Privet Hedge Plant

When you need a living wall fast, a privet hedge plant is hard to beat. Privet (Ligustrum) grows quickly, branches densely right to the ground and takes shearing better than almost any other shrub, so you can shape it into a crisp formal hedge or let it grow into a soft, informal screen. It is the classic hedge behind American homes, gardens and estates for good reason. TN Nursery offers three privet hedge varieties: Northern Privet, California Privet and Wax Leaf Privet. All ship bare root in 1–2, 2–3 and 3–4 foot sizes, and single-plant orders are Buy 1 Get 1 Free, which makes planting a long hedge row affordable.

Privet Hedge Plant at a Glance

• Genus: Ligustrum
• Hardiness zones: USDA zones 4–10, depending on variety
• Mature height: 6–15 feet unpruned; easily kept at 3–8 feet as a hedge
• Growth rate: Fast, often 2–3 feet per year
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil: Adapts to clay, loam and sandy soils that drain well
• Flowers: Clusters of small white flowers in late spring to early summer
• Foliage: Glossy green; semi-evergreen to evergreen depending on variety and climate
• Shipped as: Bare-root shrub, 1–4 feet

Choose Your Privet Hedge Variety

Northern Privet

Northern privet is the cold-hardy choice, growing in zones 4–8. It forms a dense, upright hedge 8–12 feet tall if left untrimmed and is the go-to privacy hedge for the Midwest and Northeast. In colder areas it drops its leaves in winter and releafs early in spring.

California Privet

California privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) has glossy, oval leaves and is the traditional formal hedge of coastal estates. It grows 10–15 feet tall unpruned, holds its leaves through most winters in zones 6–8 and grows in zones 5–8.

Wax Leaf Privet

Wax leaf privet (Ligustrum japonicum) is a true evergreen with thick, shiny, waxy leaves. It grows 6–10 feet tall and is the favorite privet for southern gardens in zones 7–10, where it provides year-round screening and can be trained as a small multi-trunk tree.

Why Plant a Privet Hedge?

• Fast privacy. Privet fills in quickly, often creating a solid screen within two to three growing seasons.
• Shapes beautifully. Privet responds to shearing with dense new growth, so it holds clean lines in formal hedges, topiary and borders.
• Adaptable. It grows in sun or part shade and handles clay, urban soil, heat and salt air.
• Noise and wind buffer. A thick privet hedge softens road noise and breaks the wind around patios and gardens.
• Easy care. Beyond trimming, privet needs very little: no special soil, little fertilizer and few problems.

Where to Plant a Privet Hedge

Use privet for privacy hedges along property lines, screens around patios and pools, garden walls and borders, foundation plantings and windbreaks. Plant in full sun for the densest growth; privet also does well in partial shade. Pair the variety to your climate: Northern privet for cold winters, California privet for the mid-South and coastal areas, and wax leaf privet for the Deep South.

How to Plant a Privet Hedge

1. Mark a straight line with string and dig a trench 12–18 inches wide and deep enough for the roots.
2. Soak the bare roots for an hour before planting.
3. Space plants 12–18 inches apart for a dense formal hedge, or 2–3 feet apart for an informal screen.
4. Set each plant at the depth it grew, backfill, firm the soil and water thoroughly.
5. Cut newly planted privet back by about one-third to encourage branching from the base.
6. Water weekly through the first summer, then trim two or three times a year to keep the hedge full.

Keep the base of the hedge slightly wider than the top so sunlight reaches the lower branches and the hedge stays full to the ground.

Privet Hedge FAQ

How fast does a privet hedge grow?

Privet grows fast, typically 2–3 feet per year, and can form a solid privacy screen in two to three growing seasons.

How far apart should I plant privet for a hedge?

Plant privet 12–18 inches apart for a dense formal hedge, or 2–3 feet apart for a looser, informal screen.

Which privet is best for privacy?

Northern privet is best for cold climates, California privet for zones 5–8 and wax leaf privet for evergreen privacy in the South.

Is privet evergreen?

Wax leaf privet is evergreen. California privet is semi-evergreen and holds its leaves through most mild winters. Northern privet drops its leaves in colder areas.

What zones does privet grow in?

Privet hedge plants grow in USDA zones 4–10, depending on the variety.

Hedge Plants From a Nursery You Can Trust

TN Nursery has been growing trees and shrubs in Tennessee since 1959, and our hedge plants have gone into gardens across the country. Browse all shrubs, and read Nature's Fence: The Best Hedges for Privacy, our California privet guide, all about wax leaf privet and how to train shrubs into hedges.