Start with the view you want to block
Stand where you actually sit, cook, or swim, and look at what you want gone: a neighbor's window, the street, a pool equipment pad, an air-conditioning unit. That tells you three things.
- How tall the screen needs to be. Blocking the view from a patio chair is a different job from blocking a second-story window.
- Where it needs to be solid. Many palms give height but have bare trunks at eye level. Hedges and shrubs screen at eye level.
- How deep the bed can be. A narrow side yard may only fit a clipped hedge or a vine on a fence; a deeper bed can hold several layers.
Know your site
Salt
On Siesta Key, Casey Key, and bayfront lots, salt spray is the first filter. Plants with high salt tolerance belong on the exposed side, with less tolerant plants behind them or in sheltered spots. UF/IFAS publishes salt-tolerance ratings for common landscape plants.
Sun and shade
A hedge that is dense in full sun can thin out in shade, and a shade plant can scorch along a west-facing fence. Note which beds get afternoon sun.
Cold
Most of the Sarasota–Manatee area falls in USDA zones 9b and 10a; check the current USDA map for your ZIP code. Freezes are rare but do happen, and inland areas such as Lakewood Ranch and eastern Sarasota County can get colder on those nights than the islands. Some popular tropical screening plants can be damaged by a hard freeze.
Soil and water
Much of the area has sandy soil that drains fast and holds few nutrients. The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program's first principle, "right plant, right place," applies here: plants suited to the site need less water and fertilizer once established. Local watering restrictions apply, and Sarasota and Manatee counties restrict fertilizer containing nitrogen and phosphorus during the summer rainy season; check the current rules for your county or utility, including any allowances for new plantings.
Room to grow
Space plants for the size they will reach, not the size they are in the pot. Leave clearance for air-conditioning units, pool equipment, and meters that need servicing, and keep tall growers away from overhead lines. Call 811 before digging so underground utilities can be marked.
Plants commonly used for screening around Sarasota
These are widely planted for privacy in this part of Florida. Growth and hardiness vary with conditions, so confirm for your site with the extension office or a local nursery.
| Plant | Florida native | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoplum | Yes | A dense hedge; good salt tolerance. | Can be damaged in a hard freeze. |
| Simpson's stopper | Yes | A dense, fine-leaved hedge with small fragrant flowers and berries for birds. | Slower to fill in than some. |
| Wax myrtle | Yes | Fast screening; takes wet and dry spots. | Can open up at the base and tends to be relatively short-lived. |
| Walter's viburnum | Yes | A dense, cold-hardy hedge. | Best kept away from direct salt spray. |
| Silver buttonwood | Yes | Silver-gray foliage; high salt tolerance. | Cold-tender. |
| Sea grape | Yes | A big-leaved screen for the most exposed spots. | Gets large; drops big leaves. |
| Sabal (cabbage) palm | Yes | Height; very tough in salt and wind. | Bare trunk at eye level; pair with shrubs below. |
| Small-leaf clusia | No | A dense, glossy hedge that handles salt and wind. | Cold-sensitive. |
| Podocarpus | No | A tall, narrow clipped hedge for tight spaces. | Slower to fill in. |
| Sweet viburnum | No | A fast, dense, widely planted hedge. | Low salt tolerance; better inland. |
| Areca palm | No | A clumping, soft tropical screen. | Cold-tender; not for front-line salt spray. |
| Star jasmine on a fence | No | Green cover where there is no room for a hedge. | Needs a fence or trellis to climb. |
Plants to think twice about
- Ficus hedges. Once common in South Florida, many were defoliated by the ficus whitefly, and ficus roots can be aggressive near pavers, pipes, and foundations.
- Running bamboo. It spreads well beyond where it is planted. If bamboo is allowed in your neighborhood at all, clumping types are the usual choice.
- Invasive species. Brazilian pepper, for example, is listed as a noxious weed in Florida. The UF/IFAS assessment of non-native plants shows which species are considered invasive.
- Plants toxic to pets. If you have dogs or cats, check plants against the ASPCA's toxic plant list. Sago palm, for example, is highly toxic to pets.
Layer it, and mix it
The screens that look best and hold up longest are rarely a single row of one plant. Put taller plants, such as palms or small trees, at the back, a hedge or large shrubs in the middle, and lower plants in front. Stagger them rather than planting one straight line.
Mixing species also spreads the risk. If a pest, a disease, or a freeze hits one plant, a mixed screen loses a few gaps instead of the whole line.
The first months after planting
- Size versus time. Larger plants screen sooner but cost more up front; smaller plants take longer to close the gaps.
- Water while they establish. Even drought-tolerant plants need regular water at first. UF/IFAS publishes establishment watering guidelines.
- Mulch, but not against the stems. Mulch holds moisture and keeps weeds down; pile it against trunks and stems and it can cause rot.
- Trim for density. A hedge kept slightly wider at the bottom than the top lets light reach the lower branches, so it stays full near the ground.
Check with your HOA first
Many neighborhoods have approved plant lists, limits on hedge height, and rules for planting along lot lines and in easements. Checking before you buy is easier than moving plants later.
If you would rather have it designed and planted with the paths, beds, and lighting around it, see privacy planting, or read about the conditions in the areas we serve.