9 Quick-Growing Hedges to Ensure Your Privacy

Posted on 29/09/2025

9 Quick-Growing Hedges to Ensure Your Privacy

Do you dream about turning your yard into a secluded oasis, away from the prying eyes of neighbors or passing cars? If so, installing a quick-growing privacy hedge is your solution! These fast-growing hedges not only create beautiful natural barriers, but they also offer sound reduction, wind protection, and even attract wildlife. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore 9 top-performing quick-growers that can grace your landscape with beauty and privacy in record time.

Table of Contents

• Why Choose Quick-Growing Hedges?
• Factors to Consider When Planting Instant Privacy Hedges
• 9 Quick-Growing Hedges for Your Privacy Needs
• Tips for Establishing and Maintaining Healthy Hedges
• FAQs on Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges
• Conclusion

Why Choose Quick-Growing Hedges?

Quick-growing hedges are a popular landscape choice for homeowners who value privacy and want it fast! Unlike traditional fencing, living hedges blend seamlessly into your garden and provide several unique advantages:

• Immediate privacy: Dense foliage forms a green wall quicker than slow-growing types.
• Natural beauty: Flowering or evergreen varieties add year-round color and interest.
• Wildlife habitat: Many hedges offer food and shelter for birds, butterflies, and pollinators.
• Cost-effective: Hedges can be more affordable and sustainable than building fences.
• Sound & wind barrier: Foliage blocks unwanted noise and shields from strong winds.

Selecting the right fast-growing species means you won't have to wait decades for your own private retreat.

Factors to Consider When Planting Instant Privacy Hedges

Choosing your quick-growing hedge isn't just about speed. Consider these important aspects to ensure lasting success and satisfaction:

• Climate suitability: Check if the plant tolerates your region's temperatures, rainfall, and hardiness zone.
• Maintenance level: Some species need frequent pruning or shaping; others are low-maintenance.
• Ultimate height/width: Think about how high and wide you want your green fence to be.
• Evergreen vs. Deciduous: Evergreens offer year-round coverage; deciduous species may lose leaves in winter.
• Soil & sunlight: Most fast hedges thrive in well-drained soils with full to partial sun exposure.
• Pest/disease resistance: Hardy, disease-resistant species mean less work for you.

9 Quick-Growing Hedges for Immediate Privacy

Here are the top 9 fast-growing hedges that will transform your outdoor space into a private sanctuary, organized by their outstanding traits and popular landscaping uses.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year
• Best For: Tall, dense privacy hedges; windbreaks
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade

The Leyland Cypress is the king of fast-growing privacy screens. With its soft, feathery green needles and upright growth, this evergreen can reach 60 feet if untrimmed! It creates an impenetrable, year-round barrier. Just be ready for frequent pruning to maintain size.

2. Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii x plicata)

• Growth Rate: 3 to 5 feet per year
• Best For: Large formal borders and green walls
• Sunlight: Full sun

Thuja Green Giant is renowned for combining disease-resistance, fast growth, and a lush green color. This quick-growing evergreen hedge is excellent for big properties, highways, or anywhere you need rapid coverage and minimum maintenance.

3. Privet (Ligustrum species)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Shaped, formal or informal tall and low hedges
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade

Privet, especially Ligustrum ovalifolium (California Privet) and Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet), thrives almost anywhere. It forms a dense, quick-growing living fence that tolerates trimming into neat, geometric shapes or more natural forms. Keep in mind, some privets are invasive in specific regions; confirm before planting.

4. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Shady spots, urban gardens
• Sunlight: Full sun to deep shade

Cherry Laurel is prized for its broad, glossy leaves and exceptional shade tolerance. Not only does it boast fragrant white flowers in spring, but it also forms a thick, lush, and secure hedge. Quick-growing cherry laurel hedges are ideal by fences or on the border of shaded properties.

5. Bamboo (Clumping Varieties)

• Growth Rate: 2 to 4 feet per year (sometimes more!)
• Best For: Tall contemporary privacy walls, screening patios
• Sunlight: Full to partial sun

For an exotic, contemporary look, nothing rivals clumping bamboo. Non-invasive types such as Bambusa multiplex grow as impressive screens, reaching 10-30 feet and filling in gaps astonishingly fast. Be sure to choose clumping varieties (not running) to prevent unwanted spread.

6. Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

• Growth Rate: 1 to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Flowering, colorful privacy hedges
• Sunlight: Full sun

The standout feature of Red Tip Photinia is its vivid red new leaves, which gradually mature to glossy green. It also blooms with white flowers in spring. With a dense branching habit and fast growth rate, this shrub makes a decorative and practical private hedge.

7. Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Evergreen, flowering hedges
• Sunlight: Full sun, partial shade

This lush, evergreen shrub delights with clusters of pinkish-white winter flowers followed by blue-black berries. Viburnum tinus is remarkably adaptable, pest-resistant, and maintains fullness from top to bottom. It's perfect for gardeners seeking quick-growing privacy plants with a touch of elegance.

8. Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kohuhu)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Coastal gardens, wind-prone sites
• Sunlight: Full sun, tolerates salt spray

Pittosporum features attractive, wavy-edged leaves and a compact, upright habit perfect for sculpted hedges. It's especially tough in windy or seaside locations. Use it to create a low-maintenance, fast-growing privacy screen that stays handsome year-round.

9. Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)

• Growth Rate: Up to 1.5 to 2 feet per year
• Best For: Coastal regions, wildlife friendly gardens
• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade

Wax Myrtle brings aromatic, evergreen foliage that thrives in poor soils and withstands salt and drought. This quick-growing hedge is native to the Southeastern US and excellent for large, informal screens or mixed wildlife plantings.

Quick Comparison Table of Fast-Growing Hedges

Tips for Planting and Maintaining Quick-Growing Hedging Plants

While these hedges offer rapid results, establishing a robust and beautiful living wall includes a few essential steps.

Planting Guidelines

• Soil Preparation: Amend soil with compost for drainage and fertility.
• Spacing: Plant according to mature width; spacing too close may cause thinning or disease.
• Watering: Keep moist for the first year, then water during dry spells only.
• Mulching: A layer of organic mulch retains soil moisture and suppresses weeds.

Pruning and Training

• Early Training: Start shaping when plants are young, focusing on width and density.
• Annual Pruning: Most quick-growing privacy hedges respond well to yearly trims; this keeps them dense and tidy.
• Height Control: Cut back new growth to maintain your desired height quickly and easily.

Fertilizing and Pest Management

• Light Feeding: Apply granular all-purpose fertilizer in early spring. Avoid overfeeding, which may cause weak, spindly growth.
• Pest & Disease Monitoring: Inspect often, especially dense evergreens, for signs of pests or fungal issues.

Frequently Asked Questions About Quick-Growing Hedges

• How fast will my privacy hedge grow?
  Growth speed depends on the species and your local conditions. Most hedges listed above will gain 1 to 3 feet per year with proper care.
• How do I ensure my fast-growing hedge stays dense?
  Regular pruning, proper spacing, and early training are crucial. Begin trimming at a young stage to encourage bushiness.
• Which hedge is safest for pets and children?
  Many quick-growers, such as Thuja Green Giant, Viburnum tinus, and Pittosporum, are considered safe. Avoid cherry laurel berries and privet in gardens frequented by pets or children, as these can be mildly toxic if ingested.
• Can privacy hedges be grown in containers?
  Some compact varieties of bamboo, privet, and pittosporum adapt well to large pots for patios or balconies. Most tall-growing species need direct planting in the ground to reach their potential.
• When is the best time to plant my hedge?
  Early spring or fall are optimal seasons--this allows roots to establish before the heat of summer or cold in winter sets in.

Your Path to a Lush, Private Garden Starts Here!

Planting a quick-growing hedge for privacy is the ultimate way to shield your outdoor spaces in style--with vibrant color, fragrance, and structure. Whether you desire the bold height of Leyland Cypress, the shade-loving appeal of Cherry Laurel, or the modern look of clumping bamboo, the options are diverse and rewarding.

Remember to match your hedge to your garden's climate, soil, and sun exposure. With regular care and pruning, you'll enjoy a living green wall that provides beauty and seclusion for years to come.

Ready to create your own leafy retreat?

• Pick one or more of these quick-growing hedges suited for your region.
• Follow the planting and care tips outlined above.
• Watch as your garden transforms into the private paradise you deserve!

For more advice on landscaping, gardening, or choosing the best fast-growing hedges for privacy, explore our additional guides and expert tips. Your backyard haven awaits!