So, you have a fence. Why do you need to add plants?
Maybe it’s ugly and you want to hide it. Or it’s too open and you want more privacy. It’s a cool architectural element and you want to highlight it. You want a natural lawn-free buffer so your mower doesn’t damage the fence. You’re a plant fanatic and will add them anywhere that isn’t moving.
So - what can you plant near a fence?
There may be more options than you realize. Columnar trees grow up instead of spreading out, adding majestic height without taking up too much space. Plants with intriguing foliage like ‘Gold Mound’ Duranta add interest year-round. Pretty climbers like clematis can cover an unattractive fence or add interest to an appealing one.
Outback Landscape designers Kirk Jeppesen and Kim Rubert share some handy pro tips, and an intriguing list of their favorite Boise and Idaho Falls fence line planting ideas.
How to Landscape a Fence? Tips from the Pros
Outback Landscape designers Kirk Jeppesen and Kim Rubert know the best plants to plant along a fence, and share some handy pro tips:
“Avoid messy trees like willows, ash, quaking aspens, cottonwoods, and poplars,” Jeppesen says. “These trees drop a lot of sticks and can upset neighbors.” They also have aggressive root systems, he says, which aren’t ideal for the close quarters of fence planting beds.
You don’t want plants hugging too closely to your fence, Jeppesen says — they need air circulation to thrive and room for their roots to spread as they grow. Plus, you want access for occasional fence maintenance.
So leave enough room when you plant. A general rule of thumb is to plant 12 -18 inches away from the fence, but use the guidelines on the planting tags, too.
Want Low Maintenance? Choose Native Plants for Boise and Idaho Falls Fence line Planting
Native plants are automatically well-adapted to our Idaho climate and soil conditions, making them low-maintenance choices for along your fence. They typically need less water, fertilizer, and pest control, which saves you time and money and helps the environment.
When landscaping along a fence, group plants with similar sunlight and water needs to make maintenance more manageable. Check planting tags for all the information you need before choosing your fenceline plants.
If your fence is solid wood, you’ll need to add trellis panels or wire if you want to grow climbing vines along it. They need something sturdy to cling to as they grow.
Boost your fence appeal with an interesting variety of plants, including a mix of small ornamental trees or upright evergreens, mid-size shrubs, and perennials, from graceful grasses to low-growing ground covers.
Think variety — a mix of plants with different shapes and textures. Avoid a boring row of one type of plant.
Bonus points if your Boise and Idaho Falls fenceline plantings look great year-round, with staggered bloom times and striking fall foliage.
That means making your beds deep enough to accommodate those eye-catching layers of plants.
Think striking ‘Gold Mound’ Duranta with its vibrant golden spring foliage, clusters of pink flowers and show-stopping bright yellow-orange foliage in the fall. Diablo Ninebark adds stunning deep purple foliage to the mix. Add easy-care interest with a host of hosta, a garden-bed workhorse with impressive leaf colors like variegated white, lime green, and blue-green.
Here’s a great chance to add texture and shape to your fenceline plantings, as hosta leaves range from smooth and narrow to ridged and heart-shaped.
What Should I Plant Next to My Fence? Kim and Kirk Have Answers
Jeppesen and Rubert offer a list of their best plants to use along a fence in Boise and Idaho Falls and there are plenty of intriguing choices. You’ll find a few you’ll love.
First Up: trees to use for small or narrow spaces:
Swedish Aspen
Hardy, with pretty fall color, Swedish aspen have rounded leaves that rustle in the breeze, adding a soothing sound that’s classic Idaho.
It’s narrow and great for small spaces, like along a fence.
Skyrocket Juniper
Probably the skinniest juniper out there, it lives up to its name. Durable and versatile, it boasts beautiful bluish-green foliage but needs little care. They can grow up to 20 feet tall but stay a skinny 3 feet wide, making them among the best trees to
plant along a fence.
Juniper ‘Wichita Blue’
This best-bet juniper has a beautiful blue-gray color all year long, and creates a nice thick screen if you want to hide a less-than-pretty fence. Bird-watcher bonus: your feathered friends love the silvery blue berries. If you’re anxious for privacy fast, this is a good choice. It’s a speedy grower, adding 6 to 12 inches a year.
Arborvitae
Arborvitae are classics for landscaping along a fence line, especially if you want to camouflage an unattractive fence or add more privacy to an open-design one.
When planted closely together, these fast-growing evergreens form a dense privacy hedge. They don't require extensive pruning or care, and there are many varieties to choose from, so you’re sure to find one perfect for your fenceline landscaping.
Jeppesen loves ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae, a vigorous, fast-growing evergreen that grows as much as 3 feet per year — perfect if you’re in a hurry for that privacy.
