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Achieve Privacy with 9 Fast-Flourishing Hedges
Posted on 31/08/2025
Achieve Privacy with 9 Fast-Flourishing Hedges
Seeking tranquility and seclusion in your outdoor space? Fast-growing privacy hedges offer a natural, eco-friendly solution to create boundaries, screen out neighbors, reduce noise, and enhance your garden's beauty. In this comprehensive guide, we'll introduce nine of the best quick-growing hedges that provide not only privacy but also style, wildlife value, and year-round interest for your landscape.
Why Choose Hedges for Privacy?
When it comes to blocking prying eyes, traditional fences may lack the charm and environmental benefits of a living green wall. Privacy hedges deliver:
- Rapid coverage: Many species can establish a dense barrier in just a few seasons.
- Environmental benefits: Green hedges absorb pollutants and provide habitats for birds and insects.
- Noise reduction: Thick hedges dampen street and neighborhood sounds.
- Visual appeal: Seasonal flowers, lush foliage, and unique textures beautify your landscape.
- Versatile choices: Evergreens, flowering shrubs, and native options offer tailored solutions for every yard.
How to Select the Best Fast-Growing Hedge for Privacy
Consider these factors to choose the ideal privacy hedge shrub for your needs:
- Growth Rate: How quickly do you need privacy?
- Height and Width: How much space do you have, and how tall do you want your hedge?
- Evergreen vs. Deciduous: Do you need year-round coverage, or are seasonal leaves acceptable?
- Climate and Soil Type: Choose species adapted to your local conditions for vigorous growth.
- Maintenance: Some fast-growing hedges require regular pruning; others are relatively low-care.
Read on to discover our top nine fast-growing hedging plants to transform your landscape into a private sanctuary.
9 Fast-Growing Hedges for Maximum Privacy
1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)
Leyland cypress is a legendary hedging plant recognized for its exceptional speed of growth--up to 3 feet per year! This evergreen conifer produces feathery, rich green foliage that forms a dense wall when planted 3 to 4 feet apart. Resilient and adaptable, Leyland cypress thrives in almost any soil and can reach heights of 60 feet if untrimmed. For a formal look, trim it to your desired height and width annually. Perfect for blocking out neighbors and noisy streets in record time!
- Growth rate: Up to 3 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 30-60 feet (can be kept much shorter with pruning)
- Best for: Large gardens, instant privacy walls
2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant')
Thuja Green Giant has rapidly become a favorite for privacy screens. This hybrid arborvitae is highly disease-resistant, deer-resistant, and virtually maintenance-free. Its uniform, conical shape and lush evergreen needles make it an attractive alternative to leylandii, and it grows quickly at 2-3 feet per year under good conditions.
- Growth rate: 2-3 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 30-50 feet
- Best for: Low-maintenance hedges, long driveways, suburban backyards
3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
The privet hedge is a classic choice for fast privacy in urban and suburban gardens. European privet (Ligustrum vulgare) and Japanese privet (Ligustrum japonicum) fill in quickly to form dense, easily-shaped screens. Lush green leaves provide privacy through summer, and the hedge bears fragrant white blossoms in late spring, attracting pollinators to your garden.
- Growth rate: Up to 2 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 12-15 feet (pruned regularly from 4-10 feet)
- Best for: Formal clipped hedges, boundaries in smaller yards
4. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Cherry laurel, also known as common laurel, offers bold, glossy, evergreen leaves and rapid growth, making it ideal for both formal and informal privacy screens. It tolerates shade better than many conifers, copes with pollution, and can form an impenetrable barrier with regular pruning. Spring brings fragrant white flower spikes followed by black berries (not edible for humans).
- Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 16-25 feet (can be cut lower)
- Best for: Shady spots, noise reduction, broad-leaved evergreen screens
5. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. and Fargesia spp.)
For a tropical, contemporary look, bamboo hedges deliver unmatched speed and lushness. Clumping bamboos (like Fargesia) are best for privacy, as they don't spread uncontrollably. Non-invasive varieties can gain several feet per year and create dense, upright walls of green. Bamboo screens are especially prized for their rustling sound in the breeze and minimal pruning needs.
