Hello my friends! How are y'all doing? Has it started cooling down where you are? Boy howdy, I don't know about you but I am truly looking forward to some cooler days around here for sure! It's especially nice working on landscapes in temps that don't feel like the sun is 10 ft away lol.
Now that you're here, wanna chat about plants? Hedge plants in particular.....I know you dooooo lol!
Let's get into what we call privacy or screening hedges. This type of landscape style is an important garden element to so many people. Especially since our cities & towns allow for zero lot lines, new builds are literally right on the edge of the allowed set backs. In many cities the set back from the property line is only 6ft! Which is not much in my humble opinion. And when the newly built house is 40 ft high next to a single story house, well, privacy becomes very important pretty darn quick.
So historically here in SE Florida, a 6-ft high fence would have been enough of a privacy border. But due to the above mentioned issues, homeowners are currently struggling to find ways to offset the proximity of that ginormous mega-mansion house now erected next to them while abiding by the cities landscaping or building codes.
Every city and/or county will have building and/or landscaping codes of some kind. Some cities are very particular while others use their county codes as their ordinance. You would think that all of the cities in a county would have the same codes. Nope, no they do not. I've never received a proper answer as to why but here in Florida, the city code is primary, then county then state. So if you live in an unincorporated area, your county's code would be primary then state. State has very little leverage over cities and counties. The city code has jurisdiction over county and state.
Do you know any of your cities landscaping codes?
For example in Lighthouse Point, if you do not live on the water, your hedges can only be 8-ft high along the length of your backyard. From the backyard along the lengths of your side yards all the way up to the front of your house's set back can only be 8-ft high. From your house's set backs to the front property line, hedges can only be 5-ft high. And if you want a hedge across the entire front of your house it can only be 5-ft high & only along the property line. From your house's set back on the side yards up to the city's right of way in the frontyard, the hedge can only be 30 inches high.
Now if you are on the water, all of the above applies but there is a 25-ft set back from the seawall into your side yards & the hedge can only be 3-ft high as to not obstruct the water view for your neighbors.
Are you thoroughly confused yet?!? 😂
What baffles me is why they are allowing mega mansions up to 40-ft high to be built on zero lot lines but then institute a hedge ordinance of only 8-ft between you and your neighbor. Did no one think about that? Or is it that they don't care? What do you think?
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| Lighthouse Point hedging height diagram 🤣 |
In Coral Springs, hedges can only be 6-ft high in your backyard and on the sides of your yard (basically the same height as a standard fence) and only 4-ft high in your front yard to the city right of way.
In Fort Lauderdale the hedges can be up to 10ft high.
So you can see how different the hedge codes can vary from city to city. If a city does not have specific codes then the county's codes will apply.
Now that we have the "now you know" knowledge outta the way, let's get into the good stuff...plants!!!
What type of plant should I use? Good question! Let's start with some fantastic plants which can work for just about everyone. Then we can get into to a couple of the ones to stay away from (and for good reason lol). Just an FYI, all landscape plants need to be on a consistent irrigation schedule though some are more hardy to our dry seasons.
Copperleaf (Acalypha) - most of the hedge plants I'm going to showcase are green but not acalypha, no way! Acalypha's are vibrant & showy with so many different varieties to choose from. They grow to an accommodating size without getting too tall. Their growth habit is full, typically wider than tall and compact for the most part. They do take trimming well but will look a bit ragged if a hedger is used on them to harshly. They look their best when trimmed on the natural side. But not to worry they are fast growers. They are also very hardy, but do need a consistent watering schedule or will look wilty when the soil is too dry. They can grow in a variety of soil types. Some varieties like the darker leaved ones can grow in full sun but generally prefer part sun/part shade. Copperleaf's range from 4-6 ft up to 10-12ft high by 4-6 ft wide
Bahama Maidenbush (Heterosavia bahamensis) - this Florida native evergreen plant can hang with the best of them..hardy, salty wind tolerant & thrives in dry sandy soils. Perfect plant if you live near the coast since that's it's native habitat. This is a slower grower so buy the largest size your budget allows. Bahama maidenbush grows to be about 6-10 ft high x wide though takes trimming very well. Grows in full sun & can take some shade. Great pollinator plant.
