Create a Living Fence with Shrubs

By Kelly Miller

The use of living fences—barriers formed by plants—goes back thousands of years. As early as the Bronze Age, farmers in England would clear land and leave strips of woodland intact to define boundaries. Today, some of the hedgerows that crisscross European farmland have been in place for hundreds of years.

Along with creating lovely vistas, hedgerows are helpful for farmers. They reduce soil erosion, shelter crops from the wind, and provide shade and foraging ground for livestock.

In home gardens, living fences are used as privacy screens or to create attractive outlines around parts of a property. Living fences can also provide food and shelter for pollinators and other wildlife.

Whether you’re interested in a neatly trimmed hedge or a messy wildlife haven, a living fence is an exciting project. In this guide, we’ll cover the key concepts to get you started, including different types of living fences, plant selection, and tips for planting and care. 

Types of Living Fences

A living fence typically consists of shrubs, but can include anything from tall grasses to trees. Here are five planting methods for creating a living fence.

Trimmed Hedge

A hedge is a row of shrubs or bushes used as a border, privacy screen, or windbreak. Hedges are often carefully trimmed so that all of the plants in the row blend together, creating the appearance of a solid, continuous wall.

Mixed Hedgerow

Hedge and hedgerow are synonyms. However, hedge often refers to a single row of trimmed shrubs, while hedgerow is the more common term for the woodland borders that divide farmland. A hedgerow can also be established in a large home garden.

A hedgerow typically consists of trees or shrubs, which are sometimes accompanied by humanmade elements such as walls, fences, or gates. Alternately, a hedgerow can be formed with sprawling brambles, such as wild berry bushes, or even piled up logs, branches, or other organic debris.

Loose Border

A loose border is wider and more varied than a formal hedge, but thinner and more organized than a major hedgerow. This type of living fence includes multiple rows of plantings, often with a combination of evergreen and deciduous shrubs.

Chain or Wood Fence with Vines

A chain link fence, wood fence, or trellis can be transformed into a living fence with vines or climbing plants. This involves planting along the fence, and guiding the vines upward as they grow.

A few climbing plants suitable for growing on fences include cross vine, American wisteria, and passionflower. You can also use a fence to support climbing veggie plants, such as peas or tomatoes. Just be careful with plant selection, since many vine species are invasive in some regions.

Mini Meadow

A mini meadow is a long, thin strip of tall grasses and wildflowers. A meadow is a terrific way to use native plants that provide food and habitat for pollinators, birds, and critters.

A meadow strip is less robust than other types of living fences, but can still be used to establish borders.

Living Fence Plant Selection: Evergreen and Deciduous Shrubs

A hedge-type living fence is grown with shrubs. These may be evergreen (shrubs that keep green leaves year-round) or deciduous shrubs that shed leaves in autumn and grow new foliage in spring).

Classic Evergreens for Formal Hedges

Evergreens provide a consistent appearance year-round and are the most suitable shrubs for trimming into neat, straight lines.

Green Upright Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)

Upright arborvitae is one of the best choices when a hedge or privacy screen is needed quickly. Arborvitae grow fast and form a dense mass of evergreen foliage. The rich green, feathery foliage is a welcome sight in the winter landscape and makes a terrific background for a mixed perennial planting. Prune freely to maintain the desired size and shape. Many small bird species will find the dense foliage a safe and appealing place to build nests. Great planted along a wall or fence or used to create a natural fence or border.

Japanese Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)

Incredibly easy and carefree, this evergreen shrub looks great year-round. Tolerates drought and salt spray, making it a good choice for coastal slopes or other difficult locations. Small white flowers are not showy, but add interest in the summer and are enjoyed by bees and butterflies. Prune freely to maintain the desired size and shape. An excellent specimen, foundation, or border plant. An ideal choice for hedging. Provides nice color and form to the winter landscape.

Common Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

The sempervirens boxwood species is the most common boxwood shrub and a classic choice for evergreen hedging, edging and topiary. Very long-lived, and well suited to pruning for size and shape, Boxwood are a plant investment with long term returns. A classic favorite for landscape focal points. Looks beautiful in the garden as a specimen or clipped hedge. Excellent for planting along fences and walls.

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Beautiful Flowering Deciduous Shrubs for Hedges

Deciduous shrubs often require more maintenance than evergreens. They can be trimmed to look tidy, but they’re less suitable for forming continuous straight lines. On the other hand, deciduous shrubs offer seasonal variety, along with more appeal for wildlife. Many are also known for colorful blooms.

Hawthorn (Crataegus species )

Hawthorn is a charming small deciduous tree or large shrub with decorative cut foliage and outstanding autumn color. This is a fine choice for the landscape with its excellent combination of flowers, fruits, and ornamental foliage! Hawthorns’ clusters of small berries are a favorite of wildlife, but not tolerable to the human stomach. Available in both tree and hedging forms. Makes a lovely feature plant for a small space.

Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria)

Called smoke bush or smoke tree for the fluffy plumes that bloom all over the plant creating a hazy, smoky effect. Available in green or purple leaf varieties, all offering excellent autumn color in addition to their summer smokiness. Beautiful used in groups and shrub borders. An excellent specimen, foundation, or border plant. Excellent for planting along fences and walls.

French Lilac, Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)

French, or common lilacs, fill the spring and early summer air with intoxicating fragrance! A wide selection of varieties gives gardeners’ a good choice of bloom color, as well as single or double blooms, all with the classic heart shaped leaves. A classic favorite for landscape focal points. An excellent specimen, foundation, or border plant. Outstanding for planting near walkways, decks and patios where scent can be enjoyed.

