Need help picking hedge plants that aren’t just plain green?
After trying to spruce up our boring yard for years, I finally found these 25 gorgeous plants that make the perfect colorful fence.
They look beautiful, give us privacy, and make our garden pop with color!
25 Best Hedge Plants with Vibrant Leaves
1. Forsythia
This bright and beautiful plant has become my go-to for Sunny Woodland Gardens. Its vibrant yellow blooms are always the first to announce spring’s arrival in my garden. I love how its fast-growing nature and dense foliage create the perfect privacy screen with minimal fuss.
2. Common Lilac
Nothing beats the fragrance of lilac shrubs in bloom! Plant multiple shrubs in a row, and you’ll be rewarded with stunning tubular flowers in shades from lilac to purple. Mine thrive in well-drained soil and full sun, creating the most delightful scented barrier.
3. English Lavender
For a lower hedge option, English lavender has been my secret weapon. Standing 1.5 to 3 feet tall, its gray-green leaves and purple flowers create the most elegant border. I’ve used it along my sunny pathways, where its fragrant foliage adds charm to every garden stroll.
4. Weigela
I adore this deciduous shrub for its versatility. The tubular flowers come in gorgeous pink, red, and white shades, blooming from late spring through summer. In my garden, the varieties with deep purple and variegated leaves create stunning visual interest, and watching hummingbirds and butterflies visit is an extra treat.
5. Star Jasmine
This evergreen wonder has become my favorite year-round performer. Its star-like summer flowers fill the air with a sweet honeyed fragrance. Whether I train it to climb or use it as ground cover, its glossy green leaves maintain their beauty through all seasons.
6. Golden Privet
When I wanted to add a bright pop of color, Golden Privet was my answer. Its yellow-green leaves create a cheerful backdrop, and the small white summer flowers add extra charm. It’s proven quite adaptable in my garden, thriving in both full sun and partial shade.
7. Cotoneaster
I love how this versatile shrub brings multiple seasons of interest. Its small glossy leaves form a dense growth pattern, while the red, orange, or black berries add unexpected bursts of color. It’s become one of my most reliable low-maintenance options.
8. Hydrangea
These show-stoppers never fail to impress visitors to my garden. With their large flower clusters in blue, pink, white, and purple, they create stunning hedges that bloom from late spring through fall. They’ve adapted beautifully to both sunny and partially shaded areas in my landscape.
9. Copper Beech
For those seeking drama, Copper Beech delivers with its magnificent burgundy leaves. Mine started modestly but will eventually reach 60-80 feet tall and 40-60 feet wide. The small yellow-green flowers add subtle contrast to the rich foliage.
10. Elderberry
This delightful shrub brings multiple seasons of interest to my garden. Its bright yellow-green leaves and white spring blooms transform into red berry clusters that birds absolutely adore. The dense growth pattern creates an effective natural screen.
11. Japanese Meadowsweet
Perfect for defining garden pathways, this charming shrub stays compact at 4-6 inches tall. Its oval leaves and clusters of small pink blooms create the most delightful low hedge imaginable. It’s become my go-to choice for elegant garden borders.
12. Purple Hop Bush
When I needed a fast-growing privacy solution, Purple Hop Bush delivered beautifully. Its upright branches showcase vibrant purple foliage, creating an effective windbreak with striking visual appeal.
13. Smoke Tree
This unique shrub brings a whimsical touch to my landscape. Its loose, spreading form and airy, smoke-like flower clusters create fascinating visual effects, especially when planted in sunny locations.
14. Red Twig Dogwood
Winter became so much more interesting after I planted these! The vibrant red stems truly shine after the leaves fall. In spring, white flowers appear, followed by white berries in late summer. It’s also helped control soil erosion along my garden’s slope.
15. Boxwood
I appreciate this adaptable shrub for its versatility. With shallow roots and dense growth, it’s perfect for creating formal hedges and topiary shapes. It thrives in various conditions and maintains its structure beautifully with simple pruning.
16. Burning Bush
Come fall, this deciduous shrub puts on an unforgettable show with brilliant red foliage. It’s adapted well to different soils and light conditions in my garden, creating a dense, low-maintenance boundary.
17. Heavenly Bamboo
Don’t let the name fool you – this isn’t true bamboo! Its compound evergreen leaves turn a gorgeous purplish-red in fall. I’ve found it wonderfully adaptable to various light conditions while requiring minimal care.
18. Loropetalum
This evergreen has become a favorite for its dynamic foliage ranging from deep green to burgundy. The fringe-like flowers in pink, white, or red appear in spring and fall, creating delightful seasonal displays.
19. Japanese Yew
This elegant evergreen provides excellent privacy and wind protection in my garden. While it can reach 50 feet in its native habitat, regular pruning keeps it at my desired height. The red fruits add wonderful winter interest.
20. Fraser Photinia
The bronze-red new leaves never fail to catch visitors’ attention before maturing to vibrant green. Its dense growth habit has created the perfect privacy screen in my garden, adapting well to various soil conditions.
21. Japanese Barberry
This spiny shrub serves multiple purposes in my landscape. Its thorny branches create a natural barrier, while the spring yellow flowers and fall red berries add seasonal interest. The foliage colors range from deep red to bright green.
22. Golden Mop False Cypress
For year-round color, this compact beauty is unbeatable. Its golden yellow thread-like foliage contrasts beautifully with its reddish-brown bark. The slow growth rate makes it perfect for my patio plantings.
23. Juneberry
Early spring brings lovely white fragrant flowers, followed by edible June berries that birds love. I enjoy watching the foliage transition from summer green to brilliant orange-red in fall.
24. Cherry Laurel
This robust evergreen has created the perfect privacy solution, reaching up to 20 feet tall with a 10-foot spread. Its glossy dark green leaves provide year-round coverage and adapt well to various conditions.
25. Glossy Abelia
I love how this hardy shrub’s arching branches create graceful movement in the garden. The small glossy dark green leaves provide dense coverage, while white to pink blooms appear from late spring through fall.