Creating a private garden space in South Carolina can be both beautiful and practical. Fall is the perfect time to plant trees and shrubs that will grow into natural privacy screens while adding stunning autumn color to your landscape.
South Carolina’s mild climate offers perfect growing conditions for many privacy plants that look their best when the leaves change.
1. American Holly
Native to the Southeast, American Holly stands tall as a natural fence with glossy, spiny leaves that remain green year-round. The bright red berries appear in fall, creating striking contrast against the deep green foliage.
Female trees produce the iconic berries, but you’ll need a male holly nearby for pollination. Birds love the berries while deer tend to leave these prickly beauties alone, making them perfect for South Carolina gardens.
2. Oakleaf Hydrangea
Fall transforms Oakleaf Hydrangea into a privacy superstar with large, oak-shaped leaves turning brilliant burgundy and purple. The peeling cinnamon-colored bark adds winter interest after leaves drop.
Growing up to 8 feet tall, these native shrubs thrive in partial shade and produce large white flower clusters that age to pink. Plant several in a row for a stunning privacy screen that celebrates South Carolina’s natural heritage.
3. Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’
Reaching impressive heights of 30-40 feet, ‘Green Giant’ creates the ultimate living wall for South Carolina gardens. The pyramidal shape requires minimal pruning while providing dense, year-round screening.
Unlike many conifers, this variety tolerates South Carolina’s heat and humidity with grace. Plant these evergreen beauties 5-6 feet apart, and they’ll quickly fill in to block unwanted views while creating a majestic backdrop for fall-flowering perennials.
4. Sweet Bay Magnolia
Sweet Bay Magnolia brings Southern charm to privacy plantings with its silvery-backed leaves that dance in autumn breezes. Unlike its larger cousin, this native magnolia grows to a manageable 15-20 feet.
Creamy white, lemon-scented flowers appear in late spring, followed by red seed pods that split open in fall to reveal bright red seeds. Semi-evergreen in most of South Carolina, it keeps many leaves through winter in the milder coastal areas.
5. Viburnum ‘Pragense’
Prague Viburnum creates an excellent mid-height privacy screen with leathery, dark green leaves that develop bronze-purple tints in fall. The glossy foliage persists through mild South Carolina winters, providing year-round screening.
White flower clusters appear in spring, filling the garden with sweet fragrance. Reaching 8-10 feet tall and nearly as wide, these sturdy shrubs withstand coastal conditions and inland heat equally well, making them versatile privacy options throughout the state.
6. Red Twig Dogwood
When autumn arrives, Red Twig Dogwood puts on a double show with purple-red foliage and increasingly vibrant red stems. After leaves drop, the brilliant crimson branches continue providing winter interest and partial screening.
Growing 6-9 feet tall, these adaptable shrubs thrive in both wet and average soil conditions. Group several together for denser privacy or mix with evergreens for year-round coverage while enjoying their fall transformation and distinctive winter silhouette.
7. Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Gardeners seeking fast-growing privacy solutions love Nellie R. Stevens Holly for its rapid growth rate of 2-3 feet per year. The pyramidal form creates a natural screen without constant pruning.
Dark green, glossy leaves provide year-round coverage while abundant red berries appear in fall, persisting through winter. Unlike some hollies, Nellie R. Stevens doesn’t require a separate male plant for berry production, simplifying your privacy planting plan.
8. Loropetalum ‘Ruby’
Ruby Loropetalum brings year-round burgundy foliage to South Carolina privacy plantings, intensifying to deeper purple-red in fall. Pink fringe-like flowers appear in spring, with occasional repeat blooming through fall.
Growing 6-10 feet tall and wide, these Asian natives have adapted beautifully to Southern gardens. The dramatic color provides an excellent backdrop for fall-blooming perennials while creating a distinctive privacy screen that stands out from typical green hedges.
9. Serviceberry
Fall transforms Serviceberry into a blaze of orange-red foliage that lights up privacy borders. This native small tree offers multi-season interest with spring white flowers, summer blueberry-like fruits, and spectacular autumn color.
Growing 15-25 feet tall, Serviceberry creates the perfect privacy screen for second-story windows. Birds flock to the edible berries, bringing wildlife to your garden. The smooth gray bark adds winter interest after leaves drop.
10. Camellia Sasanqua
Fall-blooming Camellia sasanqua provides both privacy and flowers when most other plants are finishing their show. Glossy evergreen foliage creates year-round screening while fragrant blooms in white, pink, or red appear from October through December.
Growing 6-10 feet tall, these Southern favorites thrive in South Carolina’s climate. Plant several varieties for an extended bloom season, creating a living fence that celebrates autumn with elegant flowers against the backdrop of changing leaves.
11. Cleyera Japonica
Often overlooked for privacy plantings, Cleyera deserves more attention for its bronze-red new growth that appears in fall. The glossy, evergreen foliage provides year-round screening while adding textural interest to garden borders.
Small, fragrant white flowers in spring are followed by black berries that attract birds. Growing 8-10 feet tall, these resilient shrubs withstand South Carolina’s heat and humidity with minimal maintenance, creating elegant privacy screens throughout the state.
12. Eastern Red Cedar
Native to South Carolina, Eastern Red Cedar creates dramatic vertical privacy with blue-green foliage that takes on purple-bronze tints in fall and winter. The dense growth pattern naturally forms an effective screen without extensive pruning.
Female trees produce silvery-blue berries that attract cedar waxwings and other birds. Drought-tolerant once established, these resilient conifers reach 30-40 feet tall while adapting to various soil conditions across the state, from coastal areas to the Piedmont.