Tall Potted Plants For Privacy

Enjoying a private, peaceful outdoor living area is a dream for many homeowners. Tall potted plants for privacy offer an attractive and versatile solution for adding privacy to patios, porches, and decks.

As opposed to permanent privacy structures like fences or walls, potted plants allow flexibility to modify your space as needed. Their natural beauty also enhances your outdoor decor far more than artificial barriers. 

When selecting plants, I consider factors like mature height, foliage density, evergreen or deciduous habits, preferred sunlight, and climate hardiness. Matching these features to your regional conditions increases success.

Well-chosen potted plants require little maintenance while providing sanctuary from sights and sounds beyond your outdoor rooms. Read on to discover inspiring options for elevated privacy planters! 

Plants for Outdoor

Consider the mature size potential for each plant variety on your list. Focus on tall trees, shrubs, and vining plants suitable for containers. Review all characteristics, not just height, to ensure the plants thrive in your hardiness zone. 

Decide if you prefer evergreen or deciduous plants. Evergreen varieties retain foliage year-round while deciduous plants drop leaves seasonally. Factor in the views you wish to screen by season when making this choice. 

I determine the amount of sunlight your porch, patio or deck receives to select plants suited to those exposures. I try to determine if my candidates have any specific soil pH requirements. 

I look for plants with dense foliage, branching habits, or vining growth to create an impermeable barrier for maximum privacy. Plants with colorful flowers or other ornamental qualities add seasonal interest.

I ensure my plant choices are non-toxic. This is especially important around areas frequented by children or pets.

Selecting plants appropriately suited to your regional conditions and site exposure sets your privacy screen up for success!

 Tall Potted Trees for Privacy  

 1. Arborvitae

Arborvitaes are dense evergreen trees perfect for privacy screens. Grown in containers, they reach 8-15 feet tall at maturity. These drought and salt-tolerant trees flourish with full sun but accept light shade.

I avoid planting them in soggy or clay-heavy soil. I fertilize Arborvitaes in early spring and water regularly for fastest growth. 

 2. Elderberry

Elderberry makes an attractive privacy hedge, reaching 10 feet tall in pots. These hardy, low-maintenance plants tolerate most soils.

For quickest growth, I situate them in full sun and fertile, well-draining soil. I prune elderberries in late winter before spring growth starts. I water them deeply and regularly during summer.

 3. Cherry Laurel  

Cherry Laurels develop into beautiful evergreen privacy trees around patio spaces. Reaching 10-15 feet tall in containers, their dense foliage provides superb screening. They flourish in sun or light shade with moderate watering and well-drained soil. I prune cherry laurels in early spring or late summer.  

 4. Photinia

Photinias are evergreen shrubs or small trees ideal for potted privacy screens, growing 8 to 15 feet tall. Their red-tipped leaves emerge bright red, maturing to glossy green.

Photinias thrive with full sun but tolerate partial shade. I provide well-drained soil and moderate water. I fertilize in early spring and prune as needed to shape.

 Screening Shrubs for Outdoor

 5. Ornamental Grasses

Ornamental grasses make excellent privacy plants, providing height while allowing some visibility. Their slender leaves rustle in the breeze for soothing movement and sound. Popular tall varieties like Maiden Grass or Pampas Grass grow 5 to 10 feet in pots. I site them in full sun with well-drained soil. I cut them back before new growth emerges in spring.  

 6. Hydrangeas 

Hydrangeas enchant with their lush, colorful blooms. These classic shrubs reach 5 to 10 feet tall in patio planters for airy privacy. I choose varieties that suit my hardiness zone and site conditions. Most appreciate morning sun with afternoon shade and consistently moist, rich soil. I prune stems after flowering finishes in fall.  

 7. Bamboo

For tropical style, grow bamboo in large planters surrounding your patio or deck. Clumping bamboo varieties like Alphonse Karr or Bambusa dolichomerithalla provide tall, dense privacy screens 5 to 8 feet high in pots. I situate them in full sun to partial shade with frequent watering and monthly fertilizer. I cut stems back every 2-3 years to control size.

 Vining Plants 

 8. Magnolias

Southern Magnolia makes a stunning feature for patio privacy screens and perfumed outdoor rooms. This tall evergreen tree grows well in large planters, reaching 15 to 20 feet. It flourishes in full sun or light shade with well-drained soil and moderate water. I prune magnolia in summer after its fragrant white blooms fade.  

