Enhance Your Privacy with These 9 Fastest Growing Hedges

Posted on 25/05/2025

Enhance Your Privacy with These 9 Fastest Growing Hedges

In today's rapidly changing world, privacy is becoming more important than ever. Whether you live in a bustling urban neighborhood or a tranquil rural area, creating a private sanctuary in your own yard is a top priority for many homeowners. One of the most effective, natural, and aesthetically pleasing ways to achieve this is by using fast-growing privacy hedges. These natural barriers not only offer privacy but also reduce noise, create windbreaks, and enhance the overall value of your property. In this article, discover nine of the fastest-growing hedges for privacy and learn how to choose, plant, and maintain them for lasting results.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

Nobody wants to wait years for a hedge to mature while sacrificing privacy in the meantime. Fast-growing hedge plants provide quick results, ensuring you can enjoy private outdoor spaces within a single growing season or two. In addition to being attractive and functional, hedges offer environmental benefits by supporting local wildlife, purifying the air, and acting as a sustainable alternative to artificial fences.

Key Benefits of Privacy Hedges

• Effective Screening: Planting hedges for privacy quickly creates a dense natural barrier between you and the outside world.
• Noise Reduction: Thick hedges absorb sound, reducing street or neighbor noise.
• Wind Protection: Fast-growing hedges act as efficient windbreaks, shielding gardens from harsh weather.
• Wildlife Habitat: Many hedges produce berries, flowers, or dense foliage that attract birds, bees, and butterflies.
• Eco-friendly: They filter dust, reduce carbon dioxide, and don't require the manufacturing of synthetic materials.

How to Select the Fastest Growing Hedges for Privacy

When selecting hedges to boost privacy, it's essential to consider your specific needs, climate, and soil conditions. Some hedges excel in full sun, while others thrive in partial shade. Check the plant's maximum height and width, whether it's evergreen (keeps its leaves year-round) or deciduous, and maintenance requirements. Let's explore nine top options to enhance your privacy with quick-growing hedges.

9 Best and Fastest Growing Hedges for Instant Privacy

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year
Best For: Large areas, instant privacy screens, tall windbreaks

The Leyland Cypress is a superstar among fast-growing privacy hedges. This stately evergreen hybrid can shoot up at an astonishing rate, providing a lush, dense wall in just a few years. Its soft, feathery foliage stays green all year, making it perfect for screening nosey neighbors or busy streets. Plant them a few feet apart for a quick-forming, solid hedge. Pruning once a year helps maintain your preferred height and keeps them looking tidy.

2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant')

Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
Best For: Formal hedges, windbreaks, year-round screening

The Green Giant Arborvitae is another renowned choice for those seeking a fast-growing privacy hedge. These evergreens are highly resistant to pests and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions. With their fresh green, fan-shaped foliage and uniform conical shape, they create a lush, attractive privacy screen that's low-maintenance and resilient, even in tough weather.

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
Best For: Versatile shapes (formal or informal), dense foliage, fast growing privacy

Privet is famous for its adaptability and fast-growing signal, making it one of the top choices for privacy hedging. With regular trimming, privet can be shaped into a neat, formal boundary or allowed to grow more freely for a softer, countryside look. Some species also produce clusters of fragrant white flowers in summer, adding another dimension of beauty to your garden.

4. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. and Bambusa spp.)

Growth Rate: Up to 5 feet per year (clumping bamboo is recommended to prevent spreading)
Best For: Exotic appearance, urban gardens, eco-friendly privacy

Bamboo is celebrated for its exceptionally rapid growth. For privacy, choose non-invasive clumping varieties such as Bambusa multiplex or Bambusa textilis. These types won't spread aggressively but still form a dense, upright barrier in a single season. Bamboo's distinctive canes and delicate leaves create an instant oasis, adding an exotic architectural element to modern landscapes.

5. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')

Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
Best For: Colorful privacy hedges, spring and autumn interest

If you crave a privacy hedge with a burst of color, Photinia is a top contender. Its glossy, evergreen leaves emerge bright red before maturing to deep green, providing visual interest all year. This vigorous grower also blooms with small white flowers in spring, attracting pollinators. Photinia requires little pruning, but an occasional trim will keep its growth dense and compact.

6. Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis')

Growth Rate: 2 feet per year
Best For: Shade-tolerant privacy, glossy foliage, evergreen screens

Skip Laurel, or Schipka Cherry Laurel, is ideal for shady locations where many fast-growing hedges struggle. Its large, shiny leaves form a dense wall, providing privacy even in challenging conditions. Producing fragrant white flower spikes in spring, it's both beautiful and functional. Skip Laurel remains evergreen, ensuring year-round coverage and privacy.

