This article may contain some affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on any of teh links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
A hedge or a tree is planted for several reasons—it looks beautiful, attracts wildlife, provides oxygen, and gives privacy to those who would prefer not to have their neighbors peep into their homes.
In addition to blocking out the sun and wind, privacy plants are an excellent way to create “screening” in your garden from the street or surrounding properties.
Are you looking for seclusion and shade in your garden? Would you like some tall plants to provide you with some privacy?
Stick with us because in this guide, we will talk about the best tall outdoor potted plants for privacy!
Things To Consider Before Opting For Outdoor Potted Plants For Privacy
Before we delve into the plants, you should have privacy, and it is best you learn the few things you must consider before planting them.
- You must ensure that you inquire about the right soil to use for the plant you intend to have secure your home from runny eyes
- It is always good to know the height you want for your screen. This way, you are sure of the container you are settling for. For best results, you should always settle for huge or accommodating pots, yet this heavily depends on the height of the plant. The ideal height for your plant should be 1.8m in height
- Only cultivate small plant specimens
- You are safe from plants forming extensive roots since you are planting them in a pot. However, it would be best if you chose a well-draining pot to allow your plant to grow freely
Now that you are conversant with the things you must put in place for a successful planting, let’s learn about the tall outdoor potted plants for privacy.
Tall Outdoor Potted Plants For Privacy
1. Horsetail
It’s easy to add spice to your patio or rooftop terrace with horsetail, a fast-growing plant. Horsetail reeds can grow well in containers. Their underground rhizomes make them easy to spread in the wild, but you can have that in control with just a sturdy pot.
Horsetail plants do better in smaller containers when they’re young. Starting with a two-gallon pot is fine, but you’ll need to upgrade to a larger container once the root ball grows.
The climate zone for horsetails is 3 through 11. As long as they’re exposed for about half a day, they’ll do fine in partial shade.
2. Dogwood
Dogwood trees and shrubs are known for their white flowers and easy maintenance, but they are also popular in winter for their brilliant stems.
If you choose to use Dogwood as part of your screening in your yard, you have a wide range of options, from single-trunked trees to tiny evergreen shrubs.
Some of the most popular varieties of Dogwood are flowering dogwoods (Pagoda dogwood), Cornelian cherry dogwoods
(Crimson starflowers), and Japanese pagoda dogwoods. If you water them adequately, these flowering plants will thrive in the shade.
Dogwood is better off as a free plant than it is when planted in a pot. But Dogwood is another plant that would reward your home with the seclusion you need if you give it all the requirements, from soil to watering and lighting.
3. Bamboo
Speak of a notable plant for its height and outstanding ability to provide a screen for any home– speak of bamboo.
Bamboo is one of the most exquisite privacy plants. Technically a grass, some bamboo grows very tall! Some varieties can reach 25 feet in height, which makes it the perfect choice for multi-story housing.
The best thing about bamboo is that it grows quickly and stays green for a long time when grown in the right conditions. Bamboo plants even reach impressive heights in only a few years.
A bamboo cultivar can tolerate temperatures as low as minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. While most cultivars thrive in temperate climates, some thrive in colder ones.
Bamboos grow extensively too, but you are sure of control if you plant them in a pot.
4. English Ivy
To create privacy, this vine requires encouragement. English ivy can grow up to 100 feet long! No matter how long the vines grow, a trellis is essential. The vines can be trained vertically to form a lush wall. You may even see yellowish blooms in your first year!
Plants of English Ivy can be in small containers. Plant them in a pot that is only an inch or two larger in diameter than the original pot. Then mount the trellis close to the base of the plant.
The plants can grow in partial shade. Nevertheless, they may benefit from full sun exposure in colder climates.
5. Boxwood
The Boxwood shrub is among the most iconic privacy plants, and many upscale landscapers use it as ornamental plants for sculpting. If you come across this plant, you may choose it over many other plants.
It produces evergreen leaves that can last even through harsh winters. Boxwoods are typically hardy as far north as zone 6, but some cultivars can survive even colder temperatures.
A shrub in a container can create a living wall or privacy screen that will reach around six feet. They have tiny leaves that are easy to shape and perfect for privacy screens.
6. Elderberry
Elderberries provide ample privacy on a deck or terrace because of their structure and foliage. In addition, the plant produces edible flowers and berries!
These berries are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. There’s a lot to say about them being superfoods. They’re tasty and great for desserts.
There’s a lot of business on the plant, which can grow up to 12 feet or more. Smaller varieties are better suited to containers. However, they would still provide your home with good screens.
It’s best to use a container 24 inches wide by 20 inches deep to grow Elderberry plants, as they have a strong root system that needs plenty of room to grow.
7. Switchgrass
Switchgrass is often used as an ornamental grass. Switchgrass has thin, long leaves with some cultivars that take on vibrant colors.
Switchgrass does well in partial shade or full sun and requires regular watering. It is a low-maintenance plant. It is hardy and does well in partial shade or full sun.
Switchgrass can even grow in shallow soils. When planting the grass, choose a pot big enough to support its growth for several years. As the plant grows larger and wider, keep upgrading the pot.
8. Hydrangea
Hydrangea contains about 75 cultivars, so there are plenty of options. This gorgeous perennial produces large clusters of colorful flowers that vary in color. These flowers make a great privacy screen and provide a beautiful aroma to your outdoor oasis!
Hydrangeas are known for their widespread, reaching about 10 feet if properly cared for. In terms of size, some cultivars can reach about 15 feet.
Plants need large containers to thrive, and hydrangea is not excluded. You should place them in 18 to 20-inch pots to reach their full potential.
9. Arborvitae
Many landscapers use Arborvitae to provide privacy in their gardens. It is a conical tree that grows well in containers and is commonly used along property lines.
Many arborvitae trees are available, with the tallest reaching 25 feet high. Smaller variants can reach a height as low as three feet.
In terms of width, Arborvitae spread to about three feet. For this plant, you will need to use a container of at least 20 gallons. If you are growing larger cultivars, you may need even bigger containers.
10. Elephant Ear
The Elephant Ear plant is renowned for its large leaves. It can grow up to three feet long and two feet wide! Its leaves are waxy, green, and incredibly striking! They provide some calming movement as they catch the wind and stand upright.
So, if you are looking forward to having large leaves plants to provide screens in your home, grasp elephant ears.
These plants stand upright and catch the wind to provide calming movement. However, they need to be handled with extra care to prevent tipping. These plants need a container at least 18 inches wide and equally deep.
Elephant Ears need ample sun exposure and warm temperatures to thrive. Many gardeners add big stones to the bottom of the pot to prevent any imbalances in the soil.
11. Dracaena
In contrast to other privacy plants, the Dracaena does not produce dense foliage. The tree and shrub forms have thin trunks, but the leaves provide privacy.
Dracaenas grow upright with thin, grassy foliage. The leaves are dramatic and dense. Many gardeners plant them in groups of varying heights to ensure privacy.
Dracaenas top out at about six feet in a container. They do exceptionally well in pots. They can even be grown indoors if they are given some indirect sunlight.
Conclusion
There are many plants out there that can provide your home with the screening it needs against any invasion. It might seem impossible with potted plants.
However, our guide has proven that there are tall outdoor potted plants for privacy, and you can always go right with them.
If you need help settling for any plant, this guide just made it easy. We hope you make the right choice!
Related Posts: