The Best Shrubs To Plant Near Your Windows For Privacy

If you have windows that are facing the street or looking directly into your neighbor's yard, one of the best ways to create privacy is to plant evergreen shrubs. As the plants grow and fill out, you won't have to worry about anyone looking in through your exposed windows. Plus, the view from inside will be much nicer, especially if you choose shrubs with lovely foliage color or pretty blooms. After all, there's nothing more pleasing than looking up from your computer as you're working away in your home office to admire those gorgeous plants. Just don't get too distracted, or you might not finish that report on time.

When selecting the best screening shrubs, make sure they don't have aggressive roots or an invasive habit that might damage your home's foundation, but ensure they will reach the perfect height to screen your windows — without blocking the view entirely. Among the popular evergreen shrubs that will give you window privacy include the dwarf Japanese cedar, camellias, the willow leaf cotoneaster, and Walter's Viburnum. Adding some contrasting specimens to aid your garden's visual impact is a good idea. This diversity will also help if one of the species you selected suddenly develops a disease or pest problem and needs to be replaced. Of course, you also want to select plants that will thrive in your climate. 

A lovely soft shrub that has a beautiful spherical shape is the Fire Chief Eastern arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Congabe'). It can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 and reaches a maximum height and width of 4 feet. You'll enjoy the changing colors of the foliage, which is golden in spring and transitions to a deep red hue in the fall. This gorgeous evergreen shrub doesn't require any pruning as it maintains a beautiful compact growth habit. As an added bonus, it's also deer-resistant, so you won't have to worry about it being decimated overnight.

Another lovely compact shrub is the dwarf Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica 'Globosa Nana'), which can grow to a height of around 4 feet and will thrive in zones 6 through 9. The soft arching branches have needle-like foliage in a beautiful shade of bluish-green. Thanks to its lovely growth habit, it won't require regular pruning. This is one of those hardy plants that can handle coastal conditions and is relatively pest and deer-resistant. For privacy, you might need to purchase an advanced plant as this cultivar is relatively slow-growing.

Camellias make excellent screening shrubs with their dark green leathery foliage and gorgeous flowers that appear from winter to spring. They can be easily pruned to shape, making them ideal for planting in front of windows. There are two distinct forms: Camellia sasanqua and Camellia japonica. The former has small leaves, and the latter has much larger foliage. Both forms can be grown in zones 7 through 9, and planting a variety of these is one way to keep winter hummingbirds happy. These species prefer acidic soil and are both drought and deer-resistant.

If you're looking for an endemic evergreen shrub, you might like to consider Walter's Viburnum (Viburnum obovatum), which is native to Florida and can be grown in zones 7 through 10. This plant has a lovely dense growth habit with thick, leathery leaves and very pretty white blooms in spring, followed by small burgundy fruits. Bees will appreciate the early blossoms, while birds will happily consume the fruits. Walter's Viburnum appreciates excellent drainage and can be pruned to shape to keep it more compact as a screen for your windows.

For a smaller growing shrub that will only screen the lower parts of your windows and provide you with glorious color in the fall, you might like to consider the willow leaf cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolius) which only reaches a maximum height of 3 feet. This lovely shrub features arching branches with deep green leaves, white flowers in spring, and brilliant red berries in the fall, attracting both bees and birds to your yard. It can be pruned into a lovely low-growing hedge in zones 6 through 8.

The glossy abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) is a multi-stemmed shrub that grows relatively quickly and can be pruned and shaped to provide a lovely privacy screen in front of your windows. It grows well in zones 6 through 9, with shiny leaves and pretty white tubular flowers in clusters. Flowering can be prolonged from spring right through to the fall. If you're looking for a hardy screening plant that's easy to grow and maintain, this pollinator-friendly flowering shrub will add extra privacy to your yard and home.

If you happen to live in one of the cooler northern zones, you might want to consider growing the dwarf mountain pine (Pinus mugo 'Mops') as a screening plant. This particular cultivar generally only grows to a height of around 4 feet and will thrive in zones 2 through 7. The shrub can be pruned in spring to create a denser growth habit and is particularly suited for urban areas. It's another low-maintenance evergreen shrub to make your landscaping look great all year round without too much fuss.