Best Evergreen Trees for Year-Round Privacy

Six evergreen trees that screen out the neighbours every month of the year. Sorted by climate, form and growth speed.

Evergreen TreesHedging TreesPrivacy ScreensYear Round Privacy

Year-round privacy needs evergreen species that hold their foliage through every season. The right pick gives the home a green wall that doesn't drop leaves and doesn't lose density through winter.

The six evergreen privacy picks below are the ones we recommend most often.

Ficus hillii — the dense formal evergreen privacy workhorse.
Waterhousea floribunda — the soft tall native screen.
Magnolia 'Coolwyn Gloss' — the polished evergreen Magnolia.
Syzygium 'Resilience' — the psyllid-resistant native hedge.
Laurus 'Miles Choice' — the formal Mediterranean Bay.
Cupressus 'Leighton Green' — the tall fast conifer.

What makes a year-round privacy evergreen

Match the look

Formal tall: Ficus hillii, Leighton Green. Soft tall native: Waterhousea. Polished feature hedge: Coolwyn Gloss. Compact native: Resilience. Mediterranean formal: Bay 'Miles Choice'.

Speed of establishment

Ficus hillii, Waterhousea, Resilience and Leighton Green establish fastest.

Spacing

1m spacing across every species.

1. Ficus microcarpa var. hillii (Ficus Hillii)

Ficus Hillii is the benchmark evergreen privacy hedge. Dense, glossy and year round privacy without compromise.

Type: Evergreen hedging tree
Height: 5-10m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 2-4m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Glossy dark green, dense
Form: Upright, columnar
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, well drained soil
Maintenance: Low, prune 1-2 times yearly
Best for: Formal hedges, screens, year round privacy.

Why choose it

Reliable evergreen wall, fast to establish, easy to maintain.

Perfect pair

Plant Ficus Hillii as a hedge with a Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss feature out front.

Tips for planting

Plant 80cm apart for a fast dense hedge. Tip prune early.

The evergreen privacy benchmark.

Shop Ficus microcarpa var. hillii

2. Waterhousea floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Weeping Lilly Pilly is the soft native answer to year round privacy. Fast, dense and elegant.

Type: Evergreen Australian native hedging tree
Height: 6-10m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 3-5m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Glossy green with pink new growth
Form: Weeping, rounded
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, moist well drained soil
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Informal screens, native hedging, year round privacy.

Why choose it

Native pick for fast soft evergreen privacy.

Perfect pair

Use Waterhousea as a screen with a Crepe Myrtle Natchez feature in front.

Tips for planting

Plant 1m apart. Water steadily through dry summers.

Native softness, year round privacy.

Shop Waterhousea floribunda

3. Magnolia grandiflora 'Coolwyn Gloss' (Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss)

Coolwyn Gloss gives year round privacy with summer flowers as a bonus. The polished evergreen Magnolia for hedge and feature use.

Type: Evergreen feature/screen tree
Height: 5-7m
Width: 3-4m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Glossy deep green with cinnamon underside
Flowers: Large fragrant cream summer to autumn
Form: Upright pyramidal
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, rich well drained soil
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Informal screens, feature hedging, polished privacy.

Why choose it

Glossy structure year round plus summer flowers. A premium privacy option.

Perfect pair

Plant Coolwyn Gloss with an Acer palmatum out front for a year round privacy combination.

Tips for planting

Plant in rich soil, mulch deeply. Light prune after flowering.

Polished year round privacy.

Shop Magnolia grandiflora 'Coolwyn Gloss'

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

Bay is the Mediterranean evergreen for year round privacy. Tough, polished and drought hardy.

Type: Evergreen Mediterranean hedging tree
Height: 4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 2-3m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Aromatic dark green
Form: Upright, columnar
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, well drained soil, drought hardy
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Formal hedges, year round privacy, courtyards.

Why choose it

Tough Mediterranean evergreen, polished formal look.

Perfect pair

Plant Bay as a hedge with an Olive feature in front. Mediterranean evergreen combo.

Tips for planting

Plant 70cm-1m apart. Drainage essential.

Mediterranean privacy with polish.

Shop Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'

5. Murraya paniculata (Orange Jasmine)

Murraya is the fragrant evergreen hedge. Glossy foliage, scented white flowers and a tidy formal look in warmer climates.

Type: Evergreen flowering hedge shrub
Height: 2-3m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 1.5-2m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Glossy dark green
Flowers: Fragrant white blooms in flushes
Form: Upright dense
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, warm climates (frost tender)
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Low to medium hedges, year round privacy in warm climates, fragrance.

Why choose it

Tidy dense hedge with bonus scented flowers. Beautiful pool screening in NSW/QLD.

Perfect pair

Plant Murraya as a hedge with a Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss feature in front.

Tips for planting

Plant 50-70cm apart. Frost sensitive when young, protect in cool zones.

Fragrant year round privacy for warm climates.

Shop Murraya paniculata

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

Resilience is the psyllid-resistant Lilly Pilly. Fast, tidy and reliable for year round privacy without disease drama.

Type: Evergreen Australian native hedging tree
Height: 4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width: 2-3m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Glossy green with coppery new growth
Form: Upright, dense
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, moist well drained soil
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Native hedges, formal screens, year round privacy.

Why choose it

Disease resistant pick when you want a tidy native screen without pest worries.

Perfect pair

Use Resilience as a hedge with a Crepe Myrtle Natchez feature out front.

Tips for planting

Plant 70-80cm apart for fast dense screen. Mulch and water through establishment.

Disease-resistant native privacy.

Shop Syzygium australe 'Resilience'

Compare at a glance

Cultivar	Height	Width	Form	Foliage	Best if you…
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii Ficus Hillii	5-10m (can be pruned to desired height)	2-4m	Upright, columnar	Glossy dark green, dense	Formal hedges, screens, year round privacy.
Waterhousea floribunda Weeping Lilly Pilly	6-10m (can be pruned to desired height)	3-5m	Weeping, rounded	Glossy green with pink new growth	Informal screens, native hedging, year round privacy.
Magnolia grandiflora 'Coolwyn Gloss' Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss	5-7m	3-4m	Upright pyramidal	Glossy deep green with cinnamon underside	Informal screens, feature hedging, polished privacy.
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' Bay Tree Miles Choice	4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)	2-3m	Upright, columnar	Aromatic dark green	Formal hedges, year round privacy, courtyards.
Murraya paniculata Orange Jasmine	2-3m (can be pruned to desired height)	1.5-2m	Upright dense	Glossy dark green	Low to medium hedges, year round privacy in warm climates, fragrance.
Syzygium australe 'Resilience' Lilly Pilly Resilience	4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)	2-3m	Upright, dense	Glossy green with coppery new growth	Native hedges, formal screens, year round privacy.