Skip to content

OUR END OF FINANCIAL YEAR SALE IS LIVE!

20% OFF ORDERS OVER $1,500 - DISCOUNT APPLIES AUTOMATICALLY AT CHECKOUT

Best Trees for Creating a Privacy Screen: 10 Picks Across Fast Formal, Native and Narrow Column Options

Best Trees for Creating a Privacy Screen: 10 Picks Across Fast Formal, Native and Narrow Column Options

A privacy screen does three things: blocks the view, sets the tone of the back garden, and works with your climate and footprint. Ten picks across fast formal hedges, soft native screens and narrow-column verticals. Match the species to your height, look and width.

HedgingPrivacy TreesScreening

The right privacy screen changes how the whole back garden feels.

It blocks the view from neighbours and the street, holds the boundary year-round, and (if you pick well) reads as a feature rather than just a fence-line of plants.

Three things determine the right screen for your garden: target height, formal vs informal look, and climate and footprint.

The ten picks

Ordered by category: three fast formal hedges, three native screening picks, two narrow-column accents, two refined finishes.

  1. Ficus hillii: the fastest dense formal screen, 18 to 24 months to a solid wall.
  2. Cupressus 'Better Green': improved disease-resistant Leyland Cypress, fast formal hedge for cool climates.
  3. Photinia robusta: classic formal hedge with dramatic red new growth.
  4. Syzygium 'Resilience': psyllid-resistant native Lilly Pilly.
  5. Syzygium 'Straight & Narrow': genuinely narrow native screen for tight side-of-house spaces.
  6. Waterhousea floribunda: soft tall native screen, the choice when privacy doesn't need to look like a hedge.
  7. Pittosporum 'Green Pillar': the narrowest evergreen screen in the catalogue, 50 to 70cm wide.
  8. Laurus 'Miles Choice' Bay: formal Mediterranean screen, drought tolerant plus culinary Bay leaves.
  9. Cupressus 'Glauca' Pencil Pine: dramatic silver-blue narrow Mediterranean column.
  10. Magnolia 'Teddy Bear': compact polished evergreen for refined mid-height screens (under 5m).

How to choose the right privacy screen tree

Target height: how tall do you actually need?
The biggest decision happens before species. How tall does the screen need to be?

For most suburban back gardens, 2 to 3m is enough to block the standing view from a neighbour. For two-storey houses or pool privacy, 4 to 6m+. For mid-height refined screens, 3 to 4m.

Match your height to the species:

6m+ tall screens: Ficus hillii, Better Green, Waterhousea, Pencil Pine.

3 to 5m mid-height: Resilience, Photinia, Bay.

4 to 5m refined: Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'.

3 to 4m narrow columns: Green Pillar, Straight & Narrow.
Formal wall vs informal soft screen
A formal hedge clips to a clean vertical wall and reads as architecture. An informal screen reads as a row of trees that happens to block the view.

Formal: Ficus hillii, Better Green, Photinia, Resilience, Bay, Teddy Bear.

Informal soft: Waterhousea (weeping), Pencil Pine (rhythm of vertical columns rather than a wall).

Narrow column: Green Pillar, Straight & Narrow, Pencil Pine.

Most gardens look strongest with one main run plus matched narrow accents.
Climate fit: frost, heat, coastal, soil
Match the species to your climate.

Frost-tender: Ficus hillii (warm climates only).

Frost-hardy: Better Green, Bay, Pencil Pine, Photinia, Magnolia, Pittosporum.

Drought-tolerant: Bay, Pencil Pine, Better Green.

Coastal salt tolerant: Waterhousea, Resilience.

Slightly acid soil: Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'.

Adaptable: most others.
Spacing matters more than choice
Most hedging trees plant at suitable spacing for fastest fill. Narrow columns can plant tighter. Pencil Pine plants further apart for rhythmic accents.

Standard hedges: closer spacing for denser screens.

Narrow columns (Green Pillar, Straight & Narrow): tighter spacing.

