A privacy hedge is the most common thing we plant in Pinellas County, and the most common question is the one you are asking: what does it cost? The honest answer is that the plant size you start with matters more than the species, so this guide walks through both, with the actual per-plant pricing we use.
Clusia or podocarpus: pick the right one first
Clusia is the fast, thick, waxy-leaf hedge that took over South Florida. It loves salt, heat and neglect, and a 7-gallon row fills in within a couple of seasons. Its weakness is cold. Clusia is a zone 10 plant; it burns near 30 degrees and can be killed back in the mid-20s. In St. Petersburg, Gulfport, the beaches and coastal Clearwater, where the water keeps winter lows a few degrees warmer, clusia does well in most winters, with cosmetic burn after the coldest nights. Move inland toward Largo, Seminole and Oldsmar, or anywhere in Hillsborough or Pasco County, and we steer people away from it.
Podocarpus is the safe choice everywhere in Tampa Bay. It is a fine-textured evergreen that clips into a formal wall or grows loose and soft, it handles cold into the teens, it tolerates moderate salt spray, and it lives for decades. The trade-off is speed. Podocarpus grows slower than clusia, so if you need privacy this year, buy a bigger plant rather than a faster species.
If you want a third option, sweet viburnum is cold hardy, fast and inexpensive, and Walter's viburnum is a native that takes shearing well. Both are common in older St. Pete neighborhoods for a reason.
Our delivered-and-planted pricing
We price hedge plants by container size, delivered and planted:
- ✓3-gallon plants at about $25 each
- ✓7-gallon plants at about $50 each
- ✓15-gallon plants at about $110 each
Volume pricing kicks in at 50 plants and again at 100 plants. Every order carries a $500 minimum, and addresses outside our Cape Coral home area carry a trip charge, which for Pinellas County we quote by county on the estimate. Prices may differ, so request a quote for your exact number.
Spacing, and why it drives the total
Hedge cost is plant price multiplied by plant count, and plant count comes from spacing. Podocarpus planted from 3-gallon pots goes in about 2 to 2.5 feet on center to close up in a reasonable time. From 7-gallon pots we plant at 3 feet on center. From 15-gallon plants, 3 to 4 feet on center gives a screen that looks finished the day we leave. Clusia can go a little wider at each size because it spreads faster.
Worked examples for a 100-foot property line
Using the pricing above and typical spacing, here is what a 100-foot podocarpus hedge looks like:
- ✓3-gallon at 2.5 feet on center: about 40 plants, roughly $1,000 delivered and planted
- ✓7-gallon at 3 feet on center: about 34 plants, roughly $1,700 delivered and planted
- ✓15-gallon at 4 feet on center: about 25 plants, roughly $2,750 delivered and planted
A 60-foot side yard drops those counts by roughly 40 percent, and a 150-foot line puts the 3-gallon and 7-gallon options at or past the 50-plant volume break. Run your own length and spacing through our hedge calculator to get a plant count in seconds.
What changes the number
- ✓Removing an old hedge, a chain-link fence or ficus stumps adds labor and haul-away. Tell us up front so it is on the quote.
- ✓Irrigation. A new hedge needs regular water for the first two to three months. If you have no zone along the line, budget for a simple drip line or plan on hand watering.
- ✓Access. A backyard reached only through a 36-inch gate means plants come in by hand cart instead of machine.
- ✓Soil. Waterfront lots in Shore Acres, Snell Isle and Island Estates often have fill full of shell and salt. We amend the planting trench when the site calls for it.
How long until it is actually private
Plant size sets the timeline as much as the price. A 3-gallon podocarpus hedge at 2.5-foot spacing usually takes two to three growing seasons to close into a solid screen at eye level. A 7-gallon row at 3-foot spacing typically closes within a year to a year and a half. A 15-gallon row is a screen the day it goes in and only gets denser. Clusia moves faster at every size where it is hardy enough to plant. Whatever you choose, the hedge grows on water: a new row needs consistent irrigation for the first two to three months, then a deep soak once or twice a week through the first summer. Shear podocarpus lightly two or three times a year once it reaches the height you want, and it will stay tight to the ground instead of going leggy.
Which size should you buy?
For most St. Petersburg and Clearwater homes we recommend 7-gallon podocarpus. It costs about twice a 3-gallon, but it has a real root system, it stands up to wind on its own, and it reaches a usable screen a full season sooner. Go to 15-gallon when the hedge faces a street or a neighbor's second-story window and you want it to look done immediately. Start with 3-gallon when the line is long, the budget is tight and you are willing to wait.
Get a hedge quote for Pinellas County
Our Tampa Bay team plants hedges from St. Petersburg and Gulfport up through Largo, Clearwater and Dunedin. Send the length of the line, the size you are considering and a photo through our quote form, or call (239) 799-5594 and we will quote it the same day.