Speed Up Privacy with These 9 Rapidly Growing Hedges
Posted on 15/06/2025
Speed Up Privacy with These 9 Rapidly Growing Hedges
Are you hoping for a lush, private sanctuary in your garden without waiting years for slow shrubs to mature? Achieving rapid privacy in your outdoor space is possible by choosing the fastest growing hedges available. Whether you want to shield your home from prying eyes, dampen noise, or enhance the beauty of your landscape, these rapidly growing hedges for privacy are the answer. In this detailed guide, we'll introduce you to 9 of the best fast-grower hedges that create green screens in no time, helping you speed up privacy and transform your yard efficiently.
Why Choose Fast Growing Privacy Hedges?
When it comes to privacy landscaping, waiting years for hedges to mature is not ideal. Fast growing privacy hedges offer numerous advantages:
- Immediate privacy: Block unwanted views and create secluded spaces in months rather than years.
- Noise reduction: Dense foliage can help muffle street or neighbor noise.
- Wind and dust protection: Thick hedges act as natural barriers.
- Wildlife attraction: Many fast-growing hedges provide birds and beneficial insects with food and shelter.
- Green beauty: Evergreen hedges offer year-round color and structure, while flowering types add seasonal appeal.
Let's explore the 9 most popular rapidly growing hedges that will help you speed up privacy in your garden or landscape.
1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year
- Height: 40-60 feet (can be trimmed for hedging)
- Evergreen foliage with feathery texture
If your top priority is swift privacy hedging, the Leyland cypress is among the quickest. Its vigorous growth and dense foliage make it ideal for tall, robust privacy screens. Though it can reach significant heights, regular trimming lets you maintain a manageable, neat hedge. Leyland cypress tolerates a variety of soils and is relatively disease-resistant, though it prefers full sun.
Fast Facts
- Best for: Large properties, immediate tall screens
- Maintenance: Annual pruning to retain shape and size
- Cons: Not ideal for very wet soils; may outgrow small spaces
2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant')
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
- Height: 30-50 feet
- Evergreen, soft-textured foliage
Green Giant Arborvitae is renowned for its rapid growth and elegance, making it one of the top choices for fast privacy hedges. With its beautiful conical shape and resistance to many pests and diseases, this variety thrives in partial to full sun and adapts well to a range of soils. Once established, it forms an impenetrable privacy wall in record time.
Why Plant Green Giant?
- Very low maintenance once established
- Excellent alternative to Leyland cypress
- Sturdy during winter with minimal browning
3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
- Height: 6-15 feet
- Deciduous to semi-evergreen
For classic, formal garden hedges, privet stands out. Its adaptability to hard pruning makes it perfect for neat, sculpted screens, or you can let it grow into a more natural form. Privet is tolerant of a variety of conditions--from full sun to partial shade, and from urban pollution to drought--making it a reliable choice for speedy privacy in nearly any region.
Advantages of Privet Hedges
- Grow fast and fill in empty spaces quickly
- Tough and resilient in urban environments
- Can be shaped as formal or informal hedges
4. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. & Bambusa spp.)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year or more
- Height: 10-40 feet (varietal dependent)
- Evergreen, dramatic appearance
Few plants grow as rapidly as bamboo. Its tall, slender canes, and lush foliage create instant privacy screens and a unique, modern aesthetic. However, some bamboo types are very aggressive and may require root barriers to prevent unwanted spread. Choose clumping bamboo species for easier management in residential landscapes.
Why Choose Bamboo?
- Fastest growth for living privacy walls
- Excellent for contemporary gardens
- Performs well in narrow spaces or pots
5. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Height: 10-15 feet
- Evergreen with striking red new leaves
The Red Robin Photinia delivers bold color with new growth that flushes bright red before maturing to deep green. It's one of the most attractive choices for beautiful privacy screens. Fast-growing and easy to maintain, Photinia thrives in full sun and adapts to various soils. Its dense habit and colorful leaves make it an eye-catching privacy solution.