Pencil Pine: spaced for vertical rhythm rather than a solid wall.

The most common mistake is planting too far apart hoping each tree will fill the gap. Plant denser, get a thicker screen faster.
Layer for thickness
For maximum privacy thickness, plant two rows. A formal hedge on the boundary plus an informal native row behind. The two layers fill any gaps in either species and create a properly dense visual block.

Alternative: matched narrow columns (Green Pillar, Pencil Pine) at the corners and gaps of a broader hedge for vertical accent rhythm.

1. Ficus microcarpa var. hillii (Hill's Weeping Fig / Ficus Flash)

Ficus hillii is one of the fastest growing formal evergreen privacy screens we sell. Glossy dark green leaves on a dense upright habit that clips to a clean wall of green at suitable spacing. The workhorse of suburban privacy planting.

Type
Fast-growing evergreen formal screen
Height
4 to 8m+ (clip to size)
Width
1.5 to 2m
Growth rate
Very fast
Foliage
Glossy dark green, evergreen
Flowers
Insignificant
Form
Upright dense, fully clippable
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, frost tender in cold climates
Maintenance
Two clips per year for formal wall
Best for
One of the fastest formal privacy screens for Australian gardens, suburban boundary screens, blocking neighbour views quickly.

Why choose it

Few species in the catalogue deliver a thick formal screen as quickly as Ficus hillii. Planted at suitable spacing and watered well through establishment, the hedge forms a thick solid wall in a relatively short time. The form clips beautifully and stays dense year-round, which is exactly what a formal privacy hedge needs.

Perfect pair

Plant Ficus hillii as the main run with Pittosporum 'Green Pillar' at the corners for narrow vertical accent.

Tips for planting

Plant at suitable spacing for a thick hedge. Watering is essential, especially through warmer months. Clip twice a year (spring and autumn) to maintain a formal flat wall. Avoid in heavy frost-prone climates.

One of the fastest formal privacy walls in the catalogue.

Shop Ficus microcarpa var. hillii

2. Cupressus leylandii 'Better Green' (Better Green Leyland Cypress)

Better Green is the improved disease-resistant Leyland Cypress. Same fast formal conifer screen as the original Leighton Green, with greatly improved disease resistance and brighter green colour. The tall fast formal hedge for big privacy jobs in cool and frost-prone climates where Ficus won't grow.

Type
Fast-growing evergreen conifer screen
Height
5 to 8m+ (clip to size)
Width
1.5 to 2m
Growth rate
Very fast
Foliage
Dense bright green scale conifer foliage, evergreen
Flowers
Insignificant
Form
Upright dense conifer, fully clippable
Conditions
Full sun, well-drained soil, frost hardy, drought tolerant once established
Maintenance
Two clips per year for formal hedge
Best for
Tall fast formal screens in cool climates, large lot boundaries, conifer aesthetic, frost-prone gardens.

Why choose it

Where Ficus hillii needs warmer climates, Better Green Leyland delivers the same fast formal screen across cool and frost-prone gardens too. The improved cultivar resists the diseases that plagued older Leighton Green plantings, so the screen stays dense and healthy long-term.

Perfect pair

Pair with Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca' Pencil Pine at the corners for matched conifer rhythm.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing. Two clips per year (spring and autumn) maintains a formal hedge. Tolerates full sun, frost and drought once established.

Fast formal hedge for cool and frost-prone climates.

Shop Cupressus leylandii 'Better Green'

3. Photinia robusta (Robusta Photinia)

Photinia robusta is the classic formal hedge with the dramatic red new growth. Glossy dark green mature leaves plus vibrant red flushes through spring and after every clip. A privacy screen that doubles as a feature.

Type
Fast-growing evergreen formal hedge
Height
3 to 5m (clip to size)
Width
1.5 to 2m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy dark green mature with dramatic red new growth, evergreen
Flowers
White clusters in spring
Form
Upright dense, clippable
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Two to three clips per year for repeat red flush
Best for
Mid-height formal privacy with feature colour, garden boundaries that need to look intentional.

