Fastest Growing Privacy Hedges You Need to Know
Posted on 16/06/2025
Fastest Growing Privacy Hedges You Need to Know
Are you searching for an effective way to enhance your backyard's privacy without compromising on beauty? Many homeowners are turning to fast-growing privacy hedges as a natural, attractive solution to create living green screens around their properties. If you're interested in learning about the best privacy hedges that offer security, low-maintenance, and rapid growth, you're in the right place!
Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?
Choosing fast-growing hedges is a smart move for anyone needing a quick privacy solution. Unlike fences, these hedges introduce beauty, soften property lines, provide sound barriers, and offer habitats for birds and beneficial insects. Moreover, they often increase property value and improve air quality.
- Speed: Rapid growth ensures your garden is shielded faster.
- Versatility: Adaptable to various climates and garden styles.
- Aesthetics: Lush greenery and seasonal interest.
- Sustainability: They act as natural windbreaks and ecological shelters.
The Challenges of Privacy Screens
While hedges for privacy provide many benefits, they require careful selection to ensure they suit your region, soil, and space. Some species may invade or require frequent trimming to maintain a tidy look. Nevertheless, the fastest-growing options can achieve impressive height and thickness within a few seasons!
Top 10 Fastest Growing Privacy Hedges
Here is a list of the best fast growing privacy hedges that you need to know. Read on to discover which ones fit your garden goals, climate, and style.
1. Leyland Cypress (X Cupressocyparis leylandii)
A legendary choice among fastest growing hedges, Leyland Cypress can surge up to 3-4 feet per year! Its dense, feathery foliage delivers a lush green barrier ideal for blocking unwanted views. This hedge tolerates a variety of soils, prefers full sun, and matures quickly to 40-60 feet tall. With regular pruning, you can keep it much shorter and neatly shaped.
- Growth Rate: 3-4 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun
- Best For: Large gardens and tall privacy walls
2. Murray Cypress (Cupressus x 'Murray')
A resilient and disease-resistant cousin of Leyland, Murray Cypress is perfect for those seeking ultra-fast privacy. Growing up to 4 feet per year, this evergreen withstands strong winds, heat, and heavy rainfall better than its relatives, making it one of the top dense privacy hedges for challenging locations.
- Growth Rate: Up to 4 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to light shade
- Best For: Large boundary screens, frequent wet areas
3. Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii x plicata)
Highly popular among landscapers, the Green Giant Arborvitae is prized for its fast growth and adaptability. It can soar 3-5 feet yearly and quickly forms a thick privacy screen. Its feathery branches remain rich green year-round and require only basic care.
- Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to part shade
- Best For: Residential privacy hedges, windbreaks
4. Bamboo
For the fastest-growing privacy wall, bamboo hedges are hard to beat. Some clumping types, like Bambusa multiplex, gain 2-3 feet in a season and make a striking, exotic fence. Choose non-invasive clumping bamboo instead of running varieties to prevent unwanted spreading.
- Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year (some can reach 10+ feet overall!)
- Light Needs: Full sun to part shade
- Best For: Stylish, modern privacy screens
5. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Privet creates classic privacy hedges with dense, glossy leaves. It adapts to various soil types, tolerates heavy pruning, and forms a tough, attractive barrier in only a year or two. Its clusters of small white flowers are a pollinator favorite.
- Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade
- Best For: Formal and low-maintenance hedges
6. Schip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus 'Schipkaensis')
Also dubbed Skip Laurel, this vigorous shrub produces lush, glossy leaves forming a dense privacy hedge in just a few growing seasons. Schip Laurel is shade-tolerant and works well even in tight spaces where sunlight is limited.
- Growth Rate: 2 feet per year
- Light Needs: Partial shade to full shade
- Best For: Narrow or shaded property boundaries
7. Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)
If you want both speed and unforgettable color, Red Tip Photinia is your answer. This fast-growing privacy plant dazzles with scarlet new growth before maturing to green, creating a lively visual contrast in your yard.
- Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun
- Best For: Colorful, ornamental hedging
8. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)
Favored in the southern U.S., Wax Myrtle is a fast growing evergreen hedge that thrives in poor soil, hot climates, and coastal conditions. Its aromatic leaves and blue berries add wildlife interest, while regular shearing maintains a tidy screen.
- Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade
- Best For: Southern and coastal regions, wildlife gardens
9. Viburnum
Several Viburnums, such as Viburnum tinus and Viburnum odoratissimum, deliver reliable, fast privacy with lovely blossoms and attractive berries. Viburnums offer exceptional flexibility regarding light and soil, making them a smart hedge choice for almost any garden.
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to shade
- Best For: Mixed borders, wildlife-friendly screening
10. Glossy Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora)
Glossy Abelia is an underappreciated, fast growing privacy plant that produces stunning flowers in summer and fall. Its semi-evergreen nature keeps it green in warm climates, while arching branches add elegance to any dense hedge.
- Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
- Light Needs: Full sun to partial shade
- Best For: Decorative, flowering screens
What to Consider Before Planting Privacy Hedges
Before you race off to plant the fastest-growing privacy hedge, take time to consider a few crucial factors:
- Climate and Hardiness: Choose plants that thrive in your USDA zone.
- Growth Habit: Do you want a tall, narrow screen or a wide, bushy barrier?
- Maintenance: Some hedges require regular trimming to keep neat.
- Soil and Light: Match your soil type and sun exposure to the hedge's needs.
- Root Systems: Avoid species with invasive roots near buildings or pipes.
- Allergies: Some hedge species may produce pollen or berries that affect sensitive individuals.
Key Tips for Successful Hedge Planting
- Space Properly: Follow instructions for your chosen species to avoid crowding or gaps.
- Soil Preparation: Enrich soil with compost for vigorous healthy growth.
- Water Well: Newly planted hedges need consistent moisture for establishment.
- Mulch: Spread mulch to conserve water and control weeds.
- Prune Regularly: Encourage density and manage shape with annual trimming.
Frequently Asked Questions about Fastest Growing Hedges
How fast do privacy hedges grow?
The exact rate varies by species--from 1 foot up to 5 feet each year! For fast results, choose Leyland Cypress, Murray Cypress, or Green Giant Arborvitae. Even within species, growth depends on sun, water, and care.
Which hedge is best for small gardens?
For compact spaces, consider Schip Laurel, Wax Myrtle, or clumping bamboos, which grow tall but don't spread too widely.
What is the fastest evergreen hedge?
Leyland Cypress and Thuja Green Giant are top picks for rapid evergreen screening, as they reach impressive heights quickly and stay green all year.
Which hedge is lowest maintenance?
Privet and Viburnum offer quick growth with limited trimming, making them ideal for low-maintenance gardeners.
Can I use flowering plants for privacy hedges?
Absolutely! Red Tip Photinia, Abelia, and certain Viburnums offer decorative blooms alongside dense foliage.
Final Thoughts: Choosing the Perfect Fast-Growing Privacy Hedge
Picking the best fast growing privacy hedge boils down to understanding your garden's unique conditions and your likes. Whether you want classic evergreens, colorful floral screens, or the modern allure of bamboo, a suitable fast-growing hedge will transform your outdoor space quickly and beautifully.
For quick privacy, improved air quality, and a boost to your landscape's aesthetics, these fastest growing privacy hedges are your best bet. Assess your site, research your options, and soon you'll have a living wall that shields, protects, and delights all year round!
- Leyland Cypress: Supreme height and speed
- Green Giant Arborvitae: Dense, evergreen cover
- Bamboo: Modern and exotic privacy
- Privet: All-around classic hedge
- Wax Myrtle: Southern champion
- Red Tip Photinia: Privacy with color
Invest in the right fast-growing hedge and enjoy your private paradise sooner than you think!
