Living in an apartment with an exposed balcony can feel like existing in a fishbowl. Whether you’re dealing with close-proximity neighbors or street-level visibility, the lack of privacy can prevent you from fully enjoying your outdoor space. There are lots of privacy plant options out there, but what if your privacy solution could also feed you?
Below are 12 edible plants that effectively double as privacy screens for apartment balconies. Each plant serves the dual purpose of creating seclusion while providing something delicious for your table. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly which plants will work best for your specific situation—whether you need immediate privacy, are dealing with limited space, face challenging climate conditions, or have minimal gardening experience. We’ve included comprehensive details on climate suitability, railing planter compatibility, privacy timelines, and maintenance requirements, ensuring you’ll find your perfect solution regardless of your balcony constraints.
Herbs That Double as Privacy Screens
Herbs are among the easiest and most rewarding edibles to grow in containers, with many varieties providing excellent privacy.
1. Rosemary
This aromatic Mediterranean evergreen shrub creates a dense, fragrant privacy barrier while providing year-round culinary herbs. Its upright varieties can form substantial screening with silvery-green foliage that thrives in sunny, dry conditions.
- Height: Up to 4 feet tall
- Container size: 12-16 inch containers
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 7-10; can be overwintered indoors in colder climates
- Railing planter potential: Moderate; young plants work in deep railing planters but may eventually need larger containers
- Privacy timeline: 4-6 weeks for established plants to fill out
- Care needs: 6-8 hours of direct sunlight; well-draining soil with pH 6.0-7.0; water when top inch of soil is dry
2. Lemongrass
This tropical grass forms impressive, fountain-like clumps of arching leaves that create substantial privacy screening with a refreshing citrus scent. Popular in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, lemongrass grows quickly and provides visual interest with its architectural form.
- Height: 3-5 feet
- Container size: 14-18 inch containers
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 9-11; grow as an annual in colder regions
- Railing planter potential: Not ideal; needs deep containers for extensive root system
- Privacy timeline: 8-10 weeks to create significant screening
- Quantity needed: 3-4 plants to screen a 6-foot balcony section
3. Lavender
With its distinctive purple blooms and silver-gray foliage, lavender creates a beautiful privacy screen that doubles as a pollinator magnet. This Mediterranean herb offers a soothing fragrance along with culinary and crafting uses, making it as practical as it is attractive.
- Height: 2-3 feet tall and wide
- Container size: 12-inch containers
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 5-9; English lavender (L. angustifolia) is most cold-hardy
- Railing planter potential: Good; thrives in well-draining railing planters at least 12 inches deep
- Privacy timeline: Varies by starting size; established 1-gallon plants provide modest screening immediately, reaching full privacy potential in 3-4 months
- Spacing: 18 inches apart for optimal growth
- Added benefits: Attracts pollinators; repels pests; usable in cooking and homemade products
4. Sage
With its velvety, aromatic leaves that range from gray-green to purple depending on variety, sage creates a textured privacy element perfect for railing planters. This hardy perennial herb remains attractive year-round in many climates and offers both culinary and medicinal benefits.
- Height: 1.5-2.5 feet
- Container size: 10-12 inch containers
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 4-9
- Railing planter potential: Excellent; thrives in railing planters with good drainage
- Privacy timeline: 2-3 months to reach full bushy screening potential from established plants
- Privacy density: Medium; pair with taller herbs for layered screening
- Added benefits: Evergreen in warm climates; drought tolerant; culinary and medicinal uses
Climbing Vegetables that Create Natural Screens
Climbing vegetables offer substantial coverage when paired with temporary support structures.
5. Pole Beans
These vigorous climbing vegetables quickly transform balcony railings into lush green walls while producing abundant harvests. Pole beans are the privacy MVP for renters seeking fast results, with some varieties offering decorative flowers before the edible pods develop.
- Height: 6-10 feet with support
- Container size: 12-inch container (supports 5-6 plants)
- Climate suitability: Warm season crop (50-85°F); not frost tolerant
- Railing planter potential: Excellent; one of the best options for railing planters
- Privacy coverage: 15-20 square feet per container
- Yield: 3-5 pounds of beans per container
- Privacy timeline: 6-8 weeks to create significant coverage
6. Cucumbers
With their large, broad leaves and enthusiastic climbing habit, cucumbers create excellent temporary privacy screens during warm months. These vining vegetables produce prolifically when properly supported, rewarding you with fresh produce while blocking unwanted views.
