Simpson Stopper: A Native Favorite for Screening (and So Much More)

Not every plant can do it all.

Simpson Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) comes close. It's dense enough for privacy, beautiful enough to be a focal point, and tough enough to thrive with very little intervention. For a landscape that needs to work hard and still look good doing it, this native shrub is one of our most reliable choices.

A Plant Built for Screening

Privacy is often one of the first things a landscape needs to provide.

Simpson Stopper grows naturally upright and dense, making it well suited to hedges, buffers, and property-line plantings. It also responds well to pruning, so it can be shaped into a tailored screen or left looser and more natural, depending on the look a space calls for.

Beauty in Every Season

Screening plants are often chosen for function alone. Simpson Stopper offers both.

The foliage is glossy and deep green year-round, giving it a full, lush presence in every season. In spring and summer, clusters of small white flowers appear, drawing in pollinators, and those flowers develop into bright red-orange berries that birds seek out. As the plant matures, the bark becomes an attraction of its own—smooth, mottled, and peeling in tones of gray, tan, and cinnamon, adding texture and interest even when nothing is in bloom.

A Native, Low-Maintenance Choice

Because Simpson Stopper is native to Florida, it's already adapted to the conditions here.

Once established, it's drought-tolerant, adaptable to sun or partial shade, and resilient to salt air, making it a strong option for coastal properties. It isn't particular about soil, and it doesn't require the ongoing care that many non-native screening plants demand.

A Small Plant with a Big Role

Good screening plants are often overlooked once they're doing their job well.

Simpson Stopper is different. It offers privacy without sacrificing beauty, asks little in return, and continues to develop character—through its foliage, flowers, and bark—as it matures. It's a small addition to a landscape with a lasting impact, and one of our favorite natives to design with.