Cocoplum (Chrysobalanus icaco) - the red-tipped cocoplum is another Florida native evergreen that is native to swamps, coastal dunes & hammocks so it can grow is many different ecosystems. Moderately salty wind tolerant but absolutely thrives in full sun! The more sun it gets the thicker the growth. If it's in too much shade it will thin out especially at the base of the plant. Cocoplum is a columnar grower (grows taller than wide) & can get to be about 15-18 ft high by about 3-8ft wide. Responds very well to trimming & is a fast grower. Cocoplum have large edible fruit but when used as a hedge it typically doesn't have the opportunity to flower since it's being constantly trimmed. Great pollinator plant.
Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) - this Florida native evergreen plant is perfect for shadier locations like part sun/part shade. Though it'll grow in full sun but will require more frequent watering. Beautiful glossy & textured jade green leaves make it a stunner hedge. Grows in a variety of soils, moderately salty wind & drought tolerant since it's considered an understory hammock plant. It max's out at about 8-10 ft high by 3-6 ft wide & is a moderate grower. It looks best in it's natural form so moderate trimming is best. Coffee have small white flower clusters pollinators love that turn into the most beautiful bright red berries the birds gobble up.
Crabwood (Gymnanthes lucida) - this Florida native evergreen plant is found as an understory plant in the hammock ecosystems. Somewhat salty wind tolerant & once established can handle short dry spells. Prefers organic rich soil but can grow in sandier soil types. Has small shiny green arrow shaped leaves. Crabwood is a columnar grower & is on the moderate to slower side of growing. It can get to be about 15-20 ft high by 3-6 ft wide. Typically crabwood doesn't need trimming due to it's natural growth shape. Has a long slender small cluster of tiny flowers that are a pollinators favorite.
Ilex 'skyscraper' (Ilex crenata 'skyscraper') - this new comer is not a native but a gorgeous evergreen that was created for those small tough spaces most plants would out grow. It's tight extremely columnar growth habit is perfect for screening between mechanical units and zero lot line properties. 'Skyscraper' has deep dark green glossy leaves & grows like it's reaching for the sky. Can grow in most types of soils & in full sun to part shade. Ilex 'skyscraper' grows to be about 8-10 ft high but stays around 2-3 ft wide. Almost needs zero trimming because of it's natural dense shape.
Jamaican caper (Quadrella jamaicensis) - one of my favorite Florida native evergreen plants that has a beautiful deep olive green leaf color with a silvery back to them. A super champ that can withstand most of what Florida's weather can dish out. Grows in a variety of soil types & can be drought tolerant during dry spells. Very tolerant of salty wind. Can grow in full sun but prefers a bit of shade throughout the day since it's natural habitat is in hammock ecosystems. Moderate grower. Can grow up to about 15-18 ft by about 5-6 ft wide. Takes regular trimming very well & can become very thick. Jamaican capers have the most beautiful pinkish white flowers in spring & summer that pollinators love which then turn into long seed pods. Once the pods are ripe at the end of summer, they burst open in about August/September showing the most glorious reddish orange inside with ebony seeds the birds absolutely love.
Lancewood (Damburneya coriacea) - this Florida native evergreen is not as well know among the other natives that have been on the market for awhile. Luckily this native has been making some waves with us landscapers & with good reason. It's glossy dark green long oval leaves are beautiful on their own but when it's in bloom with it's white flower clusters, watch out! Stunner for sure. Moderate to fast grower, tolerant of most soil types, salty wind tolerant & grows in full sun to part shade. It's native habitat is tropical hammocks & pinelands so it can grow up to about 20-28 ft high by about 5-8 ft wide. Lancewood takes trimming very well & the leaves have an almost cinnamon/clove smell so enjoy it while you're trimming. A pollinator favorite.
Marlberry (Ardisia escallonioides) - this Florida native evergreen plant is another local favorite known for it's beautiful dark green foliage, it's showy flower clusters the pollinators love & beautifully multi-colored berries birds delight in eating. Typically grows in coastal strands, hammock & rock pineland habitats so it can tolerate all soil types very well. Marlberry grows in full sun to part shade and gets to be about 5-18 ft tall by 3-6 ft wide. Looks best in it's natural form but does very well with regular trimming.
Myrsine or colicwood (Myrsine Cubana) - this long living Florida native evergreen plant is certainly on the slower side of the growing rates. Though you will have this plant forever & will consistently provide a beautiful thick privacy screen. Can grow in a variety of soil types, moderately tolerant of salty winds & grows in full sun to part shade. Myrsine grows to be about 15-18 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide & takes trimming extremely well. Also a pollinator favorite.