- Height: 5-8 feet with trellis support
- Container size: 18-inch container (2-3 plants)
- Climate suitability: Warm season crop (65-85°F); not frost tolerant
- Railing planter potential: Good; select bush varieties for smaller railing planters
- Privacy coverage: 12-15 square feet of vertical space
- Privacy timeline: 8 weeks from planting to substantial screening
- Care needs: 6+ hours of sunlight; consistent moisture; regular harvesting
7. Cherry Tomatoes (Indeterminate Varieties)
These prolific vining tomatoes create substantial privacy while providing an ongoing harvest of sweet, bite-sized fruits throughout the growing season. Indeterminate varieties continue growing taller throughout the season, making them excellent choices for evolving privacy needs.
- Height: 6-8 feet with proper support
- Container size: 5-gallon container minimum per plant
- Climate suitability: Warm season crop (65-85°F); not frost tolerant
- Railing planter potential: Moderate; requires deep railing planters (12+ inches)
- Privacy timeline: 8-10 weeks from transplanting seedlings to substantial screening
- Yield: 20-30 pints per plant per season
- Added benefits: Lower maintenance than cucumbers; continuous production with regular harvesting
8. Sugar Snap Peas
These cool-season climbers offer sweet, edible pods along with delicate tendrils and pretty white flowers that create a charming privacy screen. Sugar snap peas are perfect for spring and fall privacy solutions in railing planters when many other privacy plants aren’t in season.
- Height: 4-6 feet with support
- Container size: 10-12 inch containers
- Climate suitability: Cool season crop (45-75°F); plant in spring/fall
- Railing planter potential: Excellent; ideal for standard railing planters
- Privacy timeline: 8-10 weeks from seed to screen
- Seasonal limitation: Not suitable for hot summer months; perfect for spring/fall privacy
Fruit-Bearing Plants That Shield While They Produce
9. Dwarf Blueberries
These compact fruit-bearing shrubs provide year-round structure with seasonal color changes, from spring flowers to summer berries to vibrant fall foliage. Dwarf blueberries offer a longer-term privacy solution that rewards patience with both visual appeal and nutritious harvests.
- Height: 2-3 feet tall and wide
- Container size: 18-inch containers
- Climate suitability: Varies by variety; most need 150-800 chill hours; USDA zones 5-9
- Railing planter potential: Not recommended; requires deeper containers
- Privacy timeline: Slow-growing; takes 1-2 growing seasons to reach full screening potential
- Privacy coverage: 7-9 square feet with three plants
- Yield: 2-5 pints per plant after second year
- Recommended varieties: ‘Top Hat’ or ‘Northsky’ for containers
10. Dwarf Citrus Trees
These evergreen trees combine year-round privacy with fragrant blossoms and colorful fruits that brighten any balcony. Dwarf varieties like Meyer lemon, Key lime, or kumquat provide substantial screening in containers while producing edible fruits that can be harvested for months.
- Height: 3-4 feet in containers
- Container size: 20-inch containers on wheeled caddies
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 8-11 outdoors; can be moved indoors in colder climates
- Railing planter potential: Not suitable; requires large, deep containers
- Privacy timeline: Provides immediate screening when purchased as established specimens (3+ years old)
- Yield: 10-30 fruits annually once established
- Year-round benefit: Evergreen foliage provides constant privacy
11. Columnar Apples
These unique, narrow-growing fruit trees create vertical privacy columns perfect for balcony corners without taking up much floor space. Their unusual growth habit allows them to produce full-sized apples along a vertical trunk, making them space-efficient privacy solutions that bear delicious fruit.
- Height: 6-8 feet tall, only 8-12 inches wide
- Container size: 24-inch containers
- Climate suitability: Most varieties need 800-1,000 chill hours; USDA zones 4-9
- Railing planter potential: Not suitable; requires deep containers
- Privacy timeline: Moderate growth rate; provides meaningful screening in second growing season
- Perfect for: Corner placement to create privacy columns
- Yield: 10-15 apples per tree within 2-3 years
12. Alpine Strawberries
These compact, non-running strawberry plants create beautiful cascading foliage perfect for railing planters while producing small, intensely-flavored berries. Though they won’t create tall privacy screens on their own, alpine strawberries make excellent understory plants beneath taller screening options.