Why choose it

Most privacy hedges go single-colour green. Photinia robusta delivers a hedge that reads as a feature: every clip triggers a fresh flush of vibrant red new growth on top of the existing dark green. The result is a privacy screen with seasonal drama built in.

Perfect pair

Plant beside Laurus 'Miles Choice' Bay for a layered green-on-red Mediterranean formal scheme.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing. Clip after each major growth flush to encourage repeat red new growth. Full sun gives the strongest red colour.

A privacy hedge with seasonal feature value.

Shop Photinia robusta

4. Syzygium australe 'Resilience' (Resilience Lilly Pilly)

Resilience is the psyllid-resistant native Lilly Pilly bred specifically to solve the psyllid problem that plagues older Lilly Pilly cultivars. Same dense formal hedge with the red new growth that makes Lilly Pillies beautiful, fully native, but without the constant pest management of older varieties.

Type
Native evergreen formal hedge
Height
3 to 5m (clip to size)
Width
1.5 to 2m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Dark green with red new growth, evergreen
Flowers
White fluffy summer flowers, pink-purple berries
Form
Upright dense, clippable
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Two clips per year, no pest management needed
Best for
Native formal hedges where psyllid resistance matters, suburban screening, low-maintenance Lilly Pilly walls.

Why choose it

Older Lilly Pilly cultivars get hit hard by psyllid (an insect that disfigures the foliage and ruins the look of the hedge). 'Resilience' was bred specifically to be psyllid-resistant, which means a clean dense formal native hedge without constant pest pressure. Plus the same red new growth that makes Lilly Pillies beautiful in the first place.

Perfect pair

Plant beside Waterhousea floribunda for a layered formal-and-soft native screen.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing. Clip after each major growth flush to maintain density and encourage new red growth. Full sun for densest form.

The psyllid-resistant native Lilly Pilly that just works.

Shop Syzygium australe 'Resilience'

5. Syzygium australe 'Straight & Narrow' (Straight & Narrow Lilly Pilly)

'Straight & Narrow' is the genuinely narrow Lilly Pilly bred for tight side-of-house privacy. Naturally columnar form holds at 1 to 1.2m wide, so it fits where standard hedges won't. Dense glossy dark green foliage with red new growth, fully native.

Type
Compact columnar native screen
Height
3 to 4m
Width
1 to 1.2m
Growth rate
Moderate to fast
Foliage
Dark green with red new growth, evergreen
Flowers
White fluffy summer flowers
Form
Naturally narrow columnar
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Light clip annually to maintain form
Best for
Narrow side-of-house screens, tight planting strips, gaps between buildings, narrow boundary screens.

Why choose it

Standard Lilly Pillies need 1.5 to 2m of width room. 'Straight & Narrow' holds a 1 to 1.2m width naturally, which means a dense native privacy screen in spots where a normal hedge would never fit. The narrow side-of-house gap between two buildings is the obvious use case.

Perfect pair

Plant alongside Syzygium 'Resilience' on broader runs for a layered native screen of mixed widths.

Tips for planting

Plant at 0.7m spacing for fastest fill. Light clip annually to maintain the narrow column. Full sun for densest growth.

The narrow Lilly Pilly for tight spaces.

Shop Syzygium australe 'Straight & Narrow'

6. Waterhousea floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Waterhousea is the soft tall native screening tree. Pendulous willow-like foliage hangs gracefully, the canopy reaches 6 to 8m for taller screening jobs, and the soft form reads as natural rather than clipped formal. The choice when privacy doesn't need to look like a hedge.

Type
Native evergreen tall screening tree
Height
6 to 8m
Width
3 to 4m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Soft pendulous green, willow-like, evergreen
Flowers
Cream summer flowers
Form
Soft weeping rounded
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, prefers moist soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Very low. Natural form holds, light prune only.
Best for
Taller informal native screens, softer privacy planting, screening tall buildings or two-storey neighbours.