Myrtle-of-the-river (Myrcia zuzygium) - this Florida native evergreen plant is perfect for larger size hedges. It has a beautiful light green glossy leaf & a columnar yet compact growing habit. I've found that it does not do well in sandy soils & prefers a more moist rich organic soil type. Does not like high winds yet can handle some salty air just fine. The leaves have a spicy scent when crushed, the small white flowers are sweetly scented loved by pollinators & the berries are a birds delight. Myrtle-of-the-river grows to be about 18-20 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide. Grows in full sun to part shade & does very well with regular trimming.
Podocarpus (Podocarpus macrophyllus) - this evergreen is originally from Asia though has been widely adapted into our North American landscapes due to it's wide compatibility of growing zones. The super dark green leaves are small yet long & extremely compact columnar growth habit. So you can have a very thick bush & it can be only a foot or two wide but you'd never know it. It has a slow growth rate & keeps it shape for long periods of time, a perfect low maintenance hedge. Grows in a variety of soils & very hardy to all kinds of environmental conditions. Though when you're planting them, make sure not to plant them too deep or they will start to brown out & die. They are extremely drought tolerant & once established do not required excessive watering. Podocarpus genetically is a tree so they can grow up to 50 ft tall by about 30-40 ft wide but oddly enough do very well as a hedge due to their slow growth rate and longevity.
Radermachera (Radermachera kunming) - this evergreen from Thailand has rapidly become the darling of the landscape industry for it's striking leaf shape & textural look form as well as it's gorgeous light pink trumpet shaped flowers that smell sweet like grape jelly. They bloom all year round here so not to worry about trimming off some of the flowers. Radermachera has lots of long stalks so try not to "hedge" it with a traditional gas hedger or it might look more like a praying mantis lol. It just needs a light once over or hand pruning to keep it's natural shape looking like it should. Typically used as a "tree" but we are now using it more often as a large hedge for larger properties. If your area is small, this probably isn't the right plant. Radermachera grows about 18-22 ft high by about 5-6 ft wide.
Simpson's stopper (Myrcianthes frangrans) - this Florida native evergreen is another native that has gained quite a following in the garden. It's more readily available than some of the other natives & is such a perfect hedge plant. Naturally it has an open growth habit but not to fret, the more you trim it the thicker it gets. It grows in a wide range of soils, can take harsh winds and some salt spray. Moderate to fast grower and holds it's shape like the podocarpus for long periods of time in between trimming. The small bright green leaves start out a pretty copper color than turn green & smell sweet & spicy when crushed. The white pom-pom flowers are super sweet smelling & pollinators adore them. The berries are the wildlife's favorite food source. Simpson's stoppers grow in full sun & can take some shade but will get thinned out with too much shade. Simpson's stoppers can grow up to 20 ft high but I've really only ever seen them at 12-15ft high by about 2-4 ft wide.
Spicewood (Myrcia neopallens) - this Florida native evergreen is related to the Myrtle-of-the-river & can be confused for each other. They both look very similar, smell very similar, grow similar & have similar characteristics. I intermix these in gardens to add some variation especially since they are both rockland hammock understory plants. Spicewood can grow in full sun to part shade, prefer a rich soil over a sandy soil, slow to moderate grower & a pollinator favorite.
Southern wax myrtle (Myrcia cerifera) - this Florida native evergreen is also a relative to spicewood & myrtle-of-the-river, though has different characteristics than the other two since it's in the bayberry family. Like it's cousins, the leaves are highly scented. If you have an area that stays on the wetter side than dry then this plant is for you. If you have an area that is dry then this plant is for you. It's a naturally super hardy plant with excellent salt & wind tolerance so is a great native to use in coastal landscapes. Has a naturally dense growth habit so can handle regular trimming. Wax myrtle's can grow about 16-20 ft high by about 7-9 ft wide & can take regular trimming very well.
King's mantle (Thunbergia erecta) - this fast growing evergreen is a wonderful flowering hedge plant alternative. It has a dense columnar growth habit & flowers dark purple trumpet shaped flowers all year round in full sun. Though there is a vine version so be careful to make sure it's the shrub not the vine if you are going to be using this fantastic hedge plant. This western African native can grow in just about any environment & soil type. Does best in full sun but can take some shade. Once established it can handle salty wind & some dry spells. Even though it's a flowering columnar grower it handles regular trimming like a champ. King's mantle grows about 7-10 ft high by about 3-5 ft wide. A pollinator & hummingbird favorite.