- Height: 8-10 inches (cascading habit)
- Container size: 8-10 inch containers or window boxes
- Climate suitability: USDA zones 5-9
- Railing planter potential: Excellent; perfect for railing planters
- Privacy timeline: Quick to establish (6-8 weeks) but provides limited screening due to height
- Privacy level: Low; best used as understory plant beneath taller privacy screens
- Yield: Continuous small harvests throughout growing season
- Added benefits: Attractive cascading habit; shade tolerant
Maximizing Your Edible Privacy Screens Year-Round
To maintain privacy throughout the changing seasons while enjoying continuous harvests, implement this rental-friendly rotation plan:
Spring/Summer (March-August)
- Install rail planters with pole beans and sugar snap peas (in cooler regions)
- Plant 2 cucumber containers with vertical supports
- Maintain herb containers for consistent harvest and growth
Fall (September-November)
- Replace spent cucumber vines with fall-friendly crops like kale (which grows up to 3 feet tall)
- Introduce cold-tolerant herbs like sage and thyme
- Add dwarf fruit shrubs in rolling containers
Winter (December-February)
- Relocate frost-sensitive containers indoors near windows
- Deploy bamboo or reed screening as temporary visual barriers
- Maintain evergreen herbs like rosemary and sage for continued privacy
30-Day Plan: From Exposed Balcony to Edible Privacy Screen
Just moved in and need privacy fast? Implement this quick-start approach that combines immediate screening with edible plantings:
Week 1: Purchase and place 4-5 established herb plants (rosemary, lavender, and lemongrass) in appropriately sized containers. Position these along your most exposed railing sections.
Week 2: Install temporary trellises using tension rods or railing clamps. Plant fast-growing vining crops like pole beans and cucumbers.
Week 3: While waiting for vines to grow, supplement with bamboo screens attached with removable hooks or weatherproof rope. These can be gradually removed as your living privacy screen fills in.
Week 4: Add 1-2 larger specimens like dwarf citrus or columnar apples as anchor pieces for your edible privacy design.
Setting Up Your Edible Privacy Screens Without Losing Your Deposit
When installing your dual-purpose plants, these renter-friendly solutions protect both your deposit and your edible privacy screen:
- Use saucers or drip trays under all containers to prevent water damage
- Select lightweight fiberglass containers that mimic ceramic or stone (a 20-inch fiberglass pot weighs 70% less than its ceramic equivalent)
- Install self-watering systems with overflow protection for worry-free weekends away
- Choose railing planters with adjustable, non-marking brackets that won’t damage property
Best Edible Privacy Plants For Specific Needs
When choosing your edible privacy plants, consider your specific priorities:
- Best for Quickest Privacy: Pole beans (visible coverage in 6-8 weeks from planting)
- Best Budget Option: Sugar snap peas (inexpensive seeds with high germination rate and yield)
- Best Year-Round Privacy: Dwarf citrus trees (evergreen foliage provides consistent screening)
- Best for Railing Planters: Pole beans and sugar snap peas (excellent vertical growth from minimal horizontal space)
- Best for Beginners: Sage and rosemary (drought-tolerant and forgiving herbs)
- Best for Hot Climates: Rosemary and lemongrass (thrive in heat and resist drought)
- Best for Cold Climates: Columnar apples and alpine strawberries (cold-hardy options for northern balconies)
- Best for Immediate Impact: Combining established lavender plants with fast-growing pole beans
- Best for Small Balconies: Vertical growers like pole beans combined with alpine strawberries as undergrowth
- Best Low-Maintenance Option: Sage and rosemary (require minimal care once established)
- Best for Maximum Harvest: Cherry tomatoes (continuous production with regular harvesting)
- Best for Moving Day: Alpine strawberries and herbs in railing planters (lightweight and easily relocated)
By implementing these strategies, you can transform an exposed balcony into a secluded oasis that doubles as a productive food garden. With just 6-8 strategically placed containers of these dual-purpose plants, you’ll solve your privacy challenges while enjoying fresh harvests throughout the growing season. These edible privacy screens prove that limited space doesn’t mean compromising on either privacy or the pleasure of growing your own food.