Evergreen Privacy Screens for North Texas: Compare Before You Plant

Dwarf Yaupon Holly is one of the most dependable low evergreens for North Texas. It tolerates heat, drought after establishment, full sun and partial shade. Its small leaves create a fine texture that works well around patios, pools and equipment areas. This plant usually grows wider than it does tall, so it is best for defining a space or blocking a seated view rather than hiding a six-foot fence. It can be clipped, but occasional selective pruning usually preserves a softer and healthier shape.

Best for: A three- to five-foot evergreen boundary in sun or partial shade.
Keep in mind: Make sure the tag identifies a dwarf selection; standard Yaupon becomes much taller.

Dwarf Burford Holly is a practical choice when customers want a traditional evergreen hedge without planting a tree-sized holly. It grows densely, tolerates Fort Worth heat and performs in full sun or partial shade. Parker County guidance lists it at about six feet tall and four feet wide, although older unpruned plants can become larger. It responds well to pruning and can hide utility equipment, screen a patio or provide privacy along a short fence. Allow enough room for the plant to stay full from the ground upward.

Best for: A formal evergreen hedge around four to six feet tall.
Keep in mind: Dwarf does not mean tiny. Avoid placing it directly against a wall or narrow walk.

Texas Sage, is native to Texas and well suited to hot, exposed sites with lean, alkaline soil. Its silver foliage and lavender, pink or white flowers add more interest than a plain green hedge. Standard forms commonly grow about five to eight feet tall and wide; compact cultivars may remain closer to three to five feet. Texas Sage needs full sun and excellent drainage. It is not a good choice for a low spot, heavily amended wet bed or area receiving frequent irrigation. It also looks best when allowed to keep its natural rounded form instead of being repeatedly sheared into a box.

Best for: A colorful, drought-tolerant informal screen in full sun.
Keep in mind: Wet soil and overwatering are much more dangerous than drought once the plant is established.

Needlepoint Holly, fills the gap between a short foundation shrub and a large screening tree. It develops glossy evergreen foliage and can form a dense hedge approximately eight to twelve feet tall when allowed enough width. It accepts sun or partial shade and handles pruning, but its best long-term form comes from choosing a location that can accommodate its natural spread. The foliage has spines, so keep it away from very narrow walkways and high-traffic play areas.

Best for: A six- to twelve-foot evergreen hedge in a moderately wide bed.
Keep in mind: Give it more depth than Dwarf Burford Holly and account for prickly foliage.

Standard Yaupon Holly is a much larger plant than the dwarf form. It can be grown as a large multi-stem shrub or trained as a small tree and tolerates sun, partial shade, drought, temporary wet conditions and a wide range of soils. The small evergreen leaves create a natural-looking screen, while female plants can produce red berries when pollination is available. It is especially useful in a mixed screen where native value and wildlife support are priorities.

Best for: An adaptable native screen approximately ten to twenty feet tall.
Keep in mind: Standard forms may sucker. Remove unwanted shoots if a clean hedge is desired.

Nellie R. Stevens Holly remains one of the best choices when a genuinely tall, dense broadleaf screen is needed. It tolerates North Texas heat, accepts sun or partial shade and can form a polished year-round barrier. Its mature size is also the reason it is often planted in the wrong place. A plant that can reach fifteen to twenty-five feet tall and more than eight feet wide should not be squeezed into a narrow strip between a driveway and fence.

Best for: Tall screening where there is enough bed depth for a large holly.
Keep in mind: Choose Dwarf Burford or Needlepoint Holly when the desired screen is under twelve feet.

Wax Myrtle is a fast-growing native shrub or small tree with fine-textured aromatic foliage. It creates a softer, more natural screen than a row of clipped hollies and is useful along broad property lines or behind mixed landscape beds. It accepts full sun or partial shade and a range of soil moisture after establishment. In the Fort Worth area, severe cold may temporarily thin the foliage or damage exposed growth, so use it where a slightly informal appearance is acceptable.

Best for: Fast native coverage in a broad, informal planting bed.
Keep in mind: It needs adequate width and may not remain perfectly dense after severe winters.

Carolina Sapphire is a blue-green selection of Arizona Cypress that handles heat, sun and dry conditions better than many commonly marketed screening conifers. Its upright form is useful where a tall screen is needed but a broad tree such as Eastern Red Cedar would consume too much width. This cypress must have well-drained soil. Avoid low areas, overwatered lawns and sites where runoff collects around the roots. Plan for its full height and keep it clear of overhead utilities.

Best for: A tall conifer screen in full sun on a well-drained site.
Keep in mind: Poor drainage is the primary concern; it is still too large for a small foundation bed.