Particularly winter hardy grasses that can be used for privacy screening

These winter hardy grasses are suitable for use as privacy screening: Garden bamboo (e.g. Fargesia murielae) Purple moor grass (Molinia arundinacea ‘Windspiel’) Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and ‘Waldenbuch’) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Strictum’)

Evergreen grasses that can be used for privacy screening

Evergreen grasses that can be used for privacy screening include many bamboo varieties, for example: Garden bamboo (Fargesia murielae e.g. ‘Jumbo’) Zigzag bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Spectabilis’) Red fountain bamboo (Fargesia nitida)

Fast-growing grasses that can be used for privacy screening

These fast-growing grasses are suitable for privacy screening: Giant reed (Arundo donax) Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana ‘Sunningdale Silver’) Giant miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus) Garden bamboo (e.g. Fargesia murielae ‘Jumbo’)

Slender grasses as privacy screens

Slender grasses that are suitable for use as privacy screening include: Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, ‘Overdam’ and ‘Waldenbuch’) Pillar bamboo (Fargesia ‘Maasai’®) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Strictum’)

Grasses as privacy screening for gardens and balconies

Using decorative grasses as screening is probably the most charming way of ensuring privacy in your garden. Find out which grasses are suitable for screening your terrace or balcony from view.

21.11.2025

Ornamental grasses and flowering shrubs on a lawn with a planted arch and a garden shed in the background — Ornamental grasses make decorative privacy screens

Overview
Grasses as privacy screening for your garden
For the balcony
In a tub
Compact, hardy, evergreen
Care tips

Overview: Grasses as privacy screening

Grass is a great option for screening your garden without completely enclosing it
Some ornamental grasses can also be planted as hedges
With the exception of evergreen bamboo however, grasses do not offer effective privacy screening all year round
Grasses can also provide privacy screening when planted in tubs on a balcony

The best grasses for privacy in the garden

You don’t always need a wall, a fence or an expertly trimmed privet hedge to prevent prying eyes from peering into your garden. When used for privacy screening, grasses shield your garden from view without completely enclosing it; some mask the view more thoroughly, while others serve as almost-opaque partitions.

With the exception of evergreen bamboo however, grasses do not offer year-round privacy screening. The grasses we suggest here need to be radically cut back every year in spring and will then regrow, usually only returning to their full size again in summer. So a privacy screen made of grasses will continue to function throughout the winter. Tall grasses are particularly suitable for privacy screening. Here are the most popular varieties.

A giant grass with the best screening properties: fast-growing, low-maintenance, can be planted as a hedge. This variety takes up a lot of space and so is ideal for large gardens.

Tall-growing giant reed, trees in the background — Giant reed is perfect for large gardens

Growth	Tightly upright, reed-like, forms horizontal runners (root barrier required)
Height/width	300-400 cm/200-300 cm
Location	sunny and moist, ideal for pond edges
Characteristics	Grey-green leaves, winter green, winter hardy at temperatures down to -15°C (winter hardiness zone 7)

This old, uncomplicated variety is one of the most popular grasses for evergreen screening. Fargesia species are ideal bamboo grasses for planting as hedges. They do not form runners and therefore do not require a root barrier like other types of bamboo.

Garden bamboo hedge along a path — Fargesia species are perfect for use as garden hedges

Growth	bushy, upright, grows 25-30 cm/year
Height/width	200-300 cm/100-250 cm
Location	semi-shade
Characteristics	Fresh green leaves, evergreen, hardy (WHZ 6)

This fast-growing ornamental grass gives you a high level of screening within a short period of time. Miscanthus giganteus looks very impressive when planted as a dense hedge.

Elephant grass along a path, trees in the background — Elephant grass can serve as an impressive privacy screen

Growth	tall and dense, clump forming (no root barrier required)
Height/width	250-300 cm/100-200 cm
Location	full sun
Characteristics	brownish blossoms, summer green, winter hardy (WHZ 6)

Along with ‘White Feather’ and ‘Rendatleri’, the ‘Sunningdale Silver’ variety is one of the taller pampas grasses. Very fast-growing and extremely decorative.