Viburnum's are another great hedge option - they are evergreens & there are a few varieties that do well here in SE Florida. One of my favorites is viburnum suspensum (aka. sandankwa viburnum) from Japan with it's deep rich dark green suede like leaves. Grows in full sun and stays full even in the shade. Has a small white sweet scented flower. Viburnum suspensum's growing season is opposite of all other plants down here, it's a winter grower & needs a bit of a cool down to promote good growth especially since it's already on the slower side of growing. Suspensum keeps it's shape for a very long time so it needs minimal pruning throughout the year. Prefers a rich well draining soil but can grow in sandy soils with regular fertilization. Does very well in dry spells. Viburnum suspensum grows about 12-15 ft high by about 4-6 ft wide.
Ok so now we have the Buyer Beware plants!
Clusia guttifera is a common plant seen almost everywhere here & quickly becoming the bane of most people's existence like the fate of the historic ficus hedge. Clusia is often touted as a low maintenance small hedge plant...it absolutely is not small, it absolutely is not low maintenance and it is not a hedge plant for most residential landscapes. Clusia genetically wants to be a tree so this plant will quickly outgrow the area it's been planted in. It wants to grow wider than tall so when people plant them on these zero lot line properties with about 2-3 ft of planting space...weeelllll you can see where I'm going with this. They will quickly get to be 20-30 ft high by about +20 ft wide. They grow arial roots out from their trunks, making the inside of the hedge a gnarly tangle. Most people never know that because all of the leaves grow on the outside of the plant while the inside is bare. To properly trim clusia, a machete is the only way. When a gas hedger is used on clusia, it shreds and tears the oval leaves which then turn brown on the edges & no one wants to see that. Clusia are full of a thick sticky sap so their branches are very heavy which is why trimming them can be costly due to the weight & amount of time it takes to prune by hand. When we bring our maintenance yardwaste to the local transfer station they charge us by the ton. The heavier the plant or tree the higher the cost.
This is a typical scenario here & unfortunately it happens all the time... i.e. a homeowner will wait to trim their clusia hedge to save money, but as they are waiting because of the cost factor, the clusia is growing leaps & bounds, quickly taking over the area. When the time comes to trim the hedge, the branches are now thicker & have tripled in size. Remember clusia have all of their leaves on the outside of the plant so when you come to trim the two to three feet of the hedge front because it's now growing into the walkway...viola!!! It's all open bare & empty looking. And no one wants that look! And it ends up costing them more due to how heavy the clusia became over time.
SO JUST SAY NO TO CLUSIA, PLEASE!!! 🙏
Ficus, ok so if you don't know anything about the history of south Florida's ficus hedges just google whitefly 🤣 To make a long story short, decades ago there was one plant that was pushed as the perfect landscape hedge...enter ficus benjamina. This plant was literally everywhere & almost every hedge was ficus. Now enter the ficus whitefly (singhiella simplex) which attacked every ficus hedge in south Florida and beyond. About 2007 ficus hedges were dying off faster than anyone realized. This little insect is a predator that's found on the underside of the leaf & sucks the life outta the plant, killing it in a short amount of time. University of Florida's agricultural & entomology departments were in overdrive working on how to kill the whitefly without killing the ficus. Years later after loads of R&D these chemical pest controls were finally available for the pest professionals. But they were super expensive, making it cost prohibitive for most residents & many communities. Only those with financial means & the want were spending the dime & the time to treat their hedges for this pest. Here we are in 2026, still have infestations of whitefly on other types of plants, still expensive but the ficus hedges are few and far between. Ficus benjamina is a rainforest tree that genetically wants to grow upwards of 80-100 ft high by wide. It has a shallow but extremely extensive root system that seeks out water sources. They will find a drip from your leaky pipe and literally grow it's root to the source. We have found ficus roots on a clients property when the only ficus tree on the block was four houses down the street and on the other side of the street! Since the ficus roots are so shallow they tree is easily blown over in our intense storms & hurricanes. Causing incredible damage pulling up everything out of the ground & falling on homes and cars. Years ago one of our clients had to redo their entire patio & pool because the ficus roots grew through the ground busting into the pool! Another client had their ficus tree grow roots up into the outside condensation drip pipe for their A/C unit all the way into their house!
JUST SAY NO TO FICUS, PLEASE!!! 🙏
So now you know a little more than you did before, which plant(s) are you going to choose for your privacy hedge? So many good ones, am I right?
Thank you so much for spending some time here with me.
I truly appreciate you and look forward to our next time together!
Best wishes & happy gardening,
Sheri
xoxo
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