An expandable artificial trellis is a lattice frame covered in faux foliage that concertinas open to fit a space. Ours are sold as 72" x 36" screens, reach about 78.7" x 39.4" at optimal extension, and start at $149.95. The frame is rigid and weighs around 4.4 lb, so it spans open railings and adds height above a fence where there is nothing solid to fix an ivy roll to.
The three foliage options
The faux jasmine trellis ($149.95) carries small leaves and reads soft and fine-textured. The green ligustrum ficus trellis ($149.95) sits in the middle, a mid-sized leaf that suits most modern fences. The English laurel trellis ($169.95) has the broadest leaf of the three, the closest match to a clipped laurel hedge and the fullest-looking screen. All three are UV resistant for outdoor use.
How the sizing works
Like any diamond lattice, width and height trade against each other. The frame reaches about 78.7" x 39.4" at its optimal extension. Beyond that point, every extra inch of length costs height, and the leaf spreads thinner across the face. Close it up and it gets taller and denser.
So plan runs at the working size, not the maximum. A 12 ft balcony rail takes two screens at 72" each. A 15 ft run takes three, compressed slightly to share the span, which also makes each a little taller and fuller. Adding a screen is cheaper than over-stretching two and living with the gaps.
What it costs per square foot, honestly
At 72" x 36" a screen covers 18 sq ft, so the jasmine and ficus screens cost $8.33 per sq ft and the laurel $9.44. At optimal extension, about 21.5 sq ft, that falls to $6.96 and $7.89. An ivy roll covers 33 sq ft at under $2.00 per sq ft. If you have a fence to tie to and only need to green its face, a roll is about four times cheaper and the better buy; the numbers are in the ivy roll guide. The trellis earns its price where a roll cannot work: across an open rail, above a top rail, or free-spanning between two posts.
Where a trellis is the right choice
Adding height to a short fence. Fixed along the top rail, a screen adds roughly 3 ft of green without new posts or concrete. Check local fence-height limits and any HOA rules before you raise a boundary.
Balcony and deck railings. At around 4.4 lb a screen, it adds little load, ties to balusters with UV-rated cable ties and comes off without a mark. That makes it a renter-friendly option alongside the methods in balcony privacy without drilling.
Gaps between posts. The frame holds its own shape, so it bridges an open span between two posts or a pergola bay where a roll would sag.
Hiding bins, AC units and pool equipment. Two or three screens fixed to posts make a quick enclosure that still lets air move through the lattice.
Fixing it so it stays put
The screens fix with S hooks, fence screws or cable ties. S hooks suit hanging from a top wire or rail where you want to lift the screen off for events or winter storage; close the hooks on exposed sites so they cannot bounce out. Cable ties suit railings and chain-link: tie at the four corners and at every lattice crossing that meets the rail. Fence screws suit timber posts and rails, with a washer so the frame cannot pull over the head. Use UV-rated ties outdoors, since standard nylon goes brittle within a season. A leafy lattice still takes wind load, so on exposed sites fix at more points rather than fewer and read do artificial hedges hold up in wind. Hardware is in install parts and accessories.
What a trellis will not do
A trellis is a foliage screen on an open frame, not a solid barrier. From a few feet away it reads as dense greenery, but it will not block sightlines as completely as a shade-cloth-backed ivy roll or a rigid hedge panel. Where you cannot fix anything at all, a freestanding portable hedge is the answer. Every option is ranked by effort in how to hide an ugly fence, and by fixing surface in best artificial hedges for privacy fences.
Compare the three screens above, browse green wall panels for full-coverage walls, and find the rest of the series in the Expert Tips and Guides hub.