Whether you're screening a neighbor's fence line, blocking a road, or creating a secluded backyard retreat, choosing the right privacy shrub for the Southeast is critical. The wrong plant can mean years of frustration — slow growth, disease problems, or a plant that simply doesn't survive your climate.
In this guide, we compare five of the best privacy shrubs for Southeast landscapes, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the Gulf Coast — so you can pick the right plant for your specific situation.
What to Look for in a Southeast Privacy Shrub
Before diving into specific plants, here are the key factors to evaluate:
- Evergreen vs. deciduous: For year-round privacy, you want an evergreen that holds its foliage through winter
- Growth rate: Faster isn't always better — fast growers often require more maintenance
- Mature size: Match the plant's natural size to your space to minimize pruning
- Adaptability: Heat, humidity, drought, and soil tolerance all matter in the Southeast
- Maintenance: How much pruning, watering, and fertilizing will it need long-term?
Top 5 Privacy Shrubs for the Southeast: Compared
1. Southern Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)
Best for: Fast privacy screens, naturalistic hedges, wet or dry sites
- Mature size: 10–15 ft tall, 8–12 ft wide
- Growth rate: Fast (3–5 ft/year)
- Zones: 7–11
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Water: Low to moderate; drought and flood tolerant
- Maintenance: Low — prune 1–2x/year to shape
- Pros: Fastest coverage, native plant, wildlife value, extremely adaptable to any soil
- Cons: Can get large quickly; needs occasional pruning to stay tidy
2. Chindo Viburnum (Viburnum awabuki 'Chindo')
Best for: Bold, glossy evergreen screens with seasonal interest
- Mature size: 10–15 ft tall, 6–8 ft wide
- Growth rate: Moderate to fast (2–3 ft/year)
- Zones: 7–10
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
- Maintenance: Low — prune once per year if needed
- Pros: Large, lustrous dark green leaves; fragrant spring flowers; red berries in fall; excellent wind resistance
- Cons: Less tolerant of wet soils than Wax Myrtle; can be slow to establish in the first year
3. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii × plicata 'Green Giant')
Best for: Tall, fast, formal screens in full sun
- Mature size: 30–40 ft tall, 10–15 ft wide
- Growth rate: Very fast (3–5 ft/year)
- Zones: 5–8
- Sun: Full sun to light shade
- Water: Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
- Maintenance: Low — naturally pyramidal, rarely needs pruning
- Pros: Fastest tall screen available; disease-resistant (unlike Leyland Cypress); deer-resistant; holds color well in winter
- Cons: Gets very tall — not ideal for smaller lots; needs full sun to perform best
4. Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd')
Best for: Compact, formal screens and smaller spaces
- Mature size: 10–15 ft tall, 3–4 ft wide
- Growth rate: Slow to moderate (6–9 in/year)
- Zones: 3–8
- Sun: Full sun
- Water: Moderate; consistent moisture preferred
- Maintenance: Very low — tight, columnar form needs almost no pruning
- Pros: Narrow footprint fits tight spaces; bright emerald green color year-round; very tidy appearance
- Cons: Slower to fill in; can struggle in Zone 8 heat and humidity; susceptible to spider mites in hot, dry conditions
5. Nellie R. Stevens Holly (Ilex × 'Nellie R. Stevens')
Best for: Dense, impenetrable screens with year-round color
- Mature size: 15–25 ft tall, 8–12 ft wide
- Growth rate: Fast (2–3 ft/year)
- Zones: 6–9
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Water: Moderate; adaptable once established
- Maintenance: Low — prune in late winter to shape if desired
- Pros: Dense, spiny foliage deters intruders; bright red berries in winter; extremely heat and humidity tolerant; one of the best all-around Southeast privacy plants
- Cons: Gets large; spiny leaves make pruning less pleasant
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Plant | Height | Growth Rate | Sun | Zones | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Wax Myrtle | 10–15 ft | Fast | Full–Part | 7–11 | Naturalistic screen |
| Chindo Viburnum | 10–15 ft | Moderate–Fast | Full–Part | 7–10 | Glossy formal screen |
| Green Giant Arborvitae | 30–40 ft | Very Fast | Full sun | 5–8 | Tall formal screen |
| Emerald Green Arborvitae | 10–15 ft | Slow–Moderate | Full sun | 3–8 | Compact formal screen |
| Nellie R. Stevens Holly | 15–25 ft | Fast | Full–Part | 6–9 | Dense security screen |
Which Privacy Shrub Is Right for You?
Choose Southern Wax Myrtle if: You want fast coverage, have a large area to fill, or have challenging soil (wet, dry, or poor). It's the workhorse of Southeast privacy screens.
Choose Chindo Viburnum if: You want a bold, glossy look with seasonal interest — fragrant spring blooms and red fall berries — in a moderate-sized screen.
Choose Green Giant Arborvitae if: You need a tall screen fast and have a sunny, open site. It's the most reliable tall arborvitae for the Southeast.
Choose Emerald Green Arborvitae if: You have a narrow space and want a tidy, columnar evergreen that stays in bounds without much pruning.
Choose Nellie R. Stevens Holly if: You want the densest, most impenetrable screen possible with year-round color and red winter berries. It's one of the top all-around privacy plants for the Southeast.
Pro Tip: Layer Your Privacy Screen
The most effective privacy screens combine plants of different heights and textures. Try pairing fast-growing Green Giants or Nellie Stevens Hollies as the tall backdrop with Southern Wax Myrtle or Chindo Viburnum as the mid-level screen. You'll get year-round coverage, visual interest, and a landscape that looks intentional rather than like a wall of green.
Shop Privacy Shrubs at The Plant Firm
Browse our full selection of field-grown privacy shrubs, available in multiple sizes and shipped directly to your door: