9 fast-growing hedges that offer superb privacy benefits

Posted on 20/05/2025

Looking to enhance your garden's aesthetics, secure your property, and block out prying eyes? Fast-growing hedges are a marvelous solution for homeowners desiring natural privacy screens. In this comprehensive guide, we'll uncover nine of the best fast-growing hedge plants that not only provide excellent privacy but also add beauty and value to your landscape.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

When you need a living fence quickly, selecting rapidly-growing hedge plants is key. Unlike slow-growing varieties, these species rapidly form dense barriers, shielding your yard from neighbors, traffic, and noise within a few seasons. Alongside incredible privacy benefits, hedges also:

Absorb noise pollution
Act as windbreaks
Provide shelter for wildlife
Add curb appeal and structure
Enhance air quality

Ready to find the perfect fast-growing privacy hedge? Dive into our list below!

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Top 9 Fast-Growing Hedges for Effective Privacy Screens

**1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)**

Leyland Cypress is a popular evergreen hedge choice renowned for its ultra-fast growth, sometimes exceeding 3 feet per year in optimal conditions. Its rich green, feathery foliage forms a dense barrier--a superb privacy screen for large spaces. It tolerates heavy pruning, making it easy to shape as desired.

Ideal Height: Grows up to 50 feet, prune to 6-15 feet for hedges
Sun Requirements: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained, tolerates poor soils
Growth Rate: Extremely fast

**2. Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)**

Privet hedges are revered for their speedy growth and adaptability. They thrive in wide-ranging climates and are prized for lush, compact foliage that ensures superb visual privacy. When properly clipped, privet creates a formal, neat look.

Ideal Height: Up to 15 feet, typically maintained at 6-10 feet
Sun Requirements: Tolerates sun and partial shade
Soil: Adaptable, prefers moist, well-drained
Growth Rate: Fast

Note: In some regions, privet can be invasive, so check local guidelines before planting.

**3. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant')**

The Green Giant Arborvitae is increasingly favored as an alternative to Leyland Cypress. With its deep green, scale-like leaves, this robust evergreen offers rapid cover and withstands harsh environmental conditions.

Ideal Height: 30-40 feet, can be maintained at 10-20 feet
Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year

This species is low-maintenance, deer-resistant, and retains its color all year, making it perfect for long-lasting privacy hedges.

**4. Otto Luyken Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken')**

If you're searching for a low-maintenance privacy shrub with attractive shiny leaves, the Otto Luyken Cherry Laurel excels. Its horizontal branches form a thick barrier at a manageable height, making it perfect for urban gardens or boundaries.

Ideal Height: 3-6 feet
Sun Requirements: Tolerates full sun, shade, and everything between
Soil: Well-drained, adaptable
Growth Rate: Fast

Bonus: It produces delicate white flowers in spring!

**5. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.)**

Bamboo hedges are loved for their lightweight appearance and remarkable growth speed, sometimes shooting up several feet within weeks. With its feathery foliage and vertical rhythm, bamboo delivers a modern, exotic touch while rapidly screening off your space. Just be sure to choose clumping bamboo varieties to avoid invasiveness.

Ideal Height: 10-25 feet (depends on species)
Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive
Growth Rate: Extremely fast; several feet per year

Bamboo works well in containers or restricted beds to keep it in check as a lasting privacy shield.

**6. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')**

For a hedging plant that delivers color as well as coverage, Photinia is unbeatable. Famous for the vivid red new leaves in spring, it quickly forms a dense evergreen wall perfect for natural privacy hedges.

Ideal Height: 8-12 feet, easily trimmed to desired size
Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Well-drained, fertile
Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year

This hedge is delightful year-round and tolerates hard pruning to keep it in shape.

**7. Viburnum Tinus (Viburnum tinus)**

If you're seeking a multi-season privacy hedge, Viburnum tinus offers evergreen screening, glossy leaves, delicate pinkish-white winter blooms, and blue-black berries. Best of all, it grows quite quickly and requires minimal maintenance.

