Protect Your Privacy with These 9 Speedy Growing Hedges

Posted on 10/09/2025

Protect Your Privacy with These 9 Speedy Growing Hedges

Feeling a little exposed in your garden or backyard? Privacy is a cherished aspect of home living, and one of the most effective and beautiful ways to achieve it is by planting fast-growing hedges. Not only do privacy hedges create natural green screens, but they also enhance the aesthetic value of your property, reduce noise, and provide habitat for wildlife. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the top nine speedy-growing hedges that can quickly offer the seclusion and tranquility you desire.

Why Use Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

Unlike fences or walls, a living hedge transforms your boundary into a vibrant, lush barrier. Opting for fast-growing privacy hedges ensures you won't have to wait years before your backyard is secluded from prying eyes. Whether you're shielding a patio, pool area, or your entire garden, quick-growing hedges provide a natural solution that's both stylish and environmentally friendly.

Benefits of Planting Fast-Growing Hedges

• Rapid Results: Enjoy privacy in seasons, not decades.
• Natural Beauty: Adds greenery, texture, and seasonal interest.
• Noise & Wind Reduction: Acts as a sound barrier and windbreak.
• Wildlife Support: Creates homes for birds and pollinators.
• Low Maintenance: Many varieties are easy to care for and drought-tolerant.

Ready to transform your outdoor space into a private haven? Let's dive into the best fast-growing hedges for privacy.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cuprocyparis leylandii)

Leyland Cypress is famed for its incredible growth speed, often shooting up 3-4 feet per year under optimal conditions. Its feathery evergreen foliage forms dense, tall hedges perfect for immediate privacy screens.

• Growth Rate: Up to 4 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Large gardens or boundaries
• Care Tips: Prune annually to maintain shape and prevent overgrowth

Leyland Cypress hedges offer effective privacy protection for even the largest spaces thanks to their rapid and towering growth.

2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja 'Green Giant')

Green Giant Arborvitae is a top pick for those seeking a fast-growing and durable evergreen hedge option. Reaching heights of up to 20-40 feet, these trees are deer-resistant and generally disease-free.

• Growth Rate: 3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Windbreaks, privacy along property lines
• Care Tips: Water during dry spells in the first few years

Arborvitae hedges create a lush, classic look while delivering speedy privacy coverage.

3. Privet (Ligustrum)

A tried-and-true classic, privet hedges grow quickly and respond well to heavy pruning, allowing you to shape them to your desired height and thickness. Privet's dense, bright-green foliage makes it perfect for screening unsightly views or creating a lush garden border.

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Formal garden hedges, borders
• Care Tips: Trim frequently in growing season to encourage a compact, bushy habit

Privet is one of the best rapid-growing hedge plants for neat and formal privacy screens.

4. Bamboo (Phyllostachys and Fargesia varieties)

If you crave tropical flair alongside privacy, look no further than bamboo hedges. Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on earth, and its tall, slender stalks rustle gracefully in the breeze.

• Growth Rate: Up to 5 feet per year (clumping varieties are best for hedges)
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Modern, zen, or Asian-inspired gardens
• Care Tips: Use clumping bamboo types to prevent invasive spread; water well in early years

Bamboo privacy screens grow astonishingly fast and give your backyard a stylish, tranquil setting.

5. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Cherry Laurel, also known as English Laurel, is renowned for its large, glossy leaves and rapid, thick growth. Suitable for most gardens, it forms a lush, impenetrable barrier with fragrant spring flowers.

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to deep shade
• Ideal For: Urban and suburban gardens, shade or sun
• Care Tips: Prune after flowering for denser growth; tough and adaptable

Cherry Laurel hedges are favored for both their beauty and their ability to form quick, tall privacy walls.

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

Photinia 'Red Robin' offers a vivid splash of color with striking red new leaves maturing to glossy green. Its robust and speedy growth makes it one of the top hedge plants for privacy in visually appealing gardens.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Mixed borders, decorative privacy screens
• Care Tips: Prune to encourage vibrant new growth; thrives in most soils

Photinia hedging is the go-to option for those who wish their privacy hedge to double as a statement plant.

7. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Portuguese Laurel is slightly more formal, with slender, dark-green leaves and elegant red stems. Its strong, upright growth habit makes for an excellent neat hedge with minimal effort.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to shade
• Ideal For: Formal gardens, tight spaces
• Care Tips: Trim regularly to keep dense and compact; drought-tolerant once established

Portuguese Laurel hedges make a graceful and effective quick privacy boundary for any garden style.

8. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Known for its stunning autumn color and hardy adaptability, hornbeam hedges respond excellently to regular shaping. The leaves hang on late into winter, giving you additional privacy compared to some other deciduous hedges.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Ideal For: Formal hedges, rural or suburban gardens
• Care Tips: Prune summer and late winter for best shape and density

Choose hornbeam for a privacy hedge that remains attractive and functional year-round in most climates.

9. Escallonia

Escallonia is a highly decorative and speedy-growing hedge plant producing glossy leaves and clusters of pink, red, or white tubular flowers in summer. Its dense evergreen habit makes it ideal for privacy as well as pollinator support.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun
• Ideal For: Coastal gardens, flowering hedges
• Care Tips: Trims easily; prefers well-drained soil and shelter from strong winds

Escallonia hedges provide privacy, vibrant color, and attract beneficial insects to your garden all at once.

Choosing the Best Fast-Growing Privacy Hedge for Your Garden

When it comes to selecting the right speedy hedge for privacy, consider these factors:

• Space Availability: Large, vigorous hedges like Leyland Cypress and Green Giant Arborvitae suit bigger gardens, while Photinia, Cherry Laurel, and Escallonia are great for smaller or more decorative spaces.
• Desired Height: Not all hedges grow equally tall. Choose species that meet your height requirement for full screening.
• Sunlight & Soil: Every plant has its preferred sunlight and soil conditions; match your choice with your garden's environment.
• Maintenance Level: Most fast-growers need annual or bi-annual pruning. If you want minimal upkeep, look for varieties that are low-maintenance once established.
• Wildlife & Aesthetics: Some hedges double as wildlife habitats or produce colorful blooms and berries for year-round interest.

Tips for Planting and Maintaining Your Privacy Hedges

• Plant at the Right Time: The best periods are fall or early spring when the soil is workable and moist.
• Space Correctly: Adhere to spacing guidance based on mature width to avoid overcrowding and maximize growth speed.
• Water Well: Young hedges need consistent watering, especially during dry spells in their first year or two.
• Mulch and Feed: Mulching suppresses weeds and retains moisture. Use a balanced fertilizer in spring for vigorous growth.
• Prune for Density: Trim annually, or even twice yearly for species like privet, to ensure thick, bushy growth that maximizes privacy.
• Watch for Pests & Diseases: Keep an eye out for common issues; choose disease-resistant cultivars when possible.

Other Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

Besides the top nine listed, other quick-growing hedge plants worth your consideration include:

• Boxwood: Slow to moderate, but classic for formal low hedges.
• Willow (Salix): Shoots up fast near water and tolerates wet soils.
• Pyracantha: Evergreen with spiny branches and bright berries for security and wildlife.
• Pittosporum: Varied foliage forms, perfect for milder climates.

Each species has unique benefits, so assess your garden's needs, microclimate, and budget for the best fit.

Frequently Asked Questions About Speedy Growing Hedging Plants

Which privacy hedge grows the fastest?

Bamboo is generally the fastest, with some clumping varieties growing up to 5 feet per year. In terms of evergreen trees, Leyland Cypress and Green Giant Arborvitae are the most vigorous for tall, dense privacy screens.

How close should I plant hedge plants?

This depends on the mature width of your chosen plant, but a general guideline is to plant them two-thirds of their mature width apart to form a dense hedge quickly. For example, if a plant grows 6 feet wide, space them about 4 feet apart.

Can I use hedges instead of fences?

Absolutely! Fast-growing hedges can replace traditional fencing, providing a more beautiful, eco-friendly, and effective privacy barrier. Just ensure you respect local property boundaries and any regulations regarding hedge heights.

How do I encourage faster growth in my privacy hedge?

Regular watering, mulching, and annual feeding with a balanced fertilizer will boost early growth. Pruning encourages bushier, thicker foliage that enhances privacy.

Conclusion: Enjoy Quicker Privacy with Speedy Growing Hedges

Fast-growing privacy hedges are a stunning and practical way to create immediate solitude and beauty in your outdoor space. From the bold Leyland Cypress to the vibrant Red Robin Photinia, each species offers unique aesthetic and functional advantages. With the right choice and a little care, you can enjoy lush, living walls that protect your privacy and breathe new life into your garden for years to come.

Choose your favorite from these nine speedy options, plant them well, and soon you'll be enjoying a secluded, tranquil sanctuary of your own making.