Have you heard the terms “hedge” and “screen” used in gardening and wondered if they mean the same thing? While they are closely related and often overlap, they are not identical. Understanding the difference can help you make the right choice when planning your garden or outdoor space.
Low hedging at its finest. There’s not a whole lot you could screen at this size. Grey Box™ Westringia fruticosa ‘WES04’ PBR. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/native-shrubs-groundcovers/grey-box-westringia-is-a-drought-tolerant-native-box-hedge-plant-native-shrubs-ground-covers/
What Is a Hedge?
A hedge is a defined feature in gardening, created by planting a row of shrubs or small trees closely together, or individual manicured plants. Most of the time in Australia, when we talk about hedges we’re referring to intentionally shaped and manicured shrubs, either in continuous rows or standalone shapes such as boxes, cylinders and trapezoids.
But the term ‘hedge’ can also refer to an unpruned, naturalistic row of shrubs densely planted together, also termed a hedgerow or shelterbelt. This definition is particularly popular in the UK, while in Australia ‘hedging’ refers to plants that have been non-selectively pruned or ‘sheared’ with a pair of garden shears or a hedge trimmer.
A hedge can also be a screen that blocks visibility or dampens sounds, but it doesn’t have to be. Low-growing hedges are totally a thing.
What Is a Screen?
A screen, on the other hand, describes any planting or structure that acts as a barrier, blocking views or filtering light and wind. Unlike a hedge, a screen doesn’t require the plants to be pruned into a uniform shape or to be planted in a particular pattern. While a hedge can serve as a screen, not all screens are hedges. Nor are all hedges screens.
For instance, a bamboo planting (Bambusa textilis) used to shield a garden from neighbouring properties is a screen. Clumping palms like golden cane (Dypsis lutescens) grouped together to create privacy can also act as a screen. Even trellises adorned with climbing plants, such as star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), can function as screens. The unifying factor is their ability to create a visual or physical barrier, regardless of formality or structure.
A screen, but not a hedge. Pandorea jasminoides ‘PJ01’ PBR Trade Name Ozbreed Flat White™. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/native-shrubs-groundcovers/ozbreed-flat-white/
Hedge vs Screen at a Glance
The easiest way to distinguish between the two is to think about their purpose and design:
- A hedge is always a living feature that involves the deliberate training of plants to maintain a consistent shape or form. Hedges are typically used for boundary definition, decorative outlines, or formal garden designs.
- A screen is more versatile and can involve any planting arrangement that provides coverage or blocks sightlines. It can include hedges, but also loose, unpruned plantings or structural elements combined with vegetation. A screen doesn’t carry the same expectation of uniformity as a hedge.
Examples of Usage
Imagine you want privacy along a fence line. If you plant a row of tall lilly pillies and regularly trim it into a tidy, shaped natural fence, you are creating a hedge that is also a screen. However, if you plant a mix of bamboo, palms, and climbing vines in the same space to create a lush, informal barrier, you’re establishing a screen. Meanwhile, if you prune a short nandina into a cube with a pair of hedge shears, you have a hedge that doesn’t provide screening (unless it’s blocking a small HVAC unit or an ugly plastic drain grate. A hedge is a precise shape, while a screen is functional and can be more relaxed.
Is this an overgrown hedge or a screen? You could argue it’s both.Sweeper® Waterhousea floribunda ‘DOW20’ PBR. https://www.ozbreed.com.au/plant-ranges/advanced-trees/sweeper-waterhousea-is-a-heavily-weeping-tree-with-large-clusters-of-white-flowers-in-summer-advanced-trees-range/
When to Use Each Term
When planning your garden or landscaping, use the term “hedge” when referring to plants that will be trimmed or trained into a cohesive, structured feature. “Screen” applies when describing plantings or installations that serve to block views or create a sheltered area without the need for formal shapes.
If precision and clean lines are essential to your design, calling it a hedge will make sense. If your goal is coverage or privacy without the demand for regular shaping, a screen is the better descriptor.
By understanding the difference, you’ll be able to communicate your vision more clearly.