Pampas grass in a closely mown front garden, houses and trees in the background — With its opulent, feathery blossoms, pampas grass is a real eye-catcher

Growth	tight, upright stalks, overhanging leaf tufts
Height/width	up to 250 cm (leaf tuft up to 100 cm)/100-120 cm
Location	full sun
Characteristics	grey-green leaves, silver-white flowers, winter green, winter protection required

This ornamental grass is one of the early-sprouting grasses. When planted closely in a row for privacy screening it is almost opaque, and in autumn it forms a soft wall with beautiful autumnal colour. Feather reed grass is also extremely sturdy in winter.

Feather reed grass along a paved path — Closely planted feather reed grass offers almost complete screening

Growth	dense, upright stalks, columnar
Height/width	100-180 cm/80-150 cm
Location	full sun to semi-shade
Characteristics	fresh green leaves, yellowish-brown flowers, summer green, winter hardy (WHZ 4)

This grass has stalks up to 250 cm tall, with fine panicles above the dense leaf tuft, forming a privacy screen that veils the garden rather than blocking the view entirely.

Purple moor grass in front of other flowering plants — With fine panicles, purple moor grass is not completely opaque

Growth	tufty leaf crown, tight upright stalks
Height/width	up to 250 cm (leaf tuft 60-100 cm)/100-120 cm
Location	full sun to semi-shade
Characteristics	green leaves, yellowish-brown flowers, summer green, winter hardy (WHZ 5)

Grasses for privacy screening on a balcony

Grasses that are suitable for tubs and containers (and almost all of them are) can also be used on balconies for privacy screening. However, when buying grasses for this purpose you should keep in mind the height and width of the grasses and the container volume they need to grow.

Shorter grasses may be sufficient to shield you from view on the balcony if you are sitting or sleeping on your garden lounger. The following grasses can reach a height of up to two metres:

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Decorative grasses shield a balcony from curious glances

China silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis, e.g. ‘Malepartus’)
Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana, e.g. ‘Compacta’ or ‘Pumila’)
Chinese fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides, e.g. ‘Hamelin’)
Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)
Mexican feathergrass (Stipa tenuissima ‘Windspiel’)
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum, e.g. ‘Northwind’)
Garden bamboo (Fargesia murielae ‘Bimbo’)

Grasses in a tub as privacy screening

Grasses cope better than many other perennials with the limited planting space in tubs or planter boxes, as they often thrive in extreme locations even in nature. That said, even winter hardy grasses need protection from the cold if overwintering in a pot.

When using grasses in tubs for privacy screening, you have a degree of flexibility over how closely together you position the pots along your terrace, pool or balcony. If you choose very tall and slender tubs, you can even design a useful privacy screen with half-height grasses.

Decorative ornamental grasses and colourfully blooming plants in tubs as privacy screens — Grasses in tubs can be flexibly grouped to form a privacy screen

Remember that some grass types require large containers that can hold up to 50 litres of soil. These heavy pots are not easy to move, for example if you want to relocate grasses closer to the shelter of a house wall over winter. Our list will give you an overview of tried-and-tested grasses that can be planted in tubs for use as privacy screening.

Bamboo: Umbrella bamboo (Fargesia murielae), zigzag bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Spectabilis’)
Chinese reed: Giant Chinese reed (Miscanthus x giganteus), Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’ and ‘Strictus’)
Giant reed (Arundo donax)
Chinese fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides, e.g. ‘Hamelin’)
Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana)
Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’)

Compact, hardy and evergreen grasses

Every garden or balcony is different and privacy screening made of grasses needs to meet various requirements. Here you can find out which grasses grow slender and upright, which are particularly winter hardy, evergreen or fast-growing.

Decorative grasses for privacy screening: Care tips

Gardening gloves are an indispensable tool when planting and maintaining your ornamental grasses. These will protect your hands from the extremely sharp-edged blades and stalks.

Privacy screening grasses that are to be used as a hedge must be planted slightly closer together than normally recommended.

The grasses presented here are also easy to maintain as privacy screening; they only require annual pruning in spring. You can use secateurs, a sharp knife or a hedge trimmer for this job. Bamboo does not need to be cut back completely, you simply need to trim back any old or weak stems to thin it out.

Some grasses will fare better over the winter if they are tied together in bunches in the late autumn. In particular these include moisture-sensitive ornamental grass species such as pampas grass.