What is a native privacy thicket?

A native privacy thicket is a dense planting of native shrubs and small trees installed as saplings along a property line or border. Unlike a traditional hedge row of a single species, a Thicket uses ten or more native species planted close together to create a living screen that is resilient, low-maintenance, and beneficial to wildlife.

Are native saplings really cheaper than container plants?

Yes — significantly. Bare-root or small container saplings can cost a fraction of the price of large nursery shrubs. Because you are planting more species in a natural arrangement, you also need fewer of any single plant. The result is more coverage and more diversity for less money.

How fast will a native privacy thicket grow?

Saplings with intact, undisturbed root systems often establish faster than large container plants. Once they take hold, many native shrubs grow one to three feet per year. Within a few seasons, the Thicket will begin to fill in and provide meaningful screening.

What happens if one plant in the native privacy thicket dies?

Unlike a row of identical shrubs, a Thicket is designed to absorb loss. Neighboring plants grow into the gap naturally, and because there are many species of varying heights and habits, a single death rarely creates a noticeable hole.

How do I get started planting a native privacy thicket?

Download our free book From Wasteland to Wonder and turn to Chapter 17 for step-by-step planting instructions. You can also send us a message and one of our Treecologists will help you design a native privacy thicket suited to your property.

10 Reasons to Plant a Native Privacy Thicket

We've all seen it. That long line of "Green Giant" arborvitae running down a property line, and then all of a sudden: a break in the line. Two or three of the plants have died, and what should have been a continuous expanse of green is now a gap-toothed grin staring back at the neighbors.

What if there were a better way to grow privacy hedges? There is. What about planting a Thicket as a native privacy hedge? A Thicket is a dense planting of native saplings that screens your yard, feeds wildlife, and takes care of itself.

Here are 10 reasons why it beats a traditional hedge row:

1. They Cost a Fraction of a Traditional Hedge

Saplings run pennies on the dollar compared to large container plants. You get more plants, more diversity, and more screen for less money.

2. They Grow Fast

Saplings have well-formed root systems. Their roots have not been forced to grow in circles inside a pot, so they are ready to spread out and take hold the moment they hit the ground. They settle in quickly and often outpace container-grown plants within a few seasons.

3. One Sick Plant Will Not Ruin the Look

When a single arborvitae dies, the gap is obvious. In a native privacy hedge, neighboring plants fill the space, and you barely notice.

Easy sapling planting with a simple wedge in the soil

4. They are Easy to Plant

No fancy tools, no precise spacing, no lifting heavy container plants. Just make a wedge in the soil, place the sapling in the ground, and that's it. If the roots go down and the leaves go up, you have done it right.

5. They are Easy to Maintain

Saplings need little watering after planting. A layer of arborist wood chips, some weeding, and protection from deer and rabbits are about all the care required.

Carolina chickadee perched in native shrub

6. They Feed and Shelter Birds

Cornell Lab reports that North America has lost nearly three billion birds since 1970. Native shrubs offer nesting sites, cover, and the caterpillars songbirds need to raise their young.

7. They Support Pollinators

A diverse native privacy hedge blooms across the seasons, feeding bees, butterflies, and other insects that keep our ecosystems running.

8. They are Resilient

Diversity is the secret. With ten or twenty species in the mix, your screen can shrug off pests, disease, and weather that would wipe out a single-species hedge.

Winterberry holly with red berries providing winter beauty and wildlife food

9. They Give You Beauty Across All Four Seasons

Spring blooms, summer berries, fall color, winter texture. A native privacy hedge changes through the year. A row of arborvitae does not.

10. They Help Heal the Earth

A native privacy hedge delivers all the ecological benefits of a Piedmont Prairie or Pocket Forest. It builds soil, sequesters carbon, supports wildlife, and brings life back to the land. The difference is that a Thicket also solves a common problem: how to gain privacy from the neighbors. You get a working ecosystem and a screen between your backyard and the world, all at once.

Ready to say adios to your arborvitae? Download our free book From Wasteland to Wonder and turn to Chapter 17 for step-by-step planting instructions.

Or if you are local to the Triangle, send us a message and one of our Treecologists will help you plan a native privacy hedge of your own.