Why choose it

Where Ficus and Cupressus deliver hard formal walls, Waterhousea delivers soft graceful native screening. The pendulous foliage moves in wind, the form reads as natural rather than clipped, and the species comfortably handles tall screening (6m+) without aggressive growth. The choice when you want privacy that doesn't look like a hedge.

Perfect pair

Plant beside Syzygium 'Resilience' for layered formal-and-informal native screening.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1.5m spacing. Prefers consistent soil moisture. Mulch heavily. Light prune only to maintain shape, the soft natural form is the feature.

The soft native screen that doesn't look like a hedge.

Shop Waterhousea floribunda

7. Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Green Pillar' (Green Pillar Pittosporum)

'Green Pillar' is the naturally columnar Pittosporum bred specifically for narrow gardens. Holds a 50 to 70cm width at maturity without clipping. Dense glossy dark green foliage that holds year-round. The narrowest evergreen screen in the catalogue.

Type
Compact columnar evergreen screen
Height
3 to 4m
Width
50 to 70cm
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Dense small glossy dark green leaves, evergreen
Flowers
Small dark purple, lightly fragrant
Form
Strictly narrow columnar
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Very low. Naturally narrow, no clipping needed.
Best for
The narrowest privacy screens, side-of-house gaps, narrow planting beds, vertical accents at hedge corners.

Why choose it

Standard Pittosporums (and most evergreens) need 1.5m+ of width. 'Green Pillar' holds a strict 50 to 70cm column naturally, which makes it the answer when the planting bed is only 60cm wide. Perfect for the narrow gap between two buildings, narrow side-of-house screens, or rhythmic vertical accent at the corners of broader hedges.

Perfect pair

Plant at the corners of a Ficus hillii hedge run for narrow vertical accent, or in matched rows for a clean narrow screen on their own.

Tips for planting

Plant at 0.5m spacing for a solid narrow screen. No clipping needed beyond light shaping. Full sun for densest form.

The narrowest evergreen screen in the catalogue.

Shop Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Green Pillar'

8. Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' (Miles Choice Bay Tree)

Laurus 'Miles Choice' is the improved Mediterranean Bay for formal evergreen screening. Thick aromatic dark green leaves, dense clippable habit, fully formal — plus the culinary Bay leaves you cook with. A working hedge that's also a herb garden.

Type
Formal evergreen Mediterranean hedge
Height
3 to 5m (clip to size)
Width
1.5 to 2m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Thick aromatic dark green, evergreen
Flowers
Small cream spring flowers
Form
Upright dense, fully clippable
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, frost hardy, drought tolerant
Maintenance
Two clips per year for formal shape
Best for
Formal Mediterranean privacy screens, edible kitchen Bay, hot dry climates where natives or Ficus struggle.

Why choose it

Most privacy hedges only do one job. Laurus 'Miles Choice' Bay delivers a formal Mediterranean evergreen hedge plus working Bay leaves for the kitchen. The aromatic foliage is also the species' drought defence: the essential oils reduce water loss, so this hedge holds on minimal water once established. Formal, productive and water-wise.

Perfect pair

Plant with Cupressus 'Glauca' Pencil Pine at the corners for a matched Mediterranean palette.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing. Two clips per year (spring and autumn) for formal shape. Harvest Bay leaves freely as you go.

Formal Mediterranean screen plus culinary Bay leaves.

Shop Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'

9. Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca' (Italian Pencil Pine)

The Italian Pencil Pine is the dramatic narrow conifer column for formal privacy schemes. Silver-blue scale foliage, strict narrow upright form (1 to 1.5m wide), and full Mediterranean drought tolerance. The architectural exclamation mark for any formal screen design.

Type
Narrow evergreen Mediterranean conifer
Height
6 to 10m
Width
1 to 1.5m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Dense silver-blue scale conifer, evergreen
Flowers
Insignificant
Form
Strictly narrow upright column
Conditions
Full sun, well-drained soil, frost hardy, drought tolerant
Maintenance
Very low. Naturally narrow, no clipping needed.
Best for
Formal Mediterranean privacy verticals, screen accents, driveway entrance pairs, rhythmic boundary planting.