 9. Dogwood Trees  

Grown in patio pots, flowering dogwood trees reach 15 to 20 feet tall. Their tiered horizontal branching provides solid privacy coverage. Dogwoods grow well in sun or part shade. They appreciate consistently moist, acidic soil rich in organic matter. Prune dogwoods after flowering in spring to shape and maintain size.

 10. Butterfly Bush 

Butterfly bushes make excellent privacy plants for pots, growing 5 to 12 feet tall. Their fragrant flower spikes attract pollinators while screening views.

These fast-growing, low-maintenance shrubs thrive in full sun with moderate water. For strongest growth, I situate them out of windy areas. Prune butterfly bushes back hard each spring before new growth starts.

 11. Clematis

Clematis vine makes a lovely living screen for vertical spaces like fences and arbors. I provide sturdy structures for them to climb up and a sunny exposure. Given adequate root room, Clematis reach heights of 10 to 20 feet.

I water them when the top few inches of soil become dry and apply mulch around the roots. I prune dead stems in late winter before spring growth.

 12. Trumpet Vine 

For a showy look, grow trumpet vine on a potted obelisk structure near your patio or deck. This vigorous climber produces abundant orange trumpet-shaped blooms summer through fall once established. Trumpet vines can grow 15 to 40 feet tall in one season! I situate them in full sun and provide fertile, well-drained soil. I cut them back each winter to control size.  

 13. Japanese Maples

In patio planters, Japanese maple trees develop into airy privacy trees or shrubs reaching 6 to 10 feet tall. Many varieties have finely dissected leaves that allow some visibility.

I select types with red, orange, or yellow fall color. Japanese maples thrive in part sun or shade and moist, slightly acidic soil. I prune only when necessary, disinfecting tools between cuts.  

Caring for Potted Privacy Plants

Outdoor potted plants have different care needs than in-ground plantings. Restricted root space makes sufficient water and nutrients more critical. I use a commercial potting mix formulated for container plants to provide moisture retention and drainage. I replenish spent soil with fresh mix every 2-3 years. 

I check soil moisture frequently, watering whenever the top few inches become dry. Potted plants often require daily watering during summer’s heat. I install self-watering pots or reservoir bases for lower maintenance. I apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly during the growing season for vigorous growth.  

I situate sun-loving varieties in full southern or western exposure. For plants preferring part shade, I provide relief from afternoon sun. I move potted screens seasonally to adjust for changing sunlight angles.  

I protect containers from temperature extremes. I insulate potted plants’ roots during winter by moving them into unheated structures like greenhouses or garages. I also shade them on blistering hot summer days.  

I group pots together to shelter root zones from drying winds. I surround them with decorative pebbles or mulch to retain soil moisture.

I place tall narrow planters like columns on either side of seating areas to divide spaces visually. I let vining privacy plants climb over obelisks or trellises for vertical screening.

With smart plant choices suited to your climate and proper care methods, containerized privacy screens create sanctuary in small spaces.

Turn your porch, patio or deck into a secluded garden oasis!

For more information more about gardening you can visit: Red Shrubs For Landscaping

 Frequently Asked Questions

 What are the best potted privacy trees?

Some excellent tall privacy trees for containers include Arborvitae, Elderberry, Cherry Laurel, Magnolia, Dogwood, and Japanese Maple. Choose varieties reaching 8 to 20 feet tall at maturity to meet your privacy needs.

 What pot size do tall privacy plants need? 

Use large pots, at least 24 inches wide and deep, for mature privacy shrubs and trees. Place them on rolling plant caddies or casters to move them around your space as needed. 

 How close together should I position privacy planters?

Arrange pots close enough for branches to interlace once the plants mature – generally 3 to 5 feet apart depending on variety. This encourages a dense foliage barrier while allowing air circulation to prevent disease.

 How much sun do potted privacy plants need?

Select sun-loving varieties like Arborvitae and Cherry Laurel for full southern or western exposures. Part shade plants like Dogwoods prefer morning sun with afternoon relief. Place moveable planters to adjust for optimal light levels.

 What’s the best way to water and fertilize containerized plants?  

Check soil moisture frequently, watering when the top few inches become dry. Apply a balanced fertilizer monthly during the growing season. For easiest care, use self-watering planters.

How should I maintain and prune potted privacy plants?

Most varieties only need occasional pruning to shape or contain size. Cut back rampant growers like Trumpet Vine each winter. Disinfect pruners between cuts with isopropyl alcohol to prevent disease spread.

By thoughtfully designing moveable privacy screens with trees, shrubs and vines suited to your climate, you can craft outdoor living spaces that provide sanctuary from the world beyond. Elevate your patio or deck into a graceful garden room using these lush potted plant ideas!