- Growth rate: 2-5 feet per year (depending on species)
- Ultimate height: 8-25 feet
- Best for: Modern gardens, patios, narrow spaces, fast-growing privacy without heavy pruning
6. Red-Tipped Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')
For privacy with a splash of color, Red-Tipped Photinia is a standout. This evergreen shrub produces brilliant red new leaves in spring, turning deep green as they mature, and white flower clusters add seasonal interest. Dense, fast growth and tolerance to pollution make it perfect for city gardens.
- Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 10-15 feet (pruned lower if desired)
- Best for: Colorful screens, urban gardens, ornamental hedges
7. American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
American arborvitae, sometimes known as Northern White Cedar, is a trusted choice for fast-growing privacy hedges in cold climates. With chain-link density and a natural pyramidal form, this evergreen tolerates a wide range of soils and climates. The popular 'Emerald Green' cultivar grows about 1 foot per year and keeps a tidy, compact shape with minimal trimming.
- Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 15-20 feet ('Emerald Green' usually tops out at 12-15 feet)
- Best for: Year-round coverage, formal and informal privacy screens in northern states
8. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Native to the southeastern United States, wax myrtle is a vigorous broadleaf evergreen that quickly forms dense, aromatic hedges. Its attractive olive-green foliage and clusters of gray berries make it visually interesting, while its fast growth (3-5 feet per year!) delivers privacy in a hurry. Wax myrtle thrives in heat, humidity, and even poor soils.
- Growth rate: 3-5 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 10-20 feet (can be pruned smaller)
- Best for: Warm climates, large borders, windbreaks, wildlife gardens
9. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
Portuguese Laurel is a sophisticated yet vigorously growing alternative to cherry laurel. Its narrow, glossy leaves and red stems bring elegance to privacy screens. Hardy and tolerant of pruning, it adapts well to formal or relaxed hedging styles. White flower racemes in early summer make it a pollinator favorite.
- Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Ultimate height: 15-20 feet (can be kept at 6-10 feet)
- Best for: Stylish boundaries, shady areas, evergreen privacy with medium height
Planting Tips for Thriving Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges
- Site preparation: Remove weeds and enrich the soil with compost or organic matter before planting.
- Spacing: Plant shrubs at the recommended intervals (usually 2-5 feet apart) for quick fill-in without crowding.
- Water well: Keep your new hedge moist, especially during the first growing season, to encourage deep roots.
- Mulch: Apply a thick layer around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
- Pruning: Most fast-growing hedges respond well to trimming, which encourages bushiness and an even shape.
- Fertilize: Feed young plants in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer for best results.
Maintaining Your Fast-Growing Hedge for Lasting Privacy
Consistent care is key to keeping your privacy hedge healthy, beautiful, and effective. Here's how to ensure lasting results:
- Water: Drought tolerance develops over time but water during dry spells, especially for evergreen species.
- Feed annually: Apply organic or slow-release fertilizer each spring to support lush growth.
- Trim regularly: Frequent light pruning is better than infrequent heavy cutting. Shape your hedge to be wider at the base for light penetration.
- Watch for pests: Inspect regularly for insects or diseases and treat early to prevent spread.
- Renew old hedges: Periodically thin out or rejuvenate mature hedges with selective pruning to stimulate fresh growth.
FAQ: Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges
What is the fastest-growing hedge for privacy?
Leyland cypress and certain species of bamboo are among the fastest hedging plants, often adding several feet per year when planted in optimal conditions.
Which hedge is best for year-round privacy?
Evergreen hedges (like arborvitae, cypress, cherry laurel, and photinia) maintain their leaves all winter, ensuring continuous privacy and wind screening.
How far apart should I plant privacy hedging plants?
Spacing recommendations vary (from 18 inches to 5 feet) depending on the particular species and your desired density. Closer planting provides faster coverage but can require earlier thinning or pruning as plants mature.
Can I keep fast-growing hedges small?
Yes! Regular pruning will maintain most hedges at your preferred height and width, regardless of their ultimate size potential.
Conclusion: Transform Your Space with Fast-Flowering Hedges
Whether your goal is to block sightlines, dampen noise, create a green backdrop, or add year-round beauty, fast-flourishing privacy hedges are the answer. From the towering Leyland cypress and lush arborvitae to eye-catching photinia and refined Portuguese laurel, there's a fast-growing hedge to suit every taste and every landscape. With thoughtful selection, planting, and care, your hedge will quickly reward you with the natural tranquility and privacy you desire.
Ready to achieve privacy with fast-growing hedges? Start planting today and enjoy your own peaceful outdoor retreat within just a few seasons!