Why choose it

Pencil Pines don't form a continuous wall like a standard hedge. They form a series of dramatic verticals. Plant in matched rows at 1.5m spacing for screening rhythm rather than a solid hedge wall. The silver-blue colour catches winter sun and the strict columnar form gives any formal garden an architectural backbone.

Perfect pair

Plant in rows of three to five along a boundary, or with Laurus 'Miles Choice' Bay as the formal Mediterranean evergreen palette.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1.5m spacing for rhythmic screen. No clipping needed. Full sun for the strongest silver-blue colour.

Dramatic silver-blue vertical for formal screens.

Shop Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca'

10. Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear' (Teddy Bear Magnolia)

'Teddy Bear' is the compact polished Magnolia for shorter privacy screens. Glossy dark green leaves with dramatic rusty-brown felted undersides, dense compact upright habit, fragrant cream summer flowers, and a mature height of 4 to 5m that doesn't overpower smaller gardens like a full Magnolia would.

Type
Compact polished evergreen screen
Height
4 to 5m
Width
2 to 3m
Growth rate
Slow to moderate
Foliage
Glossy dark green with rusty-brown felted undersides, evergreen
Flowers
Fragrant cream summer flowers
Form
Dense compact upright
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well-drained slightly acid soil, frost hardy
Maintenance
Low. Minimal pruning required.
Best for
Polished mid-height privacy screens (under 5m), formal entrance pairs, smaller gardens, refined boundary planting.

Why choose it

Where Ficus hillii grows to 8m and dominates, Magnolia 'Teddy Bear' tops out at 4 to 5m, which is the right scale for most suburban boundary screens. The polished glossy foliage reads more formal than a Lilly Pilly hedge, with the bonus of fragrant flowers in summer. The pick for a refined mid-height privacy screen.

Perfect pair

Plant in matched pairs flanking an entrance, or in a row of three to five for a polished screening run.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1.5m spacing. Minimal pruning needed, let the natural form do the work. Full sun for densest habit and most flowering.

Polished compact Magnolia for mid-height privacy screens.

Shop Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear'

Compare at a glance

CultivarHeightWidthFormFoliageBest if you…
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii
Hill's Weeping Fig / Ficus Flash
4 to 8m+ (clip to size)1.5 to 2mUpright dense, fully clippableGlossy dark green, evergreenOne of the fastest formal privacy screens for Australian gardens, suburban boundary screens, blocking neighbour views quickly.
Cupressus leylandii 'Better Green'
Better Green Leyland Cypress
5 to 8m+ (clip to size)1.5 to 2mUpright dense conifer, fully clippableDense bright green scale conifer foliage, evergreenTall fast formal screens in cool climates, large lot boundaries, conifer aesthetic, frost-prone gardens.
Photinia robusta
Robusta Photinia
3 to 5m (clip to size)1.5 to 2mUpright dense, clippableGlossy dark green mature with dramatic red new growth, evergreenMid-height formal privacy with feature colour, garden boundaries that need to look intentional.
Syzygium australe 'Resilience'
Resilience Lilly Pilly
3 to 5m (clip to size)1.5 to 2mUpright dense, clippableDark green with red new growth, evergreenNative formal hedges where psyllid resistance matters, suburban screening, low-maintenance Lilly Pilly walls.
Syzygium australe 'Straight & Narrow'
Straight & Narrow Lilly Pilly
3 to 4m1 to 1.2mNaturally narrow columnarDark green with red new growth, evergreenNarrow side-of-house screens, tight planting strips, gaps between buildings, narrow boundary screens.
Waterhousea floribunda
Weeping Lilly Pilly
6 to 8m3 to 4mSoft weeping roundedSoft pendulous green, willow-like, evergreenTaller informal native screens, softer privacy planting, screening tall buildings or two-storey neighbours.
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Green Pillar'
Green Pillar Pittosporum
3 to 4m50 to 70cmStrictly narrow columnarDense small glossy dark green leaves, evergreenThe narrowest privacy screens, side-of-house gaps, narrow planting beds, vertical accents at hedge corners.
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'
Miles Choice Bay Tree
3 to 5m (clip to size)1.5 to 2mUpright dense, fully clippableThick aromatic dark green, evergreenFormal Mediterranean privacy screens, edible kitchen Bay, hot dry climates where natives or Ficus struggle.
Cupressus sempervirens 'Glauca'
Italian Pencil Pine
6 to 10m1 to 1.5mStrictly narrow upright columnDense silver-blue scale conifer, evergreenFormal Mediterranean privacy verticals, screen accents, driveway entrance pairs, rhythmic boundary planting.
Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear'
Teddy Bear Magnolia
4 to 5m2 to 3mDense compact uprightGlossy dark green with rusty-brown felted undersides, evergreenPolished mid-height privacy screens (under 5m), formal entrance pairs, smaller gardens, refined boundary planting.

