substantial unpruned growth.

Listed on Amazon as: Chinese Privet Live Plants, Fast Growing Privacy Hedge Shrub, Pack of 6

#9

9. YWLANXXCH Artificial Cedar Topiary

• Weight: 8 lb

Best for: No-watering artificial accent.

Why it ranks #9: The pair is UV-resistant and 4 feet tall, but these are artificial trees rather than living plants, so they do not grow into a natural privacy hedge.

UV-resistant, waterproof PE foliage gives this pair of 4-foot artificial cedar topiaries an outdoor greenery option without growing or watering live shrubs. Their ground spikes provide a way to position them in outdoor spaces, while the fixed height makes them better suited to modest accents than a tall privacy wall.

The set includes two artificial trees made from PE material described as waterproof, anti-aging, and UV resistant, so they offer a fixed green appearance outdoors without plant watering or pruning. Each measures 55.1 inches high, with a 15-by-16-inch footprint, helping buyers judge whether the pair fits a patio or garden area. Ground spikes are included for placement. These are unlit artificial trees, and their four-foot scale does not match the eventual height of a mature living privacy hedge.

Skip it if you need a growing privacy screen taller than four feet; CitronellaKing Emerald Green Arborvitae reaches 10–15 feet at maturity.

This pair fits buyers wanting fixed, outdoor greenery for a patio or garden without watering or pruning. Choose it for a modest accent, not for a tall, living screen or a hedge that will grow.

Listed on Amazon as: 4ft Artificial Cedar Topiary UV Resistant Trees Set of 2 with Ground Spike