Photinia Highlights
- Adds brilliant seasonal color and interest
- Good for medium-height hedges
- Attracts pollinators with spring blossoms
6. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
- Height: 15-30 feet (easily pruned lower)
- Large, glossy evergreen leaves
Cherry laurel is celebrated for its lush, dark green leaves and vigorous growth. This fast privacy hedge is perfect for shaded spots where many other hedges struggle. With fragrant white spring flowers and black berries, it offers privacy, beauty, and wildlife value.
Benefits of Planting Cherry Laurel
- Thrives in sun or deep shade
- Excellent for tall or dense hedges
- Low-maintenance with minimal pruning needs
7. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 1.5-2 feet per year
- Height: 12-20 feet
- Deciduous with persistent winter leaves
The European hornbeam is a classic for quick privacy hedging in temperate climates. Though deciduous, hornbeam's leaves often cling well into winter, providing privacy even when dormant. Its tolerance for hard pruning and formal shaping make it a top choice for traditional or modern landscapes alike.
Advantages of Hornbeam
- Withstands urban pollution and wind
- Maintains structure year-round
- Long-lasting privacy from late-leaf retention
8. Escallonia (Escallonia spp.)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Height: 6-10 feet
- Evergreen with colorful summer flowers
Escallonia offers the dual benefit of privacy and charm. With glossy evergreen leaves and bright pink or red flowers in summer, it's perfect for colorful screening in coastal or mild climates. Its drought tolerance and resistance to salt spray make it a superb option for seaside gardens.
Why Plant Escallonia?
- Attractive blooms attract bees and butterflies
- Compact, manageable growth habit
- Low maintenance in suitable climates
9. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)
Key Features
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Height: 15-20 feet
- Evergreen with elegant, narrow leaves
Often overlooked, Portuguese laurel is a fast-growing, refined solution for private hedging. It boasts elegant dark green leaves, reddish stems, and a dense branching habit. Hardy and tolerant of drought once established, Portuguese laurel is less prone to disease than its cousin, cherry laurel.
Portuguese Laurel Pros
- Stylish and formal hedge option
- Maintains neat appearance with minimal clipping
- Excellent for boundary screens and windbreaks
How to Plant and Care for Fast Growing Hedges
Choosing the Right Hedge for Your Space
Selecting the best hedge depends on climate, soil, sunlight, and how much space you have. When shopping for rapidly growing hedges for privacy, consider:
- Desired height and width of your privacy screen
- Evergreen or deciduous foliage
- Flowering versus purely green background
- Level of maintenance and pruning needed
Planting Tips for Instant Results
- Plant young, vigorous plants close together (often 2-3 feet apart for dense screens).
- Prepare the soil with compost and ensure good drainage.
- Water regularly during the first few years to establish a strong root system.
- Mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.
Encouraging Quick Growth
- Feed annually with a balanced fertilizer in spring.
- Prune regularly to stimulate bushy, thick growth.
- Watch for pests or diseases and address them promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fast Growing Privacy Hedges
How quickly can I expect privacy from a fast growing hedge?
Most rapidly growing hedges start to form an effective screen within 1-3 years, depending on the variety and planting density.
What time of year should I plant privacy hedges?
Late fall or early spring is ideal. This gives roots time to establish before the stresses of summer or winter.
How close should I plant hedge plants?
For dense screens, space plants 2-3 feet apart. Bamboo, however, should be spaced according to type and spread.
Conclusion: Speed Up Privacy with Fast Growing Hedging Plants
If you're dreaming of your own secluded outdoor retreat, there's no need to wait for slow-growing hedges to mature. By choosing any of these 9 rapidly growing privacy hedges--from the stalwart Leyland cypress and Green Giant arborvitae to colorful Photinia and Escallonia--you can achieve a lush, private green screen in just a few seasons. Select the best option for your climate and needs, then follow proper planting and care tips to speed up privacy in your landscape.
With the right fast growing privacy hedge, your garden or backyard sanctuary is just a few strategic plantings away!