Ideal Height: 6-12 feet
Sun Requirements: Sun or shade
Soil: Any, as long as it's well-drained
Growth Rate: Fast

Viburnum is a superb choice for flowering privacy fences or mixed hedges.

**8. Escallonia (Escallonia spp.)**

Escallonia is prized for its glossy leaves and fragrant, tubular, pink to red flowers that attract pollinators all summer. Fast-growing and drought-resistant, it makes a brilliant privacy hedge in coastal or windy gardens.

Ideal Height: 5-10 feet and easily pruned
Sun Requirements: Full sun for best blooms
Soil: Drained, not waterlogged
Growth Rate: Rapid

For those desiring privacy plus garden interest, Escallonia can't be beaten.

**9. Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lacteus)**

Cotoneaster hedges are valued for arching stems, lush leaves, and clusters of red berries in autumn which attract wildlife. As a dense living privacy screen, it grows quickly and is low-maintenance once established.

Ideal Height: 6-10 feet
Sun Requirements: Full sun or part shade
Soil: Tolerant of most, well-drained
Growth Rate: Quick

Cotoneaster looks beautiful growing informally, ideal for wildlife-friendly and cottage-style gardens.

How to Select the Best Fast-Growing Hedge for Your Needs

Choosing the right fast-growing privacy hedge depends on your goals, climate, soil, and available space. Consider these factors:

Evergreen vs. Deciduous: Evergreens offer year-round coverage; deciduous types may be more ornamental but lose leaves in winter.
Desired Height: Some hedges tower skyward, while others remain manageable for small gardens.
Maintenance Level: Rapid growers require frequent pruning. Decide how much upkeep you can handle.
Soil and Sunlight: Assess your garden's conditions and choose species that will thrive there.
Wildlife Value: Flowering and fruiting hedges bring in bees, butterflies, and birds--wonderful for eco-friendly landscapes.

Tips for Planting Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Once you've chosen your plant, keep these vital tips in mind for healthy, beautiful, and robust hedges:

Spacing: Plant hedges at recommended distances--usually 2-4 feet apart for dense growth.
Initial Pruning: Prune lightly after planting to encourage bushiness from the base up.
Regular Watering: Young plants need consistent moisture until established.
Mulching: Apply mulch at the base to keep roots moist and suppress weeds.
Feeding: Use all-purpose fertilizer in spring to fuel rapid growth.

Maintaining Your Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Consistent care ensures that your hedging plants stay healthy and attractive. Key maintenance tasks include:

Pruning twice yearly to retain shape and density
Feeding with balanced fertilizer during the growing season
Pest and disease checks--treat any problems promptly
Watering deeply in dry spells, especially for new hedges

Remember, hedges grow fast but need your attention--the result is a lush, private oasis in your own backyard.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Fast-Growing Hedging Plants

What is the fastest growing hedge for privacy?

Leyland Cypress and Bamboo are among the fastest-growing options, both capable of adding several feet each year for exceptional privacy screening.

Which privacy hedge is evergreen all year?

Green Giant Arborvitae, Leyland Cypress, Privet, Otto Luyken Laurel, and Viburnum tinus all hold their leaves through winter, offering year-round seclusion.

What is the best privacy hedge for small gardens?

Otto Luyken Laurel, Boxwood, and clipped Privet are top picks for small spaces needing privacy without overwhelming the garden.

How long until a fast-growing hedge reaches full height?

Depending on species and care, fast-growing hedges can reach maturity within 3-5 years--significantly quicker than traditional slow-growers.

Conclusion: Transform Your Landscape with Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

For homeowners who want to quickly enjoy superb privacy benefits, these nine fast-growing hedges are ideal. They offer not just seclusion from the outside world, but also enrich your yard's beauty, benefit wildlife, and increase property value. With a range of heights, foliage types, and additional advantages (like flowers or berries), there's a fast-growing privacy hedge to suit every garden style and requirement.

Plant your hedge this season, and in just a few years, you'll be relaxing in the sanctuary of your own lush, living wall.