Garden Guide · Plant picks
Best Shrubs to Hide a Utility Box or AC Unit
Short answer: use evergreens that stay full all winter and don’t outgrow the spot — boxwood, inkberry, spreading yew or a narrow arborvitae — planted in a U around three sides, with the access side left open. Check your utility’s clearance rules before you plant.
What makes a good screen shrub
- Evergreen — it hides the box in February too.
- Stays the right size — pick one whose mature height is a little taller than the box, not a tree.
- Room to work — leave the door, meter and access side clear, and keep shrubs back from AC units so air can move.
Our picks (all stocked at Troy’s)
| Plant | Size (from our catalog) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Green Velvet boxwood | about 3′ × 3′ | Low boxes, pedestals |
| Winter Gem boxwood | about 5′ × 5′ | Taller boxes, AC units |
| Shamrock inkberry | about 3′ × 3′ | Native evergreen, takes wet spots |
| Spreading yew (Densiformis) | about 4′ tall, 6′ wide | Wide, low screens; shade |
| Emerald Green arborvitae | narrow, 3–4′ wide | Tall boxes, tight spaces |
| Karl Foerster grass | 3–5′ tall, 2′ wide | Summer–fall screen (cut back in spring) |
Sizes are from each plant’s page in our catalog; current sizes and prices are there too.
How to lay it out
Plant on three sides in a U, leaving the side the utility company opens clear. Space shrubs by their mature width so they fill in without crowding the box. Finish with 2–3 inches of mulch.