10 Living Fence Ideas

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Boxwood for a Formal Look

The shrub most often used as a border around formal gardens is a boxwood, Buxus sp. It’s a good choice for a shorter living fence.

Varieties like ‘Wintergreen,‘ hardy in Zones 4 through 9, grow to about four feet tall and four feet wide. For a more formal look, you can shear back your boxwoods each spring. Some people don’t like the smell of these shrubs, but that’s what keeps deer from eating it.

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Lilacs for Spring Color

If you’d like a living fence with a burst of spring flowers, try a row of lilacs. Varieties like the Dwarf Korean Lilac, Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin,’ hardy in Zones 3 through 7, only grow up to five feet tall. With late spring pruning after they’ve flowered, you can maintain a narrower width or a shorter height.

For a taller lilac hedge, plant a ‘Miss Kim’ Lilac, Syringa pubescens subsp. patula ‘Miss Kim.’ Hardy in Zones 3 through 8, it will grow up to seven feet tall.

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Holly for Year-Round Foliage

To create an almost impenetrable living fence, plant holly, like the hybrid Ilex x meserveae ‘Blue Princess.‘ This large shrub, hardy in Zones 5 through 9, can grow up to 12 feet tall and eight feet wide. Prune it in late spring to keep it smaller. It’s a broad leaf evergreen so you’ll enjoy privacy all year.

Because the male and female flowers are on separate plants, you’ll need to plant at least one male ‘Blue Prince‘ holly to be sure your living fence produces berries. A nearby ‘Blue Prince’ will pollinate up to five ‘Blue Princess’ hollies.

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