Bring Privacy And Beauty To Your Yard With A Low-Maintenance Shrub That Stuns

Are you looking for a low-maintenance shrub to add both privacy and beauty to your yard? For many homeowners, creating a beautiful and relaxing private oasis that helps you to unwind after a busy week is worth striving for, as long as you don't have to spend the entire weekend maintaining it. For this reason, sourcing suitable screening plants that can also handle a bit of neglect is considered a necessity. Lucky for you, there's a lovely evergreen shrub that can fill this niche beautifully without demanding too much of your attention except to enjoy the peace and serenity it can offer. This beauty is known as Osmanthus x fortunei 'Natchez'. You'll find that species in the Osmanthus genus are some of the best hedges you can plant for privacy in your yard.

'Natchez' is a cultivated hybrid of Osmanthus x fortunei, which has origins tracing back to other species in the Oleaceae family, such as the fragrant tea olive and the false holly. But don't worry, unlike holly Osmanthus, this particular cultivar is not on any invasive plant lists, so you can safely grow it in your garden. What you'll find most alluring about this plant is that it has glossy dark green leaves, is relatively fast growing with dense foliage, and requires little maintenance apart from some trimming. Even more outstanding is the sweet fragrance emitted by the tiny white flowers as they cover the shrub in the fall. When these bloom, they'll delight your senses with the sweet aroma of apricots and peaches.

'Natchez' is an evergreen, which means it will look amazing all year round. The shiny leaves have serrated edges, a little like holly leaves. It will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 9 and can be planted in full sun or even part shade. It can reach a height of 20 feet with a spread of up to 15 feet. These qualities make 'Natchez' ideally suited to establishing a privacy screen around your patio or as a creative way to hide your neighbor's unattractive fence. The growth habit of this shrub is quite dense, with multiple trunks and an appealing vase shape when it matures. 

Another benefit that's worth mentioning is that the leaves are a bit spiky, so it makes a good deterrent if you're trying to limit access to certain parts of your yard. As 'Natchez' is also rabbit and deer-resistant, it might just be what you're looking for to keep critters out of your yard. Best of all, because of its attractive natural growth, this plant only requires minimal pruning in late winter or early spring to retain its shape. Once established, this useful screening plant is drought tolerant. A yearly application of slow-release fertilizer in spring is all that's required to keep it lush.