How to plant and care for them

Plant at the correct spacing per species
Each species has its own ideal spacing for a thick hedge. Narrow columns plant tighter than standard hedges. Pencil Pine plants further apart for vertical rhythm rather than a solid wall.

Tighter than you think is usually the right rule for a dense screen.
Plant level and mulch heavily out to the row
Rootball flush with surrounding soil level. Mulch the full row out to the drip line with organic mulch. Keep mulch a hand's width clear of each trunk.
Watering through establishment
Watering is essential, especially through the warmer months. Adjust based on weather, soil and how the plants are performing. Consistent moisture is the key to a healthy screen.
Clip on a schedule by species
Formal hedges (Ficus, Better Green, Photinia, Resilience, Bay): two clips per year, spring and autumn.

Photinia and Resilience benefit from a third clip after spring flush to maintain red new growth.

Narrow columns (Green Pillar, Pencil Pine): minimal clipping, the form is natural.

Waterhousea and Magnolia: light prune only.
Feed for green colour in spring
A balanced fertiliser in early spring kickstarts new growth and maintains rich green colour. Magnolia and Camellia prefer slightly acid feeds. Avoid heavy phosphorus doses on Pencil Pine and conifers.

Frequently asked questions

How tall a privacy screen do I actually need?
For most suburban back gardens, 2 to 3m blocks the standing view from a neighbour. For two-storey houses or pool privacy, aim for 4 to 6m or taller. For refined mid-height screens around 3 to 4m, Magnolia Teddy Bear and Photinia are the right scale.
How fast will my privacy screen actually grow?
Ficus hillii and Cupressus Better Green reach a 2 to 3m solid wall in 18 to 24 months at 1m spacing. Photinia robusta and Syzygium Resilience take about 2 years. Magnolia Teddy Bear and Laurus Bay are slower at 3 to 4 years to fill in. Plant denser for faster fill.
How close can I plant to a fence?
Most hedging trees need 0.6 to 1m clearance from a solid fence to allow airflow and access for clipping. Narrow columns like Pittosporum Green Pillar can plant as close as 0.4m.
Can I mix species for variety?
For a clean uniform formal hedge, stick to one species. For informal native screens, mixing works well (Resilience plus Waterhousea, for example). A common pro design is one species along the main run plus matched narrow columns like Green Pillar or Pencil Pine at the corners.
When should I clip?
Formal hedges get two clips per year, in spring and autumn. Photinia and Resilience benefit from a third clip after the main spring flush to encourage repeat red new growth. Narrow columns and natural-form species (Pencil Pine, Magnolia, Waterhousea) need minimal pruning, light shaping only.

The wrap up

A privacy screen does three things: blocks the view, sets the tone of the back garden, and works with your climate and footprint. Ten picks across fast formal hedges, soft native screens and narrow-column verticals.