Cupressina Spruce
This columnar Norway spruce is a narrower, smaller version of the Christmas tree-shaped Norway spruce. Its steely-blue needles offer textural interest all year.
They can grow to 20-30 feet tall but stay narrow, making them great for landscaping along a fence.
Boise and Idaho Falls Fenceline Plantings for Larger Spaces 6 feet or Larger
When you have a bigger space to fill along your fence, check out these top picks from Jeppesen and Rubert:
‘Autumn Brilliance’ Serviceberry
A smaller tree perfect for fenceline planting, this beauty offers showy white flowers in spring and pretty purple berries in June that birds love. Its glossy blue-green leaves turn brilliant red-orange in autumn, adding multi-season interest to your fence.
‘Baby Blue’ Spruce
A spruce is too big to plant near a fence, right? Not this one. The ‘Baby Blue’ spruce is a semi-dwarf cultivar, perfect for landscaping along a fence.
Its silvery-blue hue isn't found on many other evergreens, and it stands up well to extreme cold, high wind, snow, salt — even hungry deer. It’s a no-worry addition to your fenceline planting.
Chanticleer Pear
This pretty pear has white blooms but produces little to no litter, so it’s great for landscaping along a fence where you want to keep things tidy.
It blooms in April and May, and its leaves turn orange to red-purple in the fall.
North Privet
North Privet creates a fast-growing hedge, growing up to 3 feet per year. Its dense, dark, glossy green foliage makes a nice backdrop for colorful annuals or perennials if you want a layered look for your fenceline planting.
Red Twig Dogwood
Red twig dogwood is deciduous, so it offers leafy greenery against your fence in the summer months, but you’ll be rewarded with its striking red twigs in the winter. This popular shrub grows up to eight feet tall, spreads several feet wide and has pretty white flowers in the summer.
Prairiefire Crabapple
Pinkish-red blooms explode in spring, and red fruit lasts into late fall. Not too much of it drops to cause a mess. It has a 15 to 20-foot height and spread.
What Should I Plant Next to My Fence? Try a Vine
Vines are easy to grow on a fence, offer great privacy and many sport beautiful blooms or striking fall color.
If you have a chain link fence that you want to make more private, Persian, English or Boston ivy will cover it nicely.
Or these vigorous vines provide quick privacy screening with a bonus color boost:
Virginia Creeper
Virginia creeper is a fast-growing vine that not only clings nicely to fences but also adds a pop of vibrant color to your outdoor space. As the seasons change, watch the leaves transition from a lush green to a brilliant orange in the fall.
‘Sweet Autumn’ Clematis
This popular clematis is a vigorous climber that grows both tall and wide, making it a perfect choice for adding a touch of elegance and privacy to your Boise and Idaho Falls fenceline planting. Its delicate white flowers create a stunning contrast against the lush green foliage.
Yes, clematis are great climbers, but they’re also great for landscaping along a fence because their roots like shade, and their stems and flowers love growing up towards the sun.
What Can You Plant Near a Fence? Opt for Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are a great addition to your fenceline planting, adding texture, movement, and a softness that contrasts nicely to a fence’s hard lines.
There are a ton of intriguing choices, in various heights, colors, and forms. A couple Outback Landscape favorites:
Karl Foerster Grass
This award winner creates a stunning vertical effect along your fence with feathery stalks that emerge reddish brown in spring and turn a rich golden color in fall.
Its seeds are sterile, so they won’t produce a bunch of unwanted seedlings here, there and everywhere.
Zebra Grass
Zebra Grass is a striking variegated grass with interesting yellow horizontal stripes. It grows about 5 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. Watch for a pale pink plume to emerge in late summer.
Maiden Grass
Maiden Grass offers great privacy with its full, fluffy growth of 5 or 6 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. This clumping grass gets a bit bigger each year, so leave plenty of room between it and your fence. It has pretty plumes, too, that start out maroon and change to a creamy silver, then brown.
What to Plant Along a Fence? Get Expert Help with Outback
Fence frustration? We’ve got you covered.
Outback pros will ensure that you choose Boise and Idaho Falls fenceline plantings that thrive in your soil and light conditions, look great in your landscaping, fit your space and won’t outgrow your fence landscape beds.
We’d love to help.
Outback Landscape is a full-service landscaping company offering landscape design in Boise and Idaho Falls.
We install beautiful, functional landscapes and stay with you for the long haul, taking care of your property through all four seasons.
We serve residential and commercial properties in Idaho Falls, Rexburg and Pocatello, Idaho, and Bonneville, Madison and Bannock counties. Call us at 208-656-3220 or fill out the contact form to schedule a no-obligation meeting with one of our team members. We can’t wait to hear from you.