Best Holly Bushes for Privacy Hedges
For a fast, dense evergreen screen, Nellie R. Stevens holly is the top choice, followed by Foster holly, American holly, and English holly for tall hedges. For lower, formal hedges, choose Japanese holly, yaupon, or inkberry. Full sun and matched spacing give the densest results.
Holly makes some of the best evergreen privacy hedges available — dense, year-round, and often berried. The right choice depends on the height you need.
For a tall, fast screen, the standout is Nellie R. Stevens: quick-growing, densely pyramidal, glossy, and self-fruitful, it is the most planted screening holly in the South. Foster holly, with its narrow upright form, and the native American holly and traditional English holly also make excellent tall hedges twelve feet and up.
For a lower, more formal hedge, the small-leaved hollies shear beautifully. Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) reads like boxwood and takes tight clipping; yaupon holly, including dwarf forms, tolerates heat and drought; and inkberry (Ilex glabra) gives a native, deer-resistant boxwood alternative for wetter ground.
Whatever you plant, give the hedge full sun for density, space the plants at appropriate intervals so they knit together without crowding, and prune in late winter to build a full, even face. For a berried screen, remember the pollination rule — or choose a self-fertile variety like Nellie R. Stevens.