Privacy Screening
Living Walls, Built to Last
The right privacy screen isn't a fence — it's a living wall that gets better every year. These are the trees and hedges that actually deliver privacy in South Florida's heat, salt and storms.
Privacy Palms
Areca Palm
Dypsis lutescens
Full, feathery screening with a resort feel. One of the fastest ways to turn a property line into a tropical wall.
Screens to15–20 ft
GrowthFast
Salt toleranceModerate
Fishtail Palm
Caryota mitis
Unmistakable jagged-edged leaflets in a thick clumping habit — a lush, layered screen with real texture.
Screens to15–20 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceModerate
Chinese Fan Palm
Livistona chinensis
Broad, fountain-like fans that fill space beautifully while young — a slower, sculptural screen that earns its keep.
Screens to15–25 ft
GrowthSlow to Moderate
Salt toleranceModerate
Travelers Palm
Ravenala madagascariensis
The dramatic fan silhouette that reads as architecture. Screens and makes a statement at the same time.
Screens to20–30 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceModerate
Privacy Trees
Calophyllum
Calophyllum spp.
Glossy, dense and clip-able into a tall formal wall — the estate-grade privacy tree you see lining South Florida's best streets.
Screens to10–30 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceHigh
Seagrape
Coccoloba uvifera
Big round leathery leaves and true coastal toughness — a native screen that shrugs off salt spray and wind.
Screens to10–25 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceHigh
Green Buttonwood
Conocarpus erectus
A workhorse native that takes shearing, salt and storms — dense green screening that thrives where others struggle.
Screens to15–30 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceHigh
Mast Tree (Ashoka)
Polyalthia longifolia
Tall, tight and columnar with weeping green foliage — maximum height in minimum width, perfect along narrow property lines.
Screens to20–30 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceModerate
Privacy Shrubs
Podocarpus
Podocarpus macrophyllus
The tailored option — clean, columnar, and clipped-looking even between trims. The formal estate hedge.
Screens to8–25 ft
GrowthSlow to Moderate
Salt toleranceModerate
Clusia
Clusia guttifera
South Florida's signature privacy hedge — thick, dense, and nearly indestructible. The wall of green that started the trend.
Screens to6–20+ ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceHigh
Graceful Bamboo
Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis'
Clumping (not spreading) bamboo that builds a tall, elegant green curtain faster than almost anything else on this list.
Screens to20–25 ft
GrowthFast
Salt toleranceModerate
Cocoplum
Chrysobalanus icaco
The everyday native hedge that earns its popularity — dense, glossy, coastal-tough and happy being shaped.
Screens to4–15 ft
GrowthModerate
Salt toleranceHigh
Botanical reference photos via Wikimedia Commons contributors — full credits on the Plant Palette page.
How We Install Privacy
From Open Yard to Private Retreat
Install Heights & Sizes
Starting heights are matched to your goal and budget — taller installs for privacy on day one, smaller for a planned grow-in.
Spacing & Coverage
Each species is spaced to knit into a solid screen without overcrowding — full coverage, healthy hedge.
Timeline to Full Privacy
Every option trades speed for budget. We walk you through exactly what your screen looks like on install day and how it fills in from there.
Want a Wall of Green Instead of a Fence?
We'll walk your property line and recommend the screen that fits your space, timeline and budget. Estimates are free.
Get a Free Estimate