7. Red-Tipped Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
Best For: Bright colored foliage, flowering hedges

Red-Tipped Photinia is famous for its vibrant, new red leaves and excellent hedge screening abilities. This drought-tolerant shrub can be pruned to maintain a neat, uniform appearance, or let it grow naturally for a less formal look. The plant also produces dainty white flowers in late spring, offering both privacy and ornamental value.

8. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
Best For: Salt-tolerant, southern climates, fragrant foliage

Wax Myrtle is a popular choice in coastal areas or southern states thanks to its salt tolerance and rapid growth. This semi-evergreen or evergreen shrub features aromatic foliage that repels insects and adds a delightful fragrance to your landscape. Its dense, bushy growth pattern forms a natural barrier that's both effective and attractive.

9. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
Best For: Large glossy leaves, spring flowers, tough conditions

Cherry Laurel is a robust evergreen with large, shiny green leaves and a tough constitution. It thrives in various conditions and can be pruned as a formal hedge or left to grow naturally. In spring, Cherry Laurel is studded with white, fragrant flower spikes that draw pollinators while maintaining privacy year-round.

How to Plant and Care for Your Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

The secret to a high-performing privacy hedge is in the planting and ongoing care. Follow these essential tips for success:

Choosing the Right Site

• Most hedges prefer full sun to light shade. Check your chosen plant's requirements.
• Ensure the site has good drainage and isn't waterlogged.
• Give enough space for each plant's mature width to avoid overcrowding.

Soil Preparation

• Dig over the site, removing weeds and rocks.
• Work in organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure to enrich the soil.

Planting Your Hedge

• Dig a trench as deep and twice as wide as the root ball.
• Space plants according to their mature size - typically 18-36 inches apart for dense hedges.
• Place plants at the same depth as they were growing in their pots.
• Backfill, gently firm down the soil, and water thoroughly.

Watering and Mulching

• New hedges should be watered consistently until well established, especially during dry spells.
• Add a layer of mulch (like bark chips) to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Pruning for Density and Shape

• Prune lightly after planting to encourage bushy growth and more branches from the base.
• Hedge plants benefit from an annual trim. Cut back long shoots to stimulate denser foliage.
• For formal hedges, trim into shape at least once a year.

Fertilizing and Ongoing Care

• Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to promote vigorous growth.
• Monitor for pests and diseases - prompt treatment ensures your hedge stays healthy and green.

Enhancing Curb Appeal with Fast Growing Hedges

Hedges aren't just for privacy. When thoughtfully selected and maintained, they become a defining feature of your landscape, boosting aesthetic appeal and property value. A well-designed privacy hedge can:

• Create a lush green backdrop to flower beds and borders
• Frame entrances, driveways, and garden paths
• Act as living walls for secluded patios or outdoor rooms
• Offer seasonal decorative features, such as blossoms, berries, or colorful new foliage

Tips for Design Success

• Vary heights and textures: Mix different hedge species for year-round interest.
• Combine with flowering shrubs: Add underplantings of perennials or bulbs along the hedge line.
• Integrate lighting: Soft landscape lighting can illuminate foliage and accentuate the hedge at dusk.

Common Questions About Fast Growing Privacy Hedges

How quickly do privacy hedges grow?

Growth rates depend on species, climate, and care. Leyland Cypress, Green Giant Arborvitae, and Bamboo are among the fastest growing, often achieving 2-5 feet of new growth per year in ideal conditions.

What is the best fast-growing hedge for small gardens?

For compact spaces, Privet or Photinia can be pruned to fit, providing dense coverage without overwhelming the garden. Clumping bamboo and smaller varieties of laurel are also excellent choices.

Which privacy hedge is the lowest maintenance?

Green Giant Arborvitae and Cherry Laurel both offer quick results with minimal care. These evergreens thrive in most soils and climates, needing little more than annual trimming.

How far apart should I plant hedge shrubs?

Most fast-growing hedges are planted 18-36 inches apart for a dense, quick-forming screen. Always check variety-specific recommendations to ensure optimal coverage.

Are all fast-growing privacy hedges evergreen?

Many, but not all. Evergreens like leyland cypress, arborvitae, laurel, and wax myrtle provide year-round privacy. Deciduous plants such as some privet varieties may lose their leaves in winter but often regrow quickly each spring.

Conclusion: Secure Your Outdoor Sanctuary with Fast Growing Hedges

Whether you're seeking to block street noise, shield your backyard from prying eyes, or simply add lush beauty to your landscape, fast growing privacy hedges are the perfect living solution. Choose from favorites like Leyland Cypress, Green Giant Arborvitae, Privet, Bamboo, Photinia, Skip Laurel, Red-Tipped Photinia, Wax Myrtle, and Cherry Laurel to find the right fit for your climate and style. With the right care, these fast-growing hedge plants will transform your garden into a beautiful, private retreat in no time.

Ready to enhance your privacy? Plant these fast-growing hedges today and enjoy serene outdoor living for years to come!