Vanhoutte Spirea (Spiraea x vanhouttei)

The gracefully arching branches of Vanhoutte spirea create a dramatic effect in the landscape. This is an extremely hardy, versatile and low maintenance shrub. Display improves with each passing year. A classic favorite for landscape focal points. Ideal for borders, hedges or as a specimen plant. Beautiful grouped or massed in a shrub border.

Forsythia (Forsythia species)

Forsythia species offer a flush of golden blooms to trumpet spring’s arrival! Bright green foliage follows closely behind on this quick growing, easy care shrub. Makes a beautiful solo specimen when allowed to retain its natural fountain-like growth habit, but also does well pruned to form hedging. Beautiful grouped or massed in a shrub border. Great for privacy screening or blocking unsightly views.

Hardy Hydrangea, Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)

Hydrangea macrophylla all have large, attractive leaves but vary in flower clusters. Some varieties have their blooms grouped in flat, lace-like arrangements earning them the alternate common name of Lacecap Hydrangea. Others of the macrophylla species are known as Mopheads for their more rounded flower clusters. Ideal for borders, hedges or foundation planting. Excellent for planting along fences and walls.

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Native Shrubs for a Living Fence

For a more natural, wildlife-friendly living fence, use a variety of shrub species, especially those native to your region. There are many North American native shrubs to consider for a living fence that are attractive and support wildlife.

Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)

Black huckleberry is a deciduous shrub native to a large range of North America. It has a spreading growth habit that tends to result in colonies of plants over time. Flowers appear in late spring followed by black, glossy, edible berries in summer. Black huckleberry is a slow grower that doesn’t typically require regular pruning. If pruning is needed to remove dead branches or to maintain size or shape, do it just after the berry harvest ends. Huckleberry shrubs are the host plant for a number of moth and butterfly caterpillars.

Glossy Black Chokeberry ‘melanocarpa var. elata’ (Aronia melanocarpa)

An excellent chokeberry shrub for ornamental landscaping. The glossy, deep green foliage grows into a beautifully compact, rounded shrub. White blooms in late spring are followed by small shiny black fruits that persist through winter, providing an excellent food source for birds. Foliage turns shades of red to purple in autumn.

Viburnum, Arrowwood ‘Autumn Jazz®’ (Viburnum dentatum)

Autumn Jazz® with its graceful vase-shaped habit, bears beautiful white flowers in spring, provides a canopy that shelters the nests of smaller songbirds and bears an abundance of berries in autumn that birds will enjoy. A spectacular show of autumn color! A great choice for foundation plantings or hedges. Great for privacy screening or blocking unsightly views. Excellent for planting along fences and walls.

Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora)

Remarkably beautiful and carefree through all the seasons! Texas Mountain Laurel is exceptionally hardy, tolerates arid climates, and requires very little maintenance. This evergreen tree is a member of the pea family and the relationship can be seen with the fragrant clusters of blue sweet pea-like flowers produced in the spring. The flowers are followed by attractive seed pods that contain red seeds. Can be grown as a small tree or pruned to maintain as a shrub. Native to regions within Texas and Mexico.

Blackberry (Rubus argutus)

A rugged North American native plant prized for its delicious black berries that are perfect for eating fresh, baking or preserving. Plants provide high yields of tasty fruit. Berries start out red and turn dark purple (black) as they mature. They are sweetest when allowed to reach full maturity before picking. Delicious in pies, tarts, jams, and preserves. The perfect addition to any fresh fruit tray. Serve as a scrumptious dessert or appetizing breakfast.

Mexican Orange Blossom (Choisya ternata)

Mexican orange blossom is a dense, rounded, evergreen shrub. Fragrant white flowers appear in late spring, and again in late summer. An excellent choice for planting near a patio or deck where the fragrance can be enjoyed while you relax outdoors. An excellent specimen, foundation, or border plant. Perfect for planting along fences and walls.

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Planting and Maintaining a Living Fence

Establishing a hedge requires thoughtful planning, since the goal is to maximize the benefits within a narrow planting area.

For a formal, trimmed hedge that’s used primarily as a landscaping feature and a privacy screen, a single row of shrubs will suffice. Spacing is key for creating a dense, uniform arrangement. Spacing needs vary from one species to the next, but most evergreen hedge shrubs should be planted 3–4 feet (0.9–1.2 m) apart.

For a taller hedge, plant shrubs farther apart. Landscapers usually use a 2:1 or 3:1 height-to-distance ratio to determine spacing. In other words, one meter of spacing is appropriate for a hedge height of two or three meters. Note that taller hedges also require a wider buffer from the border that they’re facing. For stability and health, a shrub shouldn’t be expected to grow very tall without also growing wide.

For a loose border with multiple rows of shrubs, the space should be at least 10 feet (3 m) wide. Use staggered rows, or plant the tallest shrubs in a center row, surrounded by rows of shorter species.

To maintain healthy shrubs, be prepared to perform regular trimming or pruning. For evergreens like boxwood, hedge trimming to create the classic formal aesthetic is a fun challenge, requiring proper tools and skill. Aside from aesthetics, pruning is essential for correcting damage, promoting growth, and controlling the size of shrubs.

Toughen Up Your Home Landscape with Hardy Shrubs

On the outer borders of properties, living fences are tasked with blocking views, noise, and wind. Along the edge of public property, a living fence might even have to withstand unfriendly contact with humans, outdoor pets, air pollution, and invasive weeds.

If your local environment calls for an extra-tough living fence, here are a few more shrub species to consider planting: 10 Shrubs That Can Handle Harsh Conditions.