Plantings for Privacy in Rentals
Nothing beats coming home from a hard day’s work and enjoying a cool drink on the lanai overlooking your garden. Unless, of course, you live in a rental with a low fence line, and privacy is at a premium. Since you don’t own the property, you don’t want to invest in expensive landscaping. Not to worry – there are affordable options for privacy plantings offering beauty as well as screening.
Native Plant Hedges
Various native Hawaiian plants grow relatively quickly for privacy hedging. Top choices include:
- Alahee (Psydrax odorata) – Boasting shiny green foliage and fragrant white flowers, alahee can grow quite tall if not pruned regularly. It’s drought tolerant and does well in full sun to partial shade.
- Kului (Nototrichium sandwicense) – Flowers of the kului are used for making leis. The plant can grow as high as 8 feet without regular trimming. It prefers full sun and well-drained soils.
- Hinahina Ewa (Achyranthes splendens splendens) – The hinahina ewa sports silvery foliage and does well in full sun or partial shade. It grows between 4’ and 8’.
Privacy Vines
If your low fencing is made of concrete, wood or chain-link, planting privacy fines is another good – and faster – option. Vines also attract songbirds and geckos. For best results, plant flowering vines blooming at different times so your garden always has lovely flowers. Tropical privacy vines favorites include:
- Bengal clock vine (Thunbergia grandiflora) – Also known as the Bengal trumpet, this evergreen vine produces stunning blue blooms. A naturalized vine found all over Hawaii, take care to prune it regularly so that it doesn’t overtake other plantings.
- Garlic vine (Mansoa alliacea) – Use the leaves of the garlic vine in cooking or as condiments.
- Perfumed passionflower Passiflora vitifolia – This fragrant perennial, with brilliant red flowers up to 6 inches across, attracts butterflies.
Barrier Plantings
If you’re concerned not only with privacy but security, consider barrier plantings. What various types of barrier plantings all have in common is thorns or sharp leaves and dense growth, which dissuade anyone from entering the back yard. Popular barrier plantings include:
- Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp., Nyctaginaceae) – Although bougainvillea displays beautiful flowers, it also has thorns. Bougainvillea requires regular pruning.
- Heart of flame (Bromelia balansae) – This thick-growing, large plant has spiny leaves with sawtooth edges.
- Lantana (Lantana camara) – Also known as lakana, this shrub grows fast and produces flowers nearly year-round. Best grown in full sun, lantana is wind, salt, heat and drought tolerant.
Tree Planting Project
The rapid development of the urban Honolulu area in recent years has led to significant tree loss. The city administration recently announced plans to plant 100,000 trees within the next six years. Depending on where you live, it is possible the Urban Forestry Division (UFD) will add trees that could increase your privacy. Get more information about the plan from the UFD.
Contact Us
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental or investment property, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor familiar with all aspects of the Hawaiian